By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
As the first live action film with talking animals to receive an R rating, “Strays” is an adult comedy that is hysterical from start to finish. Dog owners will certainly look at their pets in a whole new way, wondering what is really going on behind those puppy dog eyes.
Reggie (Will Ferrell) is a dog with a positive outlook on life despite being neglected and constantly ridiculed by his owner, Doug (Will Forte). He naively loves Doug and enjoys playing fetch with him, even though Doug’s idea of fetch is to drive further away from home each time, throw the tennis ball, and quickly drive away before Reggie can return. Somehow Reggie finds his way home each time until Doug drops him in a city far away from home.
When Reggie encounters other stray dogs, they make him realize that Doug abandoned him. Bug (Jamie Foxx), Maggie (Isla Fisher), and Hunter (Randall Park) accompany their new friend to find the way back home and seek revenge on Doug. The journey leads the four canines into some surprising situations that yield hysterical results.
Director Josh Greenbaum not only creates one hilarious scene after another from start to finish, but he also incorporates a pretty solid storyline that gives the movie purpose and invests the audience in the outcome. Featuring strong messages of friendship while comically reminding pet owners to show love to their animals provides the audience with some emotional investment in the film. Greenbaum gives amusing context to odd behaviors dogs are known for and he doesn’t miss an opportunity for random humor that leads to multiple memorable moments. One such moment is a scene that parodies “Marley & Me” in a gut-wrenching laughter kind of way.
In a film like this, strong voice actors are needed to deliver lines flawlessly and naturally to successfully bring the comedy, and Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx deliver. Ferrell, with his innocent and naïve tone, and Foxx, with his aggressively profanity riddled dialect, combine for non-stop hilarity. Will Forte (“MacGruber”), in one of the few non-voice over roles, is also incredibly funny as the foul, irresponsible and irredeemable dog owner.
Even though this is a talking dog movie, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a “Homeward Bound” type of movie. “Strays” is vulgar, raunchy, and downright disgusting at times, and that’s what makes it one of the funniest movies of the year. This is a comedy for adults who don’t get easily offended and will leave its viewers holding their sides from the constant laughter.
This movie earns:
