⭐️ (out of 5)
Homeward Bound comes to mind when one hears about the tales of lost animals trying to find their way back home versus the elements and nefarious humans. Heartwarming, endearing, and family-friendly is the rush of feelings that pour over your soul as the memories give you an emotional hug. Now think of the opposite of these pleasant times when films about long-lost animals were fun for families, and you are left with the pile of doggie poo that is Strays.
Upon leaving a film screening, most audience members will be looking for a means of washing off the excrement piled on throughout this film. Granted, Reggie (Will Ferrall) is a cute pup reminiscent of Benji, who was raised by a horrible owner, Doug (Will Forte). Despite the dog's well-meaning, naive love for his human, all the man wants is to rid himself of this annoying creature. Eventually, the lowlife abandons the loyal animal on the city's mean streets three hours drive from his home. Here, Reg is adopted by the foul-mouthed, talkative Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx). As this unlikely pair uncover each other's past and share their freedoms as strays, Reggie decides to go home and enact revenge on his owner. They recruit city dogs like the Great Dane, Hunter (Randall Park) and Australian Shepherd Maggie (Isla Fisher), to make the cross-country trek to help the small canine avenge his life-long abuse.
If you are looking for a film about male genitalia, this is the film for you. Between the continual use of f-bombs and sexual dialogue, the primary fixation of the whole movie is centered on phalluses. Dogs, humans, hawks, and squirrels, no one is immune from the discussion about this aspect of anatomy. Despite being spoken of from the mouths of cute animals, there is no missing that the screenwriter has an unhealthy fixation on genitals. In pop psychology, the diagnosis would border on a compulsive sexual disorder, instead of receiving therapy the writer sold this story as a comedy about canine bonding. This film proves that our comedy and film standards have now been forced to roll around in dog excrement and viewers are meant to think it smells good and entertaining.
What baffles the mind is determining the target audience for a film like Strays. It would be considered child abuse to take anyone under 18 years of age into the theatre to see this movie. As adults, no one would want to remain in a relationship with someone who took them to watch this at the local theatre for a date night. This leaves us with the Dougs* of the world, those individuals who spend most of their days smoking pot, abusing dogs, and looking at porn. These people must be who the producers considered when they greenlit this project and brought it to cinemas. Who knew there were so many Dougs in the world that they would get their own classification niche and film. Yet, without spoiling things for this selective market, be forewarned of your champion’s final scene when the dogs enact their final revenge. This one's for you, Doug, here’s hoping you don’t lose the very thing you are most fixated upon in life.
Reel Dialogue: Don’t pick up Strays
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*We apologise to any Doug who does not represent this market niche. This label is no way a judgment on all of the Doug’s of the world.
