Dog
Heartwarming, funny and surprising, Dog defies expectations.
Former Army Ranger Briggs (Channing Tatum) is desperate to get back into military work, but his brain injury diagnosis from an explosion while in service is hamstringing a job with a civilian contractor. He makes a deal with his former commander; the commander will give him a recommendation, allowing him to work, if Briggs drives his fellow soldier’s Ranger Canine Lulu (a Belgian Malinois) to that soldier’s funeral. The only issue is that Lulu is a deeply traumatised animal. Briggs has to get past years of army training instilled in the dog to form a true bond, and ultimately decide whether life back in service is the right move, or if he might have found something more important with Lulu.
The almost parody-esque posters for this film, along with the monosyllabic title, might throw you off a little. Certainly, they make this out to be a fairly tame movie, with little of import going on. While the film undoubtedly maintains a sense of fun throughout, what you may be surprised by is how deep, emotionally affecting and enjoyably introspective it is.
Channing Tatum, in a role that is half nuanced performance, half getting his kit off and drinking Jack Daniels on the hood of a truck, tackles this content with good-natured abandon. He’s a good enough actor to carry the more heartfelt moments, but as we’ve seen in pieces like 21 Jump Street, his comedic chops are well defined, and they help bring broad humor to the piece as well.
The true star, however, is Lulu herself, whose arc from terrifying presence to cutest dog in the world is a seen-before, but much appreciated one. There’s lots to love about a canine in any film, and here is no different, but what sets this piece apart is the interrogation of Lulu’s trauma, her coping mechanisms, and the bonding and training required post-service to give her something tantamount to a life. It’s an engaging tale that may well leave you in tears.
Visually, the piece is gorgeous, with cinematograher Newton Thomas Sigel leaning into the road trip aesthetic with sweeping vistas, gorgeous coastal shots, and beautiful forestry work. This film also marks the directorial debut of Channing Tatum and his co-director Reid Carolin, and the fact that it chugs along at a pacy 1 hour and 41 minutes without ever dragging, or seeming overwrought, is a testament to the latent potential in that duo.
In the end, the most important thing is story, and while Dog doesn’t break the mould in any sense other than making this more of a military tale, it does do a tremendous job of balancing the humour with pathos, and crafting an energetic, engaging tale that you’d recommend to your friends.
