Abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug, a naive but lovable dog named Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier and his gang of strays. Determined to seek revenge, Reggie and his new canine pals embark on an epic adventure to get him home and make Doug pay for his dirty deed.
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Cast: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Brett Gelman, Jamie Demetriou, Sofía Vergara
Release Date: August 2, 2023
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rated R for pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and drug use.
Runtime: 1h 33m
There's a pretty long history of talking animals family films from The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey to more recent entries like A Dog's Purpose which are generally wholesome affairs. Strays takes the general concept and delivers a raunchy comedy which leans heavily on gross out humor with uneven results. Josh Greenbaum's film delivers some laughs throughout its brisk runtime but it never really finds a consistent groove since some set ups work better than others. When it works, there are some genuinely funny moments but when they don't they fall noticeably flat which is a shame since the main foursome is made up of strong comedic talents. Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher and Randall Park deliver fun performances as the motley crew that embarks on the journey. The four of them deliver lines with a snappy ease that you'd expect with experienced performers with Foxx delivering the most consistent turn. Ferrell's role seems perfectly suited for his style but the script doesn't let his character let loose as much as you'd expect which keeps him reined in from his classic freak out mode. Isa Fisher and Randall Park are fun in supporting roles with Fisher proving to be the film's secret weapon. The four share solid chemistry together but they never really hit their stride because the script uses gross out humor way too much for my taste. Its a shame because there's plenty to satirize about the genre, something do in passing with a recurring bit about a narrating dog and a very specific cameo. That's not to say there aren't laughs to be had in Strays but a bit of variety in the comedy would have made it more memorable overall.
C+
