Hey kids, remember the Homeward Bound films from the mid 90’s? Those movies were all about real cute and cuddly animals as they faced the perils of nature to get back to their owners who definitely loved them, but not enough to keep track of them. Well guess what, kids – those animals are all dead now. And those films left out a lot of the likely harsh realities that they faced on those journeys, and ignored the inherently bizarre behavior that animals naturally exhibit. Want something more realistic, for the real world of 2023? Take your kids to see Strays.

Actually, definitely do not take a minor to the film, because it is clearly and purposefully a film for adults (also note the deserved R-rating, plastered front and center in all the film’s marketing). Specifically, it’s a comedy for adults which leans into its literal scatological humor, often veering into crude and juvenile territory, to diminishing results. The film is a blend of the Homeward Bound conceit with the dirty sense of humor of Sausage Party or Team America: World Police, centering on Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell), a sweetly innocent Border Terrier who just happens to be owned by Doug (real-life Will Forte), a deadbeat stoner who resents having to take care of Reggie. Doug puts a unique spin on the game of fetch, by driving Reggie to the middle of nowhere and throwing a ball, but Reggie still faithfully returns, like a real-life Bugs Bunny. But when Doug drives Reggie to an unfamiliar city three hours away, Reggie needs some help to get back home.

Director Josh Greenbaum, and screenwriter Dan Perrault, key in from the film’s first minute that Strays won’t stray from being a foul-mouthed take on traditionally cuddly material, and the humor rarely veers away from its incredibly specific lane for the entirety of its runtime. Once Reggie tries to find his way home, he enlists the help of a Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), an Australian Shepherd named Maggie (Isla Fisher), and a Great Dane named Hunter (Randall Park). Bug is a hardened stray, Maggie is neglected by her owner in favor of her more Instagrammable puppy, and Hunter is a neurotic therapy dog who spends the entirety of the film adorned with a Cone of Shame. Together, the foursome gets into all manner of misadventures, usually revolving around bodily fluids of some kind.

Speaking with a critic friend before the film started, we were worried that Strays would be a kind of one-note outing, becoming too self-congratulatory on its own cleverness to actually craft a worthwhile story or jokes. The film does return to the same well a little too frequently, often relying on the very idea of dogs humping things or peeing/pooping on things/people. Though rather than a simple affection for Doug, Reggie’s primary motivation to return home boils down to revenge after years of mistreatment, and Bug, Maggie, and Hunter have their own defined arcs that are appreciated in a film that didn’t necessarily need them.

There is a gross-out element to the proceedings that the film does not shy away from, including canine anatomy that was likely left on the cutting room floor of the Air Bud films. Greenbaum and Perrault throw in a dash of absurdist humor with the human characters for good measure, but I would have liked to see the film lean into this aspect more frequently. Greenbaum’s last directorial effort was the delightfully zany Barb and Star Go To Vista del Mar, after all. The visual effects are fine enough for a film of its limited budget – the animals’ mouths move, rather than telekinetically projected dialogue – with the exception of an action sequence or two that relies more on computer trickery. The voice performances are uniformly solid, with Ferrell’s naively high-pitched voice elevating the material. It’s as if Buddy the Elf were transported into the body of a canine.

Your experience with Strays will increase drastically by seeing the film in a crowded theater, though your mileage will vary depending on your stomach for crude humor. To go into this expecting something akin to the films of Wes Anderson or Martin McDonagh would be fatal. The film does earn some brownie points – you do not want to know what dogs really think of chocolate – for an original premise, but it would be better served by finding more diverse comedic avenues to explore. Is Strays strong enough to declare the R-rated comedy back from the dead? Perhaps not on its own, but with the success of No Hard Feelings, and a general dearth of studio-backed comedies (Barbie notwithstanding), there is a glimmer of hope – you just have to sort through a mound of poop to find it.

Strays will be released in theaters on August 18.

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