Reid Carolin (Magic Mike) pairs with newcomer Brett Rodriguez for the script and Channing Tatum (who also stars) for directing, and the result is Dog. The film looks at the loyalty, friendship, and overcoming odds for which Army Rangers are famous but falls short of the mark with stunted acting and choppy scenes.
Briggs (Tatum) is looking to get back into the game, but his former Ranger commander needs to sign off on him due to a combat head injury. Even though it is common in the Rangers, Briggs' trauma is on record, which prevents this. But when the Ranger squad is called to deployment, Briggs gets a chance. If he delivers fallen Ranger Riley Rodriguez's dog, Lulu, to his funeral, the commander will declare Briggs fit for duty. But Lulu - like Briggs - has PTSD, making the trip from Washington to Southern California next to impossible.
The concept is good, but the story lacks several vital things. The first and largest error is in billing this as a comedy. The film would be much better served if its heart was open rather than concealed behind the deception of a man-dog buddy film. This is made worse because most of the few scenes that should be humorous verge on cringe-worthy. Characters are stereotyped, and those stereotypes are exaggerated in a way that isn't funny. The tale progresses in five courses - the first of which is a little slow. The remaining four seem almost truncated. There was more to tell in each, but the scriptwriters rush through the meal and leave out the meat. Except for Tatum and the expressive pups that play Lulu, acting is spotty. Fortunately, only these two have any meaningful screen time.
The shots of the countryside the two travel through are beautiful but only fleeting like most of the story. This is a shame because the cinematography in these is stunning. Again, it seemed the film, like the characters, had somewhere to go and only a short time to get there. If the intention was to convey this, it didn't work.
The true saving grace of the movie is showing the various forms that PTSD takes and the multi-layered tragedies that can occur when the illness is left poorly treated. Dog shows that the pain goes far beyond what the soldier suffers, even if only fleetingly displayed.
While not really a comedy, Dog does have something important to tell the audience. Unfortunately, it barks up the wrong tree to do it.