No assembly RequireD

There has been constant discussion in the film community over what is happening to comedy blockbusters in theaters. And while it is hard to say they are nonexistent when the biggest movie event of the year is a comedy about a talking plastic doll, there is still some great worrisome about the death of theatrical comedies. Most go straight to streaming and the few that are given a wide release struggle to find an audience. It is unfortunate, and yet there are movies like STRAYS that do not help the case for them. STRAYS may have been given a big release due to it’s A-list cast and production team, but it is nothing above the stack of forgettable comedies dumped on Netflix and Hulu each month. It may feature the most adorable ensemble of the year (deserving of all the belly rubs) but its worst feature is that it is just remarkably unfunny. STRAYS starring a cast of real dogs and featuring the voices of comedy staples such as Will Ferrell, Jamie Fox, Isla Fisher, Will Forte, Randall Park and Josh Gad deliver what could have been an easy home run. Instead much like 2019’s “Good Boys” it banks solely on having adorable beings say perverted stuff. That’s it. STRAYS may find a few ways to pull at the heartstrings of some dog owners, but in the end you wont be sad when this dog is put down for good.

Reggie, an adorable Border Terrier (Will Ferrell) only knows one thing. His owner Doug (Will Forte) loves him. At least that is how a loyal dog sees it. Doug however is a drunken asshole who abuses Reggie and wants him out of his love playing a game Reggie calls “Fetch and Fuck” where Doug throws Reggie’s favorite ball out into an abandoned field in hopes of removing Reggie from his life forever (the “fuck” comes from the word Doug shouts every time Reggie manages to find his way home). The loyalty Reggie has for Doug or any dog to its owner is painfully cute for a moment until the abuse towards Reggie becomes obnoxious and beats you over the end more than Doug does to Reggie. Eventually Reggie is dropped off miles away in the big city to fend for himself still believing it is all just a game. Thankfully (for Reggie’s sake not the audience) Reggie meets Bug (Jamie Foxx) a small but scrappy Boston Terrier who is used to the stray street life. He tells Reggie that no matter what never forget he is on his own, that is until he introduces him to his friends Maggie (Isla Fisher) an Australian Shepard and therapy dog Great Dane Hunter (Randall Park). The voice acting here feels misguided with the voices obnoxiously shadowing any of the cuteness that comes from allowing real dogs perform. By the time Bug utters his 100^th “fuck you” the point is well made and tiresome. Cute dogs when they are barking are actually cursing. We get it. Got anything else for us? No. alright then.

When STRAYS eventually finds itself to its main point it is meant for such uproarious laughs that its incredibly uncomfortable when its biggest gag lands flat. Reggie realizes that Doug never loved him and as a dog has given his unconditional love to him, so now he only has one option, to bite Doug’s dick off. There is nothing wrong with a good “dick joke,” but STRAYS relies its entire basis on them and when each one becomes staler than the next you can’t help but feel almost above the frat boyish-esque humor that to be honest would probably not even make an Omega Alpha member laugh. STRAYS produced by Chris Miller and Phil Lord of “21 jump Street” and “Spider-Verse” fame feel merely names here as none of their enjoyable quips are found in Dan Perrault’s script or Josh Greenbaum’s directing that again feels more confident in getting their humor out of watching dogs poop simultaneously than any actual developed comedy. Even when STRAYS finds its way to a heart it feels all too late. Yes any dog owner will connect with wanting to protect a dog and feeling the unconditional love and bond you share but you don’t need to sit through a wave of tedious gags to get there. There is some appreciation for the film’s extensive use of real dogs, and it is impossible not to fall for their adorable facial expressions or real life behavior but when their mouths start to talk it is clear why these films haven’t been around for quite some time and especially why nobody felt the need to make an R rated version of “Homeward Bound.” STRAYS tries to have its bone and eat it too and while there are a few laughs at the expense of other nauseating dog films like “A Dog’s Journey” or “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” there is nothing to hold onto and you find yourself letting go of the leash wishing for a car to take this movie out.

D+

STRAYS IS NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE