Dog Puns in ‘Strays’ Reviews, Ranked
It appears that America’s movie critics have had Strays circled on their calendars for months, saving up their most labored pooch puns to create tortured headlines. (Spoiler alert: The comedy featuring foul-mouthed dogs voiced by Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx made most critics want to push the “paws” button. GET IT?) Rounding up and ranking the headlines that elicit the most groans seemed like the leash we could do.
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All Bark and No Bite — Cultured Vultures
Cultured Vultures goes for quantity here, noting the film gave them “paws for concern,” was missing its funny bones, and represented a “curious cinematic crossbreed.” The review gets a little dark with its final doggy double entendre: “It’s about as funny as a dog’s final visit to the vets.” Yipe yipe yipe!
A Dog Gone Good Time —“Foul-Mouthed Dogs Teach Humans a Few New Tricks” raves Variety, one of the few publications to praise Strays for being a good boy.
A Raunchy Comedy Goes to the Dogs — New York Times
The snooty Times apparently has little time for Strays’ “many intestinal, fecal and urinal gags.”
Will Ferrell’s Dog Comedy Mostly Plays Dead — A.V. Club
Despite A.V. Club’s critic complaining that Strays “mostly chases its tail,” the film still somehow manages a C+. “It’s like watching an episode of South Park where the sum total of the social commentary is that dogs love the taste of poop.”
Will Ferrell’s Feral Comedy —Leave it to the venerable Wall Street Journal to point out one comic’s last name is a homophone for “feral,” meaning “not domesticated or cultivated.” Bunch of English majors over there, apparently.
An Amusingly Dirty Dog-Com — The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter knows that Strays has everything dog lovers are looking for in a feature film: “Dogs peeing, dogs pooping, dogs humping, dogs puking, dogs talking dirty, dogs getting high, dogs…well, you get the idea.” Sofia Vergara is singled out for her performance as a seductive couch.
A Raunchy Dog Comedy That Puts the 'R" in 'ARF!' — Cap Times
No publication worked harder for an out-of-the-box dog pun than The Cap Times. The movie is pretty funny, says the review, though not as hilarious as an actual dog just sitting there doing dog things.
Strays Should Have Been Put Down — Paste
Way to go, Paste! Any headline that combines a dog pun with the suggestion of animal euthanasia deserves top billing.
