Title: Dog
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Reid Carolin, Channing Tatum
Starring: Channing Tatum, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Q’orianka Kilcher
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

What It Is: Jackson Briggs (Tatum) is a military vet looking for a chance. You see he was injured in the line of duty. So much so that he was seen as disabled. When one final shot comes up to get on the good side of his commanding officer, who might give him the letter of recommendation he’ll need for a second chance at a future. He must deliver a battle-tested dog to the funeral of her former partner. But can they actually get along long enough to accomplish their mission?

What We Think: There’s a surprising amount of heart at the core of the film. That’s one of the movie’s biggest positive takeaways. Channing Tatum is an aloof moron of a character. He’s also undeniably charming in an odd way. You root for him even with the cliches he’s trying to act around. Channing Tatum will probably never be confused for an Academy Award-nominated thespian, but I like the work he’s doing here. Directing yourself isn’t always easy and it doesn’t always go well because of checks and balances. Directing a dog is always incredibly difficult. So total kudos to Carolin and Tatum for getting that done.

Our Grade: C, It’s a good-hearted and fairly enjoyable film. I think this is one that can work for families, to an extent, and really tries to get its message across. It never tries too hard and so whenever it does fall on its face comically it hurts a lot less. It’s good stuff for what it is and I will gladly say I was surprised this wasn’t an utter catastrophic mess. If the story interest you then you should for sure check it out.