The reviews split, with a wide spread between critics who find it consistently funny and critics who find it tiresome. Where it is praised, the praise gathers round the voice cast, with Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx named again and again as the reason the premise holds, and round the technical work that keeps real dogs on screen for 93 minutes without the effects showing. Several critics are surprised to find some heart under the filth. The reservations are nearly all the same one: the swearing and the gags about bodily functions are funny once and then repeated, and the plot underneath is thin and rushed. Little White Lies goes furthest against it, calling the dialogue witless and the execution lazy, and The Independent says it lacks the wit of the director’s earlier films. The Guardian, at the other end, says it changed its critic’s mind about talking-animal films altogether.
G
The Guardian
17 August 2023
80*
This stoner comedy about foul-mouthed stray dogs on a revenge quest changed the critic's mind about talking-animal films. The outrageous bad-taste laughs and dramatic impact of the finale stand out for praise.
The critic praises the smart, raunchy adventure for balancing animal perspectives with emotional depth and inventive comedy in a tight, relatable package.
The review calls the crude comedy very funny and artfully made, celebrating its random vulgarity and strong voice performances that keep the premise entertaining. It singles out the well-executed dog VFX and cast chemistry for praise while noting it lacks deeper themes.
The critic views the film as a juvenile premise executed with only modest success, delivering chuckles but few genuine laughs amid its poop and profanity gags. The voice cast, especially Jamie Foxx and Randall Park, is noted for providing the strongest moments.
This crude, absurd comedy is the crudest of the year, a canine Jackass with plenty of genitalia and poo gags. Ferrell and Foxx's voice work and the occasional clean highlight provide some relief from the gross-out elements.
The critic sees it as a sophomoric yet sweet foul-mouthed comedy that works amiably with charming elements despite obvious jokes; praises its loose, charming quality reminiscent of the director's previous work.
The critic calls the R-rated talking-dog comedy amusing in spots with relatable observations but ultimately rote and reliant on swearing and gross-out humor that loses its bite.
The critic finds the film a relentlessly raunchy comedy about dogs seeking revenge that piles on crude gags but ultimately feels like it may lead to a sequel.
The critic calls it a derivative, tedious comedy full of puerile jokes about bodily functions that fails to amuse; singles out the lack of wit in the dogs' dialogue and lazy execution despite promising talent.
The critic praises the film as a crude, crass gross-out comedy from a dog's perspective that delivers genuine laughs and captures why people love dogs despite their disgusting habits. They note it succeeds as an R-rated kids movie with a solid understanding of its characters.
The review highlights plenty of laughs from the gross-out canine comedy but criticizes its lack of bite and depth, noting it prioritizes rude jokes over meaningful material. It praises some effective set pieces like the acid trip and fireworks sequence while observing the sweet undercurrent of companionship among the dogs.
Strays is a determinedly garbage-minded farce about a naive terrier schooled in street life by a potty-mouthed Boston terrier. It is relentlessly scatological and fixated on gross-out gags, with a few audacious moments that land.
The review praises the film's ability to deliver heart alongside its trash-talking canine premise, noting that the dumb humor works despite the ruff script. Jamie Foxx and Will Ferrell are highlighted for bringing charm and energy to the dogs.
The critic finds it a vulgar, intermittently funny anti-Babe with cute mutts behaving badly; praises specific dog-habit humor and satire of feel-good animal films but notes the outrageousness drags.
The critic finds the raunchy dog comedy amusing and packed with laughs thanks to its vulgar gags and strong voice cast, though the thin plot grows repetitive. Ferrell and Foxx are singled out for their effective comedic performances.
The critic finds the film unfunny and repetitive, with its raunchy dog humor quickly wearing thin despite the premise. They note it lacks the wit of the director's previous work and that the animal performers limit comedic timing.
At its best this crude comedy drags dog movies through the gutter like Bad Santa did for Christmas films. The puerile hilarity outnumbers the unfunny moments, though it demands high tolerance for swearing and bodily fluids.
The review calls the premise of swearing dogs funny only once and criticizes the relentless escalation of crude humor into something tiresome and porno-like. It singles out the go-for-broke approach but concludes viewers will wish for a more wholesome dog movie.
The critic calls it an irresistible R-rated subversion of the talking-dog genre that is raunchy yet has a huge heart thanks to its lovable canine stars and voice performances. Technical expertise in showcasing real dogs over 93 minutes is singled out for praise.
Strays is a riotously funny gross-out comedy that scratches the itch for silly stupid movies with ludicrous moments and genuine heart. It balances wince-worthy humor with spirited voice acting and a perfect soundtrack needle drop.
The critic says Strays delivers exactly what it promises with 90 minutes of talking dogs making inappropriate jokes, cursing, and getting into trouble, with humor that may be juvenile at times but works well overall. They single out the stellar voice cast with Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx leading the pack, while noting the plot feels rushed and repetitive but the film succeeds as a raunchy dog movie.
The critic finds the juvenile, crude dog comedy very funny and oddly sweet as it subverts family-friendly animal tropes with profanity and themes of toxic relationships. The clever Benji-formula reversal and lampooning of narrator dogs are highlighted as effective elements.
The film delivers vulgarity and sight gags but overdoes the obscenity in the dialogue, wearing thin quickly. It stands out for its seamless blend of live-action dogs and CGI along with some heart.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
