“Strays” is directed by Josh Greenbaum (Single Parents, Fresh Off the Boat) and stars Will Ferrell (Step Brothers, Barbie), Jamie Foxx (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Ray), Isla Fisher (Keeping Up with the Joneses, Tag), Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat, WandaVision), Brett Gelman (Fleabag, Stranger Things), and Will Forte (Scoob!, Saturday Night Live). This film is about a dog who is abandoned by his owner. After realizing what has happened to him, he aspires to get revenge.

I am the furthest thing from a dog person. Now, having just pissed off half of humanity and perhaps destroyed any chance of being in a committed relationship, I should have you know that I was looking forward to “Strays” ever since seeing the first trailer. This film looked hilarious, over the top, and filthy. I can go for all three of those things every once in awhile. In fact, this summer, we are starting to see a comeback of these three things, specifically when it comes to putting them all together in the same movie. “No Hard Feelings” delivered plenty of laughs and despite its taboo premise, ended up feeling as cute as it was naughty. “Joy Ride” is one of the funniest, most well-written comedies I have seen in a long time, and it is all the better given how far it takes itself in terms its dirty content, not to mention depth when it comes to story.

Next up on deck when it comes to this style of comedy, is “Strays.” The big difference here is that the film does not revolve around humans, and instead, personified dogs. So, is it delightfully naughty or insanely revolting?

The answer, somewhere in between.

Now, before we go any further, sometimes watching a movie with somebody else can define the experience. I am the kind of person that would be more than okay sitting next to my mom and watching “The Wolf of Wall Street.” That said, I went to “Strays” not only with my mom, but also my grandma. Needless to say, both individuals were okay with it. To my delightful surprise, both happened to enjoy the movie, but they appeared to be a bit surprised by how far it took certain things. As someone who appreciates dark humor, I was trying to my hold laughter back in certain scenes, especially with these two nearby.

My mom reads this blog, by the way. Hello!

That said, even in the darker, filthier moments, I came to the conclusion that this movie ultimately comes off as one big gimmick. Heck, there are tons of talking dogs on screen. It’s a gimmick of a gimmick! It’s gimmickception! With that being said, seeing a dog say “f*ck” one or two times can be funny. Heck, even a family-aimed movie like “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” contained some pretty foul language from a canine. That moment in particular was one of the better parts of the movie. But a movie like “Strays” can reveal why more does not always equal better. I admire when a movie is willing to push the boundaries with its comedy, especially when it may look innocent on the surface. But the funniest moments in “Strays” are not even the naughtiest ones. A lot of the funnier moments in the film range from random witty remarks to physical gags that would even fly in a tamer environment. There are also plenty of jokes that are specifically dog-related or are likely to be appreciated by dog lovers or owners. Those tended to work as well.

Although speaking of inside baseball when it comes to dogs, I am well aware that dogs tend to get scared during loud sounds such as fireworks. There is a scene in the film I thought was particularly well done involving fireworks. The reason why I found this scene compelling was because of how it was spliced together in the edit, and the way it uses sound. Because I have heard fireworks in person. I do not know why people even like them. I mean, sure, they are a spectacle, but they sound as if someone is constantly battering a drum right into your ear. I have always had sensitive ears, and I do not know how other people felt watching this movie, if they had the same experience I did. But this movie tends to use fireworks in a way to simulate a dog’s perspective of hearing them. I may not have a dog’s sense of hearing, but the fireworks scene in this film honestly took me back to when I was dragged by others to a fireworks show. Safe to say, I may have been more well behaved during certain dental procedures throughout my life.

Another highlight of the movie is the casting. Will Ferrell is incredibly good as Reggie. Picking Ferrell to play the lead role was a smart choice because not only has he proven to be good with voiceover through his roles in “The LEGO Movie” and “Megamind,” but he continues to have a knack for comedy. Sure, I thought he may have been the weakest part of “Barbie,” but if you watch last year’s holiday movie “Spirited,” now streaming on Apple TV+, he still has charm and wit like he has shown in various projects many years ago.

Also joining Ferrell is Jamie Foxx as Bug. I love these two dogs together. They are quite the odd duo. These two could not be further apart personality-wise, but their separation works for the story and execution brought to the table. If anything, their connection gave me a similar vibe to, speaking of Will Ferrell, his character’s connection to that of Mark Wahlberg’s in “Daddy’s Home.” As much as I did not enjoy that movie, the two had halfway decent chemistry at times.

“Strays” is a blend between “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Sausage Party.” It is a film featuring talking animals, in this case dogs, where they all blend together, act as one big ensemble, and do anything to stand by each other. But much like “Sausage Party,” the film takes a concept that has primarily been aimed at families over the years, specifically stories revolving around dogs, and flips it on its head with a perverted twist. The idea of a dog wanting to bite its owner’s junk may work in a family movie as a blink you’ll miss it moment, but not as an extended motivation for the protagonist. The way Reggie’s motivation is built up works perfectly and it makes sense once it is first exposed. As a start to finish narrative, “Strays” is finely tuned.

Although when it comes to being a comedy, “Strays” is a complicated balancing act. There are a lot of moments in the movie that had me dying of laughter, but then there are plenty of moments that had me silent. While I have respect for how far the movie goes with its content, its extremes on both ends make me hesitate to give this movie my recommendation. This is far from the funniest comedy of the year. In fact, as much as I love dark humor, there might have been one or two moments that I honestly wish I had not seen. Maybe the movie was trying to be gross to come off as funny, but it solely came off as gross as far as I am concerned. When it comes to gross humor this year, “Joy Ride” may be the clear winner right now. But that’s just me.

In the end, “Strays” is… fine. I admit, when the first teaser came out, I did have high expectations. But I was kind of disappointed with this movie. It was not as funny as I wanted it to be. The filthier moments were honestly not as appealing as I would have expected them to be. And as the movie went on, this felt like one giant gimmick that played out for an hour and a half. I compared this movie to “Sausage Party,” which some people may understandably call a gimmick as well. But I think that movie was a lot funnier, had a more satisfyingly twisted concept, and had an incredible narrative that came off as layered. But I should also note, I was 16 when I watched “Sausage Party.” I was less mature and did not know as much about movies at the time. As I watched movies and comedies over the years, I continue to feel like I have nearly seen it all. I have not witnessed many examples of perverted dog movies, but I just wish I could have seen one that made me leave feeling I witnessed something better. That said, the movie is still on the positive end of the spectrum, so I am going to give “Strays” a 6/10.

“Strays” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next reviews are going to be for “Gran Turismo,” “Meg 2: The Trench,” and “Bottoms.” Stay tuned! If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Strays?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite R-rated comedy? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!