LIKES:
The Middle Pace
-The movie's second act is the parts that people will most likely love, a steady progress towards the goal with enough detours to give time with the characters
-The third act somewhat keeps this past in its first part, but the second part sort of ramps up to get to the ending quickly.
-Still, the fun is had at this pace and enough of the touching moments to make the trip worthwhile
The Realism, to an extent
-Dog is a film with a much deeper dive into the human nature than just an interaction between man and canine. It instead dives into a lot of problems that sort of face the general, and particularly military population.
-Tatum's character does a nice job of mimicking the struggles his situation brings, especially some of the afflictions that haunt him every day.
-Lulu (the dog) also has a decent story built in that extends past the normal furry partner in crime who merely is there for comedic relief.
-It sheds some light on these subjects, with some decent respect and realism, to not only bring more character development, but make one realize the struggles some go through.
The Comedy:
-The trailers have shown you a few good jokes and sequences that occur between the two main characters, which retain some of the charm despite being seen multiple times.
-However, there are even better moments still buried in the unknown parts of the film, many of them fitting quite well with the journey they take and helping to extend the relationship in a natural way.
-You'll find some of the humor very tasteful, and there may be a few that could be controversial depending on your sensitivity to certain subjects, but it all fits well into the fell of the movie.
The Plot's Sense:
-I know there are plenty of gaps in logic and ethics, but the movie does a nice job of at least setting up the circumstances for the adventure at hand.
-Lulu and Briggs' dynamics have a fun means of connecting, with again organic challenges and writing that do primarily extend to what could happen in real life and aren't too big of a stretch.
-The plot again curtails more towards a realistic approach to the struggles they face, which again makes you appreciate the steps they did to tackle a difficult subject.
The Music
-No Oscar winning symphonies, groundbreaking scores meant to elicit emotional tears or standing ovations in this movie.
-Dog takes the pride of the country/military boy, and brings with it the classics of the bygone eras to pull you into the mood and road trip atmosphere.
-Holy Drops, Kenny Rogers, The Tokens, and more will fill the theater and should bring a number of feelings and memories back depending on your experience with these moments.
The Acting/Dog Training
-While not the award-winning, mind-blowing parts that we talk about years later, Dog's acting is still good given the approach they took.
-Tatum plays the role of the military man better than he did in G. I. Joe, and extends his repertoire to a level that shows a future of handling more emotionally complex roles and more serious roles.
-Kilcher is fine for the limited time she is on screen, but I'll need more time and movies with her to really give her acting quality a feel.
-The same with Lampman's character as well, strong opening, but still needing more screen time and involvement before I can really talk about the quality she brings.
-My favorite element and the most impressive actor are the dog known as Lulu and the extensive training she has had in following commands.
-She's got the motion and the look down that penetrates animal lover's hearts, alongside the spunk of an animal companion that pet owners are certain to know.
-With great camera work, and some other assistance from Hollywood magic, Lulu also manages to personify the human element as well, spooking to a degree in how well she fits in this world of humans.
DISLIKES:
Predictable:
-You know what's coming, you know how it's going to be solved, and you can feel where the movie is going a mile away.
-While it does not dampen the feels this movie offers, the movie also is not the most exciting or adventurous road trip that other movies have done better, which diminishes the movie theater vibe.
-However, you can be sure to watch in peace knowing that there are few things to threaten the safety of our two guys, and still get to enjoy the incredible training of Lulu.
More Time with Other Characters
-As you can see in my acting category, the limited time with two of the three top-billed actors/actresses makes for a limited run time with the movie.
-The acquaintances made do work, but for some of the characters that hold more bite in terms of story, it would have been nice to have them interacting via flashback, or phone calls to make them worth it.
-This also would have helped extend Channing's character more, rather than some of the sleazy shots we got midway through the movie.
The Trailer Reveals a lot
-Not much I can say, but the movie has set up most of the movie for you and has revealed just a little too much given the short run time of the movie
-Be cautious with how much you have seen, and try to block it from your mind to fully enjoy the experience.
The Slow Opening/Fast Ending:
-The first act has the slower, darker, and scene array that makes you grimace at how they handled the scenes, despite it again fitting the state of mind the characters are in.
-This opening does set up for the great second act, but that opener is still a bit long winded and trudging through it can be difficult in the long run when you are going for more of the buddy comedy moments.
-Adding on to this, the fast wrap up at the end, while completing the story and delivering a complete focus, felt a little too skirted over for me, and could have used another five to ten minutes to close the tale out.
-After all the set-up, the finale does just the necessary work to finish the tale, but after all the other great things done in this film, justice was not fully dished out for it.
The Preachiness at Times/Hard to Watch Moments:
-Dog's biggest thing for me, is how extreme they go sometimes in preaching the message of the moment that throws off the natural pace the movie was doing.
-Certain characters have monologues that are very Hollywood, and though inspirational and heartwarming, feels a bit in your face and off compared to again the organic stuff you see.
-In addition, there are a few of those moments where things are a bit too hard to watch, and though again driving the spike to illustrate the struggles, we could have had a little less in my opinion.
The VERDICT:
Dog is a fun buddy comedy that really accomplishes the goal of a road trip/buddy comedy, just with a furrier friend. It's heartwarming at times, it really does a great job of addressing issues, and it brings the humor that you expect from the trailers. Tatum and Lulu are a great combination, and that training the dog has with the cinematography is definitely the selling point of this tale. All the emotions are contained well in this realistic approach to a serious topic and another attempt to wake the folks up to the reality of this situation. While the tale is predictable, drags at times, and has some theatrics to get in the way of the organic pace the movie was holding. Still, the movie is worth a check out, and if you can make it through the harder scenes to watch... you'll have a good time with this one. While I always condone seeing in theaters, Dog is a movie I feel does better at home. My scores are:
Comedy: 7.5
Movie Overall: 7.0.
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