For ” dog” to not work at a basic level, something would have to go horribly wrong. Channing Tatum is one of Hollywood’s most beloved leading men. He is paired with a dog on a two-hander road trip. This is the closest to a Hollywood win.
It is also a project that was born from utter sincerity after a few years of wasted time on a failed superhero movie. Tatum, his long-time producer partner Reid Carolin, set out to create something small and meaningful that they could do themselves, and something they would enjoy seeing in a theater. Tatum and Carolin made their directorial debuts with “Dog”.
Tatum also directs the film. Tatum plays Jackson Briggs, a former U.S Army Ranger who has lost his way when not deployed. He isn’t able to live his day making sandwiches at Subway, a fast-casual restaurant. He wants to go back overseas. He feels that he has a purpose. He feels motivated, but he also needs to be recommitted by his superior.
He is then given an assignment: Take Lulu (a Belgian Malinois Briggs served alongside), from Washington to Arizona for the funeral of her handler. He might get the recommendation to go back into the field if he does this. Lulu, who is a mix of three dogs, isn’t doing well. She’s not able to fly and is prone to attacking people so she must drive 1,600 miles to get the service.
It’s a slow start. Briggs views Lulu as a means to an ending and a nuisance that he must deal with for a few more days. He leaves Lulu in his truck and goes to Portland looking for women. It is a futile endeavor that appears to be purely for comedy but ultimately leads him to feeling very sad. There are several gags in the film, including one that features a sadistic cannabis farmer. Another scene sees Briggs pretending to be a blind man in order to obtain a luxurious hotel room. Although they may work in theory, they don’t really fit with the overall tone.
This is a fascinating conundrum because Tatum and Reid did not fail to try to bring humor and levity to a very serious subject. Perhaps the problem is Briggs isn’t your typical Tatum character. He isn’t Magic Mike or Jimmy Logan who are both good men in himbo packaging. He’s selfish and has a temper. He also has a young child with Q’orianka Kilcher, who doesn’t recognize him even when he arrives at the door carrying a unicorn gas station gift. Briggs doesn’t know how broken he really is.
After an illuminating visit to Los Angeles, where there is still a bizarre showdown at a homeless camp near the boardwalk, the film reunites its disjointedness and returns to its roots of Briggs and Lulu without any distractions. They have some truly moving moments together and Tatum is given more freedom to express his dramatic side.
It does work in the end, but “Dog”, while it is entertaining, is trying to do a lot and maybe taking on more than it can handle in 90 minutes.
“Dog,” a United Artists Releasing movie that was released in theaters on Friday, has been rated PG-13 (for language, thematic elements and drug content) by the Motion Picture Association of America. Running time: 90 min. Two and a quarter stars out of four.
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MPAA Definition of PG-13 – Parents are strongly advised. Children under 13 may not be able to access some material.
