Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx voice talking dogs Reggie and Bug in Josh Greenbaum’s gross-out comedy.
Between Joy Ride and Strays, the gross-out adult comedy seems to be making a comeback.
Strays follows a Border Terrier named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell), who has been treated awfully by his dirtbag owner Doug (Will Forte) for years but dotes on him anyway because he doesn’t know any different.
One day, Doug abandons Reggie on the streets miles away from home and he must learn to be street-wise with the help of stray Boston Terrier Bug (Jamie Foxx).
Reggie and Bug recruit Australian Shepherd Maggie (Isla Fisher) and Great Dane Hunter (Randall Park) to help Reggie find his way home and get revenge on Doug.
Your enjoyment will seriously depend on your sense of humour. If you like crude and disgusting comedy involving sex, drugs, vomit and poop (so much poop!) then you will probably love Strays.
However, if you’re not such a big fan, this will really test your limits because it really and truly leans into the fact that dogs can be extremely gross.
There are a couple of sequences where Greenbaum takes things too far and it becomes too outrageous to be funny – some might even find it very uncomfortable.
Casting the dirty humour to one side, Strays is generally very funny and full of laugh-out-loud moments that must be seen with a crowd.
The script is genius, with hilarious gags and well-observed references to dog behaviour, although some might argue that there are far too many F-bombs. The frequency of the expletives, which mostly come from Bug, makes them lose their power and comedic value.
According to Greenbaum, 95 per cent of the film features real dogs – and our leading four are such a smart bunch of canine actors.
Your heart will melt for the adorable Reggie, who deserves to have an owner that loves and cares for him. Ferrell imbues him with a wide-eyed innocence and naivete that makes the animal seem even cuter.
Bug is the polar opposite – he is a potty-mouthed no-nonsense canine with years of street smarts and Foxx perfectly captures that attitude.
Strays will likely split viewers down the middle based on their sense of humour. One thing is for sure though: Seeing it in a cinema makes the experience so much more enjoyable.
In cinemas from Thursday 17th August.
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