Rent Dog (2022)

Crowd pleasing road movie - Dog review by AER

Channing Tatum's comeback movie (which he has also co-directed and co-wrote) is a likeable, simple tale of companionship with man's best friend, the dog! A US Ranger is charged with taking the former canine US Ranger (Lulu - a Belgian Maloise) to the funeral of its former owner. The pair are predictably antagonistic towards one another before, through a series of encounters begin to bond. After the funeral, Channing Tatum's ranger is charged with taking the hound to be destroyed so he can recommence his overseas military career, but will it end up that way? You don't need to watch it to guess correctly, but the film's predictability doesn't work against it. The only downside is that it packs a lot into a slim running time and some adventures are given short shrift or are tonally amiss (and in one case badly-judged). With the dog's past as a killer, when she is triggered by the sight of a Muslim in Middle-Eastern style attire, the incident is played for fun and more or less brushed off. Dog's like this cannot be retrained or broken without a lot of time and care - so this whole section of the film almost topples the film's good will. However, the dog is (three dogs play Lulu) convincing and very winning (said scene ahead), and Channing Tatum is a very easy going lead that delivers the drama and pathos just as well as the comedy here.

5.5 out of 10 - Fun and moving. Predictable and it's a shame about 'trigger' scene as this could have been a 4* out of 5, easy.

Not for serious dog owners - Dog review by MD

Patriotic American dog movie. An army veteran is tasked to deliver a service dog to a military funeral after which the dog is going to be handed back to the army. Being already traumatised by his previous combat experiences, the dog is heading for certain euthanasia. It's a fairly entertaining comedy with the dog being rather badly behaved. There is an alarming amount of times when the dog is left alone in the car while the man goes about his business. Other aspects of the dog handling are also dubious and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Watchable, Entertaining, Often Funny Road Movie of a Damaged Veteran and a Damaged Dog - Dog review by PV

Hmm I think some haters of the USA are triggered a bit by this movie all because it dares to be patriotic or as the Cinema Paradiso review claims, it "walks a fine line with the military drama it wishes to weave. Somewhere between chest-beating machismo and sentimental schmaltz..."

Well yes there is schmaltz BUT way less than in most Hollywood movies, esp some of the more icky animal/pet tales made for kids.

I saw no chest-besting machismo - I saw a character study of a damaged veteran tasked with taking a damaged dog to the funeral of another damaged veteran who ended his life. I find that moving, the physical journey of course and rather obviously being mirrored by the personal journey of man and dog.

I especially liked the scenes in Portland, Oregon, city with rather a reputation for being PEAK WOKE with Antifa marches etc. The satirical scenes in the coffee shops and bars are great fun.

And this film is not uncritical of the military - quite the reverse. The Military Police especially get a real roasting, all the puffed up authority figures and the usual institutional group-think. Made me laugh more than once.

As for demographic, well, I'd say it is not for small kids but any mature ones of 12+ can cope - though I know we live in a New Puritan Age of hysteria where some want to shield eyes of anyone under 18 from real life. I think they'd cope. The sex/drugs/drinking is not explicit, just real life.

I liked it, and I am not a dog person.

A solid 3 stars on the shoulder.