Movie Review: 'Dog' Starring Channing Tatum

Dog stars Channing Tatum Biggs, a former Army Ranger dealing with the aftermath of a brain injury. The injury suffered in the field has left Biggs struggling, drinking too much, and working at a sandwich shop. Biggs has a chance to get back into the field as a security contractor but not until his commanding officer signs off. To get his commanding officer to give him a recommendation, Biggs agrees to do a favor.

Recently, a friend and fellow soldier named Rodriguez has died, leaving behind his dog, Lulu. Lulu is a military dog, one trained to work in the field seeking out the enemy. Lulu was injured in the field and struggles with anxiety in many ways that make her unlikely to ever be adopted, especially not that Rodriguez has passed. Biggs is tasked with taking Lulu from Oregon to Arizona for Rodriguez’s funeral. After the funeral, he is supposed to take Lulu to a nearby military race where she will be put to sleep.

Because Lulu has become a danger to strangers, she can’t be put on a plane. Thus, Biggs will have to drive Lulu to Arizona. Along the way, the two will meet an array of strangers, struggle to get along and come close to missing the funeral due to one of the many detours caused by the PTSD that both Biggs and Lulu struggle with. You can imagine where the story is going and predict many of the twists and turns coming.

That said, predictability is an obstacle easily overcome with a strong lead performance and Channing Tatum’s magnetism and movie star good looks are more than enough. Tatum has grown as an actor and persona over his more than a decade as a leading man. His easy charm and good humor make him an ideal center for a story such as this. Tatum has to carry several scenes of just him and the dog and he proves very funny.

Tatum also co-directed Dog alongside his longtime friend Reid Carolin and the script by Carolin makes smart choices for diverting road trip incidents. The best finds Lulu running off into the forest and being recovered by a pair of pot farmers played by Kevin Nash and the wonderful Jane Adams. Biggs is mistaken as someone trying to bust the couple’s pot farm and tied up in the barn. When he escapes he finds that Adams’ Tamara has found a way to soothe Lulu.

It’s a sweet scene with Nash and Adams each proving to be as charming as Tatum even with a limited amount of screen time. Ethan Suplee is another smart choice for a supporting role. He plays another former soldier who happens to be caring for a dog related to Lulu. Suplee provides a glimpse of the stability and happiness that Biggs lacks and so does Lulu how there may be a life that doesn’t end in tragedy. Tatum and Suplee have a couple of really terrific moments of real connection.

Yes, Dog hits all of the moments you are expecting but because of Tatum and the way he and Carolin don’t try to give Lulu and human traits, no cloying or playing to the camera, the expected moments hit well enough. The emotional beats are certainly as played out as videos on The Dodo or similar sites built around uplifting or inspiring stories but because of Tatum’s performance I didn’t mind the heartstring pulling. Dog doesn’t overdo these moments and the ones they present, like the funeral, hit with just the right mixture of warmth and sweetness.

Dog is a drama but with a light heart. It takes its characters seriously and the humor arises from the well built dynamic between Tatum and Lulu, two damaged beings who, yes, heal each other through their bond, but not in a way that invites eye rolling over forced uplift. It’s a tricky tone but, for me, Dog pulls it off. Dog opened nationwide in theaters on Friday, February, 18th, 2022.