Common Sense Media
Movie & TV reviews for parents
By Sandie Angulo Chen , based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming stars can't rescue man-pup buddy flick; language.
Parents need to know that Dog is a buddy road-trip dramedy about a U.S. Army veteran named Briggs (Channing Tatum) who must transport a Belgian Malinois named Lulu -- a fellow soldier's K-9 military working dog -- to her late handler's funeral across the country. Expect a fair bit of strong language ("s--t," …
References to war and death by suicide. Briggs deals with visible pain on severa
Frequent use of "s--t" and "bulls--t," with lesser uses of "a--hole," "butthole,
Drinking, Drugs & SmokingBriggs drinks a lot, mostly at bars and restaurants but also by himself. He most
Sex, Romance & NudityBriggs flirts with many women at a bar and a hotel. He meets two women who ask h
Products & PurchasesA few glimpses of car brands, but no overt product placement.
Some iffy behavior/choices, but ultimately encourages compassion, empathy, perse
Positive Role ModelsBriggs redeems himself by movie's end, but for part of it, he's selfish and moti
Diverse Representations Flagged for concernOnly a few briefly shown characters are BIPOC. The sole acknowledgment of race/e
References to war and death by suicide. Briggs deals with visible pain on several occasions. A person breaks a car window to let a dog out. A military-trained dog attacks a Muslim man because he looks like previous targets. The attack forces another man to push through other guests to get to his dog. For most of the movie, it's presumed that Lulu will be put to sleep. (Spoiler alert: She is not.) Two people shove and yell at each other. One character shoots another with a tranquilizer gun and then keeps him tied up. A character wields an ax in a threatening way.
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Frequent use of "s--t" and "bulls--t," with lesser uses of "a--hole," "butthole," "ass," and "bitch," as well as insults like "stupid," "idiot," "liar," "working class," and the racial slur "raghead." Briggs flips off a police officer who was rude to him and made racist comments.
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Briggs drinks a lot, mostly at bars and restaurants but also by himself. He mostly drinks beer but also straight from a liquor bottle. He stumbles upon a couple's backyard cannabis garden and later eats one of their homemade edibles (a lollipop). Briggs sedates Lulu so that she'll stop barking and go to sleep. He seems to self-medicate with alcohol without officially having a dependency.
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Briggs flirts with many women at a bar and a hotel. He meets two women who ask him back to their place, where they proposition him with a threesome. It doesn't go further than him taking his shirt off and embracing them both because Lulu's barking interrupts them, but it's implied that it would have been "an epic threesome." Nonsexual shirtlessness when Briggs gives Lulu a bath.
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Some iffy behavior/choices, but ultimately encourages compassion, empathy, perseverance. The bond between dog and human is explored at length. Idea that pets bring out the best in humans and vice versa (with patience and consistent love) is a main theme. Promotes acts of service, kindness, togetherness. Importance of mental health in military community is an underlying message.
Briggs redeems himself by movie's end, but for part of it, he's selfish and motivated only by getting a particular job, not admitting he needs help. He's not loving or patient with Lulu until he sees how she reacts to others who are better around animals. He's initially quick to anger and fairly volatile but grows into a more understanding and empathetic man.
Only a few briefly shown characters are BIPOC. The sole acknowledgment of race/ethnicity takes place when Lulu attacks a hijabi doctor, excused by the film as a byproduct of Lulu's prior deployment in Afghanistan. Briggs pretends to be a blind veteran with Lulu as his guide dog to secure a free night's stay at a hotel. The "joke" or "twist" that a character pretends to have a disability in order to trick others and/or get freebies is a longstanding Hollywood cliche that damages the credibility of real people who have real accessibility needs. In the film there are consequences, but it's played for laughs.
Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.Parents need to know that Dog is a buddy road-trip dramedy about a U.S. Army veteran named Briggs (Channing Tatum) who must transport a Belgian Malinois named Lulu -- a fellow soldier's K-9 military working dog -- to her late handler's funeral across the country. Expect a fair bit of strong language ("s--t," "a--hole," "bitch," etc.), as well as suggestive references and one scene that shows the early moments (consent, embracing, Briggs' shirt coming off) of a potential threesome that gets interrupted. There are allusions to a death by suicide, war, and war wounds (the main character had a traumatic brain injury). Two potentially controversial plot points to consider: Briggs pretends to be a blind veteran with a guide dog to score a free room at a hotel, and the dog, Lulu, attacks a Muslim hotel guest because of his apparel. Both incidents do have consequences, but the impersonation of a blind man is somewhat played for laughs. On the upside, it encourages compassion, empathy, and perseverance and could spark conversations about mental health in the military community, both for humans and war dogs. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Dog
Movie Review
Dog
Official trailer
Based on 15 parent reviews
February 26, 2022Way too many swear words to even count. Adult situations like 3-somes, smoking pot, going to murder someone with a pickax, suicide, how a military soldier "takes the easy way out" and the entire movie the main charter is just trying to get laid and constantly drinking whiskey from the bottle.
Kareem A. Parent of 9-year-old July 21, 2024Very disappointed. it was so kara it means poop in arabic this movie is KAKA I WISH I COULD RATE BDehgfygerhjfgfhngfeafewgfhjfhrghcefgjhg it awebiygth5gergjmxfdkvhnhdrtv bfdy stars .
DOG follows Jackson Briggs (Channing Tatum), a Montana-dwelling U.S. Army Ranger veteran who's trying to get a job with the diplomatic security corps despite a traumatic brain injury he sustained while deployed in the Middle East. Briggs requires a letter of recommendation from a superior officer to clear him for consideration. When he learns that his Army buddy Sgt. Riley Rodriguez (Eric Urbiztondo) has died unexpectedly, Briggs gets together with his old unit to celebrate Riley's life. An officer offers Briggs an opportunity to earn his recommendation: travel down the Pacific Coast with Riley's K-9 military working dog, Lulu, a skittish and energetic Belgian Malinois now retired from service, in time to make Riley's funeral service. Afterward, Briggs is supposed to deliver Lulu to be euthanized, since she's no longer fit for K-9 duty. So Briggs and Lulu make their way down to the funeral while having various adventures, big and small.
This potential crowd-pleaser under-delivers with its too-basic script and superficial treatment of deeper themes, particularly mental health. As always, Tatum, who also co-directed the feature with Reid Carolin, looks like he's having fun, even though Briggs is in both physical and emotional pain. But that pain isn't deeply explored, and neither are the mental health crises of the military community -- an issue that's introduced, but only in an expository way in a conversation late in the film. The movie firmly focuses on Briggs' relationship with Lulu, with a host of character actors in small supporting roles. Jane Adams and Magic Mike alum Kevin Nash stand out for their performances as Northern California hippies who grow pot, make edibles, and, in her case, connect psychically with animals. And Ethan Suplee pops up in the last act as a role model for Briggs, who can't seem to get Lulu to fully trust him.
On the flip side, Q'orianka Kilcher is wholly underused as Briggs' ex and the mother of his child. It's easy to imagine there's a lot more of her on the proverbial cutting room floor, because if Tatum and Carolin weren't going to give her character any lines, they could have hired a much lesser-known actress. Instead, in an unnecessarily long scene, the script devotes lots of time to two young tantra specialists who are eager to have a threesome with Briggs. At least there are a few laughs, and it's generally pleasant to watch characters interact with a highly trained dog, even a rambunctious and volatile one like Lulu. Thomas Newman's score is upbeat, and the cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel captures the welcoming road, the cluttered SUV, and the changing landscapes that Briggs and Lulu come across as they drive down the Pacific coast. But without a consistent tone, the movie doesn't come together in a meaningful way.
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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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