Movie Review: These “Strays” talk dirty and play “ruff”

The f-bomb is dropped 15 times before the opening credits of “Strays,” a raunchy new talking-dogs comedy that’s sort of “The Incredible Journey” without Disney, an “Incredible Journey Through Profanity and Every Vulgar and Gross Thing Dogs Do.”

Will Forte, playing a dog-neglecting, dog-abusing stoner who keeps his cheated-on ex-girlfriend’s border terrier out of spite, plays a game the dog (voiced by Will Ferrell) names “Fetch and F–k!”

Forte gets his 14 of the 15 opening F-bombs out by yelling every time little Reggie fetches that ball, no matter how far off stoner Doug drops the dog, and returns to Doug’s bong-decorated hovel.

All this is BEFORE Reggie meets Buzz, the Boston terrier voiced by R-rated comic Jamie Foxx. So that’s the kind of movie you’re facing, friends. Don’t go bringing Granny because she loves her Boston terrier or the kids because it’s a movie with talking dogs.

This is one foul-mouthed, leg-and-everything-else humping, dog vomiting and dog pooping extravaganza. They don’t hand out R ratings because it’s “ruff.” Ok, actually they do.

Country dog Reggie finds himself alone in the big city, where veteran stray Buzz meets him and helps him accept that Doug didn’t “love” him and doesn’t want him back. With Buzz’s pals Hunter, the Great Dane therapy dog (a “police dog” washout voiced by Randall Park) and Australian shepherd Maggie (Isla Fisher), an ace tracker and smart-enough-to-realize-her-owner’s all about the puffy Pomerian she just brought home, and not her anymore.

Reggie resolves to go back to where he came from, find Doug and bite his (penis) off.

The four friends undertake this quest, facing sketchy directions from Reggie and every dog’s greatest nightmares — dog catchers and fireworks.

They curse, get stoned off mushrooms, plucked up by an eagle and hump all sorts of stuff along the way.

Cute bits include Buzz teaching Reggie the “rules” of being a stray — “Rule number one, you want something, PEE on it.” Foxx’s way with an off-color line lets him steal the movie.

The idea here is to riff on real dog behavior — the more gross the better — and a dog’s eye view of human interactions such as humans “collecting” their poop.

The Dan Perrault script gets gooey and sentimental about every dogs’ sad story, and outraged at the sorts of ways humans abuse, neglect or misunderstand Man’s Best Friend

But the talking dogs effect is pretty much perfected now. And there are juvenile laughs scattered throughout, with the most sophisticated gag a send-up of “A Dog’s Purpose,” with Josh Gad voicing a “Narrator Dog” (Labrador Retriever) and his human co-star in that film spoofing himself.

You’ll avert your eyes from some of the more disgusting stuff. But as a dumb movie that makes you laugh, “Strays” falls somewhere between “Ted,” the cussing Teddy Bear tale, and “Cocaine Bear.” Just don’t go if you’re easily offended.

Rating: R for pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and drug use.

Cast: The voices of Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla , Randall Park, Josh Gad and Sofía Vergara, with Will Forte.

Credits: Directed by Josh Greenbaum, scripted by Dan Perrault. A Universal release.

Running time: 1:33

Unknown's avatar

About Roger Moore

Movie Critic, formerly with McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Orlando Sentinel, published in Spin Magazine, The World and now published here, Orlando Magazine, Autoweek Magazine
This entry was posted in Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news. Bookmark the permalink.