REVIEW #153 Dog (2022)

Dog is a family comedy directed by both Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin. Army Ranger Briggs is tasked with transporting army dog Lulu down the pacific coast in time for her soldier companions funeral, there is just one issue… Lulu is extremely hostile, suffering from anxiety and PTSD from her time in the war. 

CAST & THE ACTING 

Channing Tatum is the lead actor, playing Army Ranger Briggs and his unique comedic charm carries the film along with the dog Lulu. His delivery of dialogue creates plenty of laughs and the chemistry he has with his canine companion creates a fantastic friendship that melts the audience. There aren’t really any other actors that appear long enough in the film to make them worth mentioning but the actors that do pop up contribute well to the overall charm of the film, keeping things light and funny. I do want to speak about the dogs performance though because she does just as much work as Tatum! She can make you laugh and make you cry and it’s extraordinary just how well she can act. 

THE STORYLINE 

You know what you’re getting with Dog before you even start watching, you can kind of guess what happens just from the trailer but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment at all. Essentially it’s an Army Ranger recovering from his wartime injuries and before he can get redeployed he is tasked with transporting Lulu across country in time for her keepers funeral. Lulu is also recovering from injuries sustained whilst at war and that makes her extremely volatile and hostile, which is why the army have arranged for her to be put to sleep after the funeral. So it’s a story about friendship and how these two army vets bond on their journey. It’s really simple but it does create a true feel good movie. At its core it’s extremely funny but it has plenty of intimate moments that can hit you right in the feels too. The character development is pretty strong, the two of them help heal each other on their journey and despite the plot being very predictable it’s still a hell of a ride. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS 

The one thing I loved about the cinematography was the utilisation of the surroundings, creating beautifully organic scenes using the different areas of America the pair have to pass through. Unfortunately that was probably the only thing actually worth mentioning, there are a few moments where the camerawork creates some nice angles and viewpoints but for the most part it’s all pretty generic. That is exactly what I expected so it didn’t leave me disappointed in the slightest but I don’t think it will leave an impression in regards to visuals and general aesthetic. The soundtrack was good though and the songs did compliment the scenes in which they were used, so that worked well.

OVERALL (7.5/10)

I didn’t expect to like this film as much as I did, it will probably be my favourite ‘feel good’ film of the year. It had a certain charm about it and Channing Tatum carried the film with his humour and his chemistry with Lulu the dog. She performed just as well too, a really good dog! Granted it doesn’t break new ground or give you anything that you haven’t seen before but it’s something you can sit back, relax and thoroughly enjoy with the family. It was nice to see the whole cinema gasping and laughing along together. I would definitely recommend getting out and seeing this film if you can, I think it’s one that’s flew under the radar for sure! 

Thanks for reading 

Callan