I will admit that when I saw the trailer for Dog, I expected another middle-of-the-road average man and dog comedy movie. However, what I got was a fantastic, fun, but also very serious, and quite hard-hitting movie that really did impress me. Channing Tatum is fantastic in this movie and it really shows that he has some serious acting chops.
How to Stream or Download Dog (2022 film)
you will be able to stream and watch Dog on digital platforms 45 days after its theatrical release. Click on the Download button at the end of the review to check the current availability. If you like films about dogs, check out also our reviews A Dog’s Purpose (2017) and A Dog’s Journey (2019).
The Movie Review
I have seen a few movies lately that have had a kind of bait-and-switch thing going on. I am not saying this is a terrible thing, however, after watching the trailer, I certainly went into Dog expecting one kind of movie and then I got something else. Thankfully, what I got was a million times better than what I thought I was getting!
Right from the start, this is a movie that had me engaged with what was going on. The plot of the movie is about Channing Tatum’s Jackson Briggs who is tasked with taking a dog to a fallen soldier’s funeral. Jackson and the dog have a real odd couple kind of relationship at first, but seeing them become closer as the movie goes on does warm the heart.
That right there makes Dog sound like a fun comedy-type movie right? Well, there are some funny moments here, you see most of them in the trailer. Yet, the funny moments more often than not tend to have a seriousness about them. The whole movie is actually way more serious than I thought and that was something which I really did like.
Jackson is dealing with some PTSD and he has real trouble connecting with people. Things are even worse for the dog as he is scheduled to be put down after Jackson has completed his task. In that regard, you can see where the movie is going a mile off, but the road there is full of surprises.
There are so many tonal shifts in the movie. Jackson is about to hook up with some hippie chicks, but their gear gets stolen, including Jackson’s “medication” and there is even a scene where he is hit with a tranquilizer dart and tied up in a shed! All of these different things could make the movie feel disjointed and weird, but it actually works and works very well.
I really did like the chemistry between Channing Tatum and the dog and the way that it grows as the movie progresses. There are some fun other smaller roles too, including Kevin Nash who I think is always a lot of fun.
At its heart, I would have to say that Dog is best described as a road movie and it is a damn fine road movie. I highly recommend that you check out Dog. This was a movie that had a ton of heart and even when the movie is funny, it felt genuine and fit with the vibe of the story they were telling. I am not sure I would say that this is one for the kids. Kids may see the trailer and think it’s a funny movie about a dog, but it has a lot of serious elements that kids might find tough.
