Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) directs Dan Perrault’s script about a dog named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell), a gullible border terrier who’s abandoned by his mean and abusive animal-hating owner, Doug (Will Forte). Reggie teams up with three dogs—Bug (voiced Jamie Foxx), a street-smart Boston terrier; Maggie (voiced by Isla Fisher), an Australian shepherd; and Hunter (voiced by Randall Park), a great dane—to seek revenge on his cruel former owner. (93 min.)
Glen: The first thing you may wonder is how does a dog movie earn an R rating. Well, let me tell you. It only takes two f-bombs to go from PG-13 to R. If you give one f-bomb, adolescents can see it, but you give two, bam! R. Strays gives a whole lotta f-bombs, plus there’s copious bong rips, a lot of dog humping, a whole lotta dog shit, and a lotta talk about biting someone’s dick off. Essentially, Strays means to lampoon sentimental dog movies such as Marley & Me (2008), A Dog’s Purpose (2017), and A Dog’s Journey (2019), the latter two of which starred Dennis Quaid, who’s clearly self-deprecating enough to accept a cameo in Strays as himself. The end result is a crude, ribald, funny comedy that’s definitely aimed at adults. I didn’t laugh my head off, but I was sufficiently amused to recommend a matinee for comedy lovers.
Anna: It definitely hits some classic comedy markers and has a cast that knows their comedy chops. Bug decides to show Reggie the ways of being a stray in an effort to convince Reggie that he shouldn’t need or want Doug back in his life. But Reggie just can’t give up the idea of being a good boy for his owner. Luckily, the trio of dogs is able to finally show him how happy life can be without Doug in it. Ferrell is great as little, scruffy Reggie, and his ragtag team of newfound friends all have talented actors voicing them. There’s a budding romance between Maggie and Hunter, a carnival that quickly turns into a nightmare when fireworks go off, and even a mushroom trip that the gang must never speak of again. It isn’t a must-see, but if you like a bit of raunchiness while watching cute dogs adventure around, it is definitely worth the price of a matinee.
Glen: What I’ve discovered from my lifetime of being a dog lover is that dogs have no shame. They’ll eat poop and barf, and they’ll lick each other’s buttholes for what seems like a very inappropriate amount of time. It’s disgusting, but you have to admire their sense of unfettered freedom. They also display a deep sense of loyalty to their owners, even if those owners treat them poorly. Strays anthropomorphizes dogs in the most literal way—by giving them voice, thought, and motivation. If you love dogs, enjoy crude comedy, and can put up with swear words, this movie has its charms.
Anna: Reggie just wants to make his person happy, even though his person is awful. It turns out that Bug has a backstory of why he likes life on the streets more than in a home, Hunter is a failed police dog, and Maggie has been replaced with a purse-sized pooch by her vapid owner. They’re all searching for belonging, and they find that in each other. It’s definitely a silly flick, but it knows how to have fun with the storyline. They did well with casting, and while I wouldn’t recommend it to a younger crowd, as long as you’re OK with lots of jokes around poop and dicks and don’t mind some naughty language, this film is worth a few good laughs.
New Times Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Glen compiles listings. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Aug 24 – Sep 3, 2023.