Strays will be in theaters on August 18th, 2023.
We’ve seen it all when it comes to kid-friendly dog movies: dogs finding their purpose, dogs at war with cats, and even hotels for dogs. However, the list of R-rated raunchy comedies prominently featuring dogs is relatively short, and ‘Strays’ is here to fill the void. In ‘Strays,’ Will Ferrell voices Reggie, an overwhelmingly kind and naive border terrier abandoned by his horrendous owner, Doug (Will Forte). Reggie teams up with several other strays, including a Boston terrier (Jamie Foxx), an Australian shepherd (Isla Fisher), and a great dane (Randall Park), to execute a revenge plot on Doug.
This film featured some of the most recent laughs I’ve had in a movie theater.
There are several comedy tropes present that we’ve seen time and time again in other R-rated comedies, but seeing these bits depicted with adorable dogs brings a fresh sense of humor to what otherwise could have been a routine comedy. It’s a similar approach to how ‘Good Boys’ had pre-teens delivering excessive expletives, but the use of dogs somehow makes events even more hilarious.
The comedy bits are what you would expect from these kinds of movies that generally feature humans: some inner turmoil amongst the leading group. In this trippy scenario, the pups are all hallucinating on drugs and plenty of poop jokes. ‘Strays’ takes shots at other dog movies along the way and includes a few creative cameos that will please anyone who has followed the last decade of family movies featuring canines. It also features what is the best use of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball’ that we’ve seen on screen.
Will Ferrell’s vocal performance is one of his best in recent memory.
As Reggie, he’s in prime ‘Aw, Shucks’-mode, which works well to counter Jamie Foxx’s Bug, a deranged streetsmart Boston terrier that Reggie meets along the way. Isla Fisher (using her native Australian accent) and Randall Park deliver great vocal performances to round up the main canine cast. Not to forget Will Forte, whose portrayal of the asinine Doug is so hilariously disgusting and cruel that the audience is absolutely on board with Reggie’s demented plan of retribution.
Verdict
I give ‘Strays’ 4 out of 5 stars. It wears its R-rating proudly upon its fur. It’s raunchy, foul, and silly, but that’s the fun. It’s not necessarily breaking down barriers, but it offers enough laughs that it doesn’t matter. It also might not be the type of movie you want to see with your parents – it’s not for the faint of heart. Read more Reviews on Nerdtropolis and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube.
Drew Munhausen
Media and Movie Mastermind who co-hosts the Moviegoers Society Podcast and Fresh out the Pod.