Over the years, there have been many examples of “funny talking dog” films. “Strays” is certainly one of those examples, but is it a good one? Well, that depends on your sense of humour, because this is the first “talking animal” movie to receive an R rating in the history of cinema.

Written by Dan Perrault of ‘Screen Junkies’ infamy, Strays is a 90-minute long, College Humor sketch starring Will Ferrell as Reggie, a naive little dog with a big heart and bigger case of denial. Reggie only sees the best in people, most notably his owner played by Saturday Night Live’s very own, Will Forte. Forte plays Doug, a heartless and self-obsessed loser who stole Reggie from his ex-girlfriend out of spite, and now takes every opportunity to try to get rid of Reggie by abusing and abandoning him in locations, increasingly further from home. The movie starts with Reggie finally being unable to find his way back home which like most talking-animal films, is where the story really begins.

Reggie wanders the streets where he soon meets with Bug, an aptly-named, bug-eyed French Bulldog played by Jamie Foxx, doing his best impression of himself. Bug is the street-smart guide that takes pity on Reggie and decides to teach him the ways of being a stray dog in a big city. Bug introduces Reggie to Maggie, an Australian Shepherd voiced by Isla Fisher, getting to use her Aussie accent, and Hunter, a Great Dane played by Randall Park of ‘WandaVision’ fame.

Maggie is a “jealous older sister” character who is spurned by her owner when she gets a cuter little Pomeranian puppy, whilst Hunter is a therapy dog with anxiety who is incredibly awkward at interpersonal relationships. Together, these three new friends help Reggie realise that Doug abused and rejected him, and they join Reggie on his quest to return to Doug’s house to perpetrate the violent removal of Doug’s genitalia.

With a soundtrack full of popular rap tracks, the journey of these four dogs hits a lot of the same marks as ‘Homeward Bound’. There is a definite formula to these kinds of films that they all seem to follow. Strays separates itself however by inserting a ridiculous amount of adult humour. Jokes about urinating on objects, humping things, and the other supposed pleasures of the life of a stray are crammed into every second line like a Casino riffle-shuffle. Throughout it all, Ferrell’s Reggie maintains his naivety and optimistic outlook. The characters play off each other conversationally in what sounds like an improv session at some moments, where it certainly seems like they had a lot of fun. Some jokes though are brought back multiple times, wearing thin by the third time you hear them.

While the characters may be one-note and the story is predictable, behind all the gross-out humour and jokes about dog penises there is a genuine thread of concern for the way that humans treat animals. Strays keeps reminding us that these poor dogs are on this journey because each of them has been mistreated in some way. It points out the things that humans do to their pets without realising that it may be impacting the animal negatively, and brings to light a core theme of treating your pets with dignity, respect, and the love that they deserve. Then the movie shows you a dog eating another dog’s vomit. Highs and lows.

The cinematography is nothing to write home about. Serviceable shots and effective lighting are the order of the day, as unlike some other entries in the “talking animal” genre, these dogs do actually talk with their mouths in the film and so their faces need to be animated.

The dogs are very well trained for the most part, and though some CG and puppetry are used in certain moments, the dogs themselves perform the vast majority of their actions.

The mouth movements and facial expressions are all created via CG on top of real shots of the dogs, though the expressions are a little too subtle and sometimes hard to read. There are more humans than just Doug in the movie, though it is to be noted that an anthropomorphised couch gets more lines than most of them, and while they aren’t the main focus the ones that have screen time do a perfectly fine job.

If you’ve read this far, then it goes without saying that this is not a film for children. If the red band trailer alone doesn’t give you that impression, then take this advice: Leave the kids at home to watch “Air Bud” for the 47th time. This film is gross, gory, terribly explicit, and a good bit of fun for those over the age of 18 who still have the sense of humour of a 14-year-old. Behind all that is a genuine message of compassion for treating animals with love, kindness, and understanding, but in front of all that is a small dog humping a garden gnome. It’s a novel way to deliver such a message, like saying the Lord’s Prayer with a mouth full of slime, or kissing someone’s forehead and then kicking them in the groin with dirty shoes.

Honestly, if you’re offended by the last sentence then ‘Strays’ is not the film for you, maybe try 1993’s “Look Who’s Talking Now” instead. However, if you’re a fan of Will Ferrell, or you enjoy silly jokes about dogs doing disgusting things, then you’re on the right track. Strays won’t be winning any awards any time soon, but it’s a fun little movie with a small heart that runs through it. Just leave the kids at home.

Written by: Johnny Breaker