Dog

Dog

Dog is a misguided concept on many levels. It is about a person who has to take a dog to her owner’s funeral and not think deep into the what the story trying to portray given that there is a lot of linear narrative about the war and its impact on the main character and the Belgian Malinois military working dog. The US Army trained them to track down, torture and even kill opponents, so it’s almost grotesque how normalized the film makes it that these creatures of war were used as weapons to fight under the banner of the US.

Briggs, a devoted killer and a former Ranger in the United States Army played by Channing Tatum, typifies a veteran who takes pride in blood and describes murder as “kicking ass.” Nowhere in the film is Dog meant to be anything like the glamorous portrayals of the army mentality and way of life so often depicted in American movies. Indeed, the film does not glorify the American army for its brutality, however, it seems like the army is simply a cruel but unremarkable aspect of the film.

However, in terms of making the movie, Dog is not bad. Tatum and Reid Carolin directed the film so well, that it became incredibly beautiful. From the way I see things, Tatum should have a place behind cameras as he does not have the charisma that made him famous in films like Magic Mike. His acting in this film at best could be described as average.

There is an abundance of entertaining movie stories involving encounters with animals. Dog however is unique in that it shows such toxic stereotypes of humans and their relationships with animals. There are of course many similar engaging movies which encourage viewers not to think too much of war violence, however, Dog is very difficult to watch due to its blunt approach.

In an intense moment, Lulu (Briggs’ nickname for Dog), sees a man wearing Islamic-looking clothing.

She goes straight for him like a missile; that’s what she’s trained to do. The scene comes right after a light hearted gag in which Briggs pretends to be a blind veteran in order to swindle a free hotel room. After this, there is a rather uncomfortable scene that takes place after his arrest with the police. The very first officer who comes to contact with Briggs-forcefully pulls out his uh, racist hate card, this time accusing a Muslim witness, Briggs, of committing hate crimes.

Never mind the fact that in order to get one over on Briggs the racist guy employs the most sordid language. Following that, Briggs is, perhaps remorseful and makes a hasty retreat. How in the world can Richards the brash bully profess humility after this? And where was the thug who got beat up in the first place?

During an earlier scene in which he alluded to his violent past, Briggs does not examine the significance of the incident, or how grave this situation is. Instead, the film just moves on to additional awkward situations and some insincere emotions. There are quite a few troubles piled, including one of the most pressing issues, which is the head injury sustained by Briggs, who has been shown struggling to support his family.

Also, there is the built in the shade of Lulu’s trauma and the abrupt demise of her caretaker. Nevertheless, the film fails to juggle such concerns or engage in critical appraisal. There are PTSD, TBI, post discharge routine challenges in earning, suicidal thoughts, street lives, and out of them, the most important is the effect created by the American conflict in the Middle East on culture and society.

Dog comes across as a silly road trip between a man and his dog who share much in common, or as a critique of the military. It attempts to be at least a little bit of both, while simultaneously focusing on the wholesome family road trip plot. However, there is no amount of mushy love that is able to redeem its many weaknesses.

The tonal discrepancy and the failed themes create a very disturbing view. Nonetheless, Dog will appeal to a certain demographic, one who is less disturbed by the thin plot and would accept the cursory attempts at the issues it hardly engages.

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