From the beginning of time, man’s (and woman’s) best friend has been by his (and her) side and Hollywood is happy to cash in on our love of these furry four-legged friends. From “Lassie,” “Petey” (“The Little Rascals”), and “Toto” (“The Wizard of Oz”) to “Benji,” “Beethoven,” “Baxter” (“Anchorman”) and even “Buddy” the basketball playing dog, creating a film about dogs brings in the viewers and even popularizes a particular breed. Now, we’ve got “Dog Days,” a romantic comedy that will popularize adopting rescues while it tugs on your heartstrings in this predictable and rather sappy, but enjoyable movie.
Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama pull out all the stops in writing this screenplay as Ken Marino directs his cast of canines and humans. The writers depict every scenario possible from abandoned and found dogs and runaways to problematic and aging dogs along with their owners’ love and life problems. The only thing missing were adorable puppies, but that’s not the underlying message in this film. It’s to rescue a dog and give him his “furever” home.
“Dog Days” is like a combination of every dog movie and “New Year’s Eve,” “Valentine’s Day,” or “He’s Just Not That Into You,” films with multiple storylines of love. This movie revolves around five very different sets of people (and story lines) who all become connected via their dog situations. Elizabeth (Nina Dobrev), a successful L.A television morning show host has her adopted dog Sam who’s depressed after Elizabeth’s boyfriend cheats on her. She meets Jimmy (Tone Bell) and after a rocky start, their love of dogs helps them discover love again. Dax (Adam Pally) is a starving musician tasked with the responsibility of caring for Charlie whose owner, Dax’s sister, just gave birth to twins. Tara (Vanessa Hudgens) finds a purpose in life and uses her degree for more than serving coffee as she finds Gertrude, a Chihuahua and connects with a dog rescue organization run by Garrett (Jon Bass). Grace (Eva Longoria) and her hubby (Rob Corddry) finally adopt a little girl who finds an elderly gentleman’s dog (Ron Cephas Jones), lost due to a wise crack from the young pizza delivery boy, Tyler (Finn Wolfhard).
If that sounds like too much going on, you’re right. It is. But eventually the stories collide in a very predictable and benign way and you find yourself rooting for the outcome that you absolutely know will happen. There are love stories, unlikely friendships and new families in the making, and the possible loss of a rescue organization’s home. “Dog Days” takes all of these topics and uses more sentimental strokes than Nicholas Sparks ever dreamed of. It’s one of those superficial feel-good films with little substance and total escapism however, there are plenty of laughs along, especially if you’re a mom and/or a dog owner. Unfortunately, there are also stilted and unsurprising moments, but in the end, if you’re a romantic at heart and a dog lover, it’s a sweet schmaltzy fun. You can even gloss over the fact that everyone lives in perfect homes, except Dax, and the newborn twins look to be about 3 months old. And if you’re wondering about the veterinarian’s diagnosis of the helmet-wearing Chihuahua, it’s accurate. I checked.
The human cast adequately fills their roles, but it’s Jasmine Cephas Jones’ voice that captivates you and you hope she’s in more scenes, listening to her sing in gorgeous dulcet tones. Bell and Dobrev have a natural chemistry on screen that pulls you into their relationship, suspending belief in the reality of love. Pally, of course, stands out as the comedic force, and Bass portrays that charmingly awkward underdog to root for while giving us a few chuckles along the way. Corddry, who’s usually hilarious, seems to miss the mark, being stifled by a lack of dialogue. Not surprisingly, the dogs are the stars of the film with remarkable camera work to hone in on just the right reaction to capture our dog-loving hearts.
“Dog Days” is exactly the movie you’re expecting filled with endearing stories about humans and their counterparts as it accentuates the love a dog can give to fulfill your life. Additionally, rescuing dogs from shelters is a main aspect that just may push viewers in the direction of helping a homeless pup find his or her “furever” home. Stick around for ALL of the credits as they roll the edits. You’ll laugh out loud and then wonder why they didn’t do more of this type of humor throughout the film. It would have created a much more entertaining film for adults. Parents, this is not a film for young kids! There are some drug usage references and the pace of the film is rather slow as it focuses on the human interactions and relationships so little tykes are not going to be entertained.
2 1/2 stars