Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Dog review says that the faux buddy comedy would play dead if it weren’t for the charm of its star and co-director.

It has all the ingredients for the perfect road trip/ reluctant buddy comedy: hunky, hapless, charming guy; cute if rambunctious dog, together in a car for days, learning, growing and growling as they journey toward their destination.

All edifying warm and fuzzy tail wags, right? The trailer certainly implies that.

But this is no Turner and Hooch. At times it’s deadly serious, creepy, scary and quite often depressing. Tonally it’s all over the place, as if it can’t decide if it wants to be a family lark or a sobering commentary on veterans’ mental health.

I will say this for it: it incites both laughter and tears.

It’s deeply serious at the very beginning, when we see veteran Army Ranger Jackson Briggs (Channing Tatum) writhing in agony on the floor by the side of his bed. Beginning a “comedy” with a tortured episode caused by PTSD and other injuries is a risky move, and is a foreshadowing of what’s to come.

It doesn’t take long, however, for a lighter plot to kick in. In order for Briggs to gain a coveted overseas assignment, he most prove he’s emotionally fit by driving a Belgian Malinois (who also suffers from PTSD) to the funeral of her handler with whom Briggs served, then return her to the base where she is scheduled for euthanization.

No obvious downers in that scenario.

Of course the road trip is punctuated by semi-humorous bits, like accidentally meeting up with a psychic pot farmer (that’s a meet creepy) and checking into a luxurious San Francisco hotel under the guise of being a blind veteran and his seeing eye dog.

I will give kudos to Tatum, who co-directed with his long time production partner Reid Carolin, for not bogging the film down with tortured relationships outside of the car, and keeping it pretty much between Briggs and Dog.

The ending is predictable, but the road that takes them there is not. The film delivers an important message that needs to be heard, and I think does a far better job with that than with the comedy. But then again, Tatum is capable of selling slobber to a mastiff, and manages to pull it off. Barely.

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 41 Minutes

If this Dog review inspires you to take a walk to the cineplex, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Dog review says that the faux buddy comedy would play dead if it weren’t for the charm of its star and co-director.