7/12 ForReel Score | 3/5 Stars

Welcome to the director’s chair, Channing Tatum. Teaming up with frequent producing partner Reid Carolin (Carolin was a producer on Tatum lead films like White House Down, Magic Mike, 22 Jump Street, and Logan Lucky), the two co-direct Dog, delivering a sincere, heartfelt story. Prime date-night entertainment, Dog checks the boxes for comedic, light-hearted, emotionally stirring experience; a crowd-pleaser for the right crowds, if nothing else.

In Dog, Tatum plays Jackson Briggs, a former Army Ranger desperate to get back into service overseas. So he makes a deal with his commanding officer: drive a troubled Belgian Malinois Army service dog named Lulu from Fort Lewis base in Washington State to the funeral of her owner's memorial service in Arizona, get the referral he needs to get back in action. But of course, the task isn’t as simple as it seems. Lulu exhibits extremely aggressive behavior, is often insubordinate, and the two initially do not get along. But various scenarios along the way helps Briggs get a better understanding of Lulu, and as they both deal with the long-term trauma that military service has caused them, they grow to become more and more compatible for each other.

The film makes no attempts to reinvent the wheel on the turbulent dynamic that Briggs and Lulu experience with each other through this journey. And many camps of moviegoers might argue it doesn’t have to. What Dog lacks in originality it makes up for in it’s appeal to specific audiences. Channing Tatum fans will appreciate his on-brand charisma. Dog-lovers can’t not find this film enjoyable with a loveable leading canine at the heart of the story. And with the detriments of PTSD and post-service trauma being a major theme of the film, there is special care and attention paid to military personnel who can likely relate to the circumstances of the film’s characters.

But setting the marketer in me aside, Dog is a film that can often feel contrived. Nonsensical plot points like a “Keep Oregon Weird” transition shot supposedly hours north of Portland or an implausible hiking and hitchhiking effort to reach their destination on time inhibit a logical flow from one scenario to the next. Not to mention the farfetched “outs” Briggs and Lulu are afforded in multiple dead-end situations. Fortunately, the storytelling missteps rarely amount to more than anything audiences can’t laugh off with the film’s entertainment value and well-timed comedy.

Those looking for a hard hitting, film-festival-worthy directorial debut from Tatum can likely skip Dog in theaters and find a more casual opportunity to indulge this wild west coast road trip. However, Dog arrives as perfect counterprogramming to concurrent new releases like action-packed Uncharted in theaters and blood-washed Texas Chainsaw Massacre at home on Netflix. So when considering what to watch this week, Dog could just generate enough cause for paws.

REVIEW: "Dog" Knows Its Audience