'Strays' is a raunchy dog comedy that puts the 'R" in 'ARF!'

Features editor

Jamie Foxx and Will Ferrell provide the voices of Bug (left) and Reggie (right) in "Strays," a comedy that is definitely not for kids.

Any comedy about dogs has a high standard to meet, in that it ought to be at least as funny as your actual dog just sitting there doing dog things.

By that metric, Josh Greenbaum’s “Strays” falls short. However, it is still pretty funny, taking adorable pups and having them swear, do drugs, and do other raunchy things in an R-rated comedy. “Strays” opens Friday in Madison theaters at Marcus Point, Marcus Palace, AMC Fitchburg 18 and Flix Brewhouse Madison.

“Strays” is a live-action film that seamlessly blends real dogs and the voices of human actors, "Homeward Bound”-style, so it appears like the excitable man-child voice of Will Ferrell is coming out of the mouth of an adorable terrier named Reggie.

Reggie loves his owner, Doug (Will Forte), despite the fact that Doug is a complete jerk who hates Reggie and only adopted him to please an ex-girlfriend. When Doug dumps Reggie in the middle of a strange city, Reggie assumes it’s all a mistake, and plans to make an “Incredible Journey”-style home to be reunited with Doug.

But a much savvier Boston terrier, Bug (Jamie Foxx), sets Reggie straight about the selfish nature of humans. Pretty soon, with the help of insecure police dog Hunter (Randall Park) and show dog Maggie (Isla Fisher), Reggie still vows to return home — but now to exact a particularly unprintable form of revenge against the dastardly Doug.

From there, “Strays” is a road movie with a series of gags as the dog pack gets in and out of trouble. Some are pretty clever, such as a run-in with an “Art of Racing in the Rain”-style Golden Retriever (Josh Gad) who narrates his owner’s adventures. Others are basically tired R-rated comedy skits using dogs instead of humans, such as a scene where the dogs trip out on magic mushrooms.

The voice acting is strong, particularly the chemistry between Foxx as the worldly Bug and Ferrell as the chipper Reggie. But I don’t think there’s quite enough going on here for a 90-minute movie, and things get a little “ruff” in the last half-hour when “Strays” attempts to pivot toward feel-good earnestness.

Part of the problem is that the jokes in Dan Perrault’s screenplay about dog behavior, such as their love of eating poop or fear of fireworks, are designed to be easily understood by non-dog owners as well as owners.

It’s like “The Obvious Life of Pets,” and while “Strays” definitely has some laughs, it’s more for the casual dog fan than those of us who have custom socks made with their dogs’ faces on them.

Rob Thomas is the features editor of the Cap Times and has been writing about movies since 1999. He is a member of the Critics Choice Association.

Support Rob's work and local journalism by becoming a Cap Times member.

To comment on this story, submit a letter to the editor.

Two and a half stars

Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx

R for language, drug use, sexuality and dog poop

1 hour 33 minutes

Opens Friday at Marcus Point, Marcus Palace, AMC Fitchburg 18 and Flix Brewhouse Madison

Features editor

Become a Cap Times member today and enjoy great benefits.