Dog

It’s possible to appreciate the loyalty and sacrifice of both human and canine soldiers while still dismissing the buddy comedy Dog as calculated and contrived.

Despite admirable intentions, this crowd-pleasing effort to salute our four-legged veterans is too overwrought and sentimental to make the desired emotional impact.

Feeling isolated and unfulfilled, Briggs (Channing Tatum) is a former Army Ranger seeking a medical clearance to return to combat despite suffering a brain injury.

Reluctant to grant the request because of obvious health concerns, his superior officer (Luke Forbes) instead gives Briggs an assignment. He must transport an ornery Belgian Malinois named Lulu from Washington to the Mexican border to the funeral of his handler, and eventually to another base to be put down.

Briggs and Lulu once shared time together on the front lines, but their reunion comes with a warning: “This isn’t the dog you served with. She’s got every combat trigger in the books.”

Cue the rambunctious seat-chewing, ill-timed slobbering, and persistent growling as they embark on a drive down the west coast in a beat-up Ford Bronco that curiously steers clear of freeways in favor of a more scenic route.

Along the way, they encounter an obligatory collection of eccentric strangers and unforeseen complications, realizing they must confront their past to heal their emotional wounds.

Canine aficionados will no doubt have a soft spot for Lulu’s amusing antics, and some of the more intimate exchanges between man and pooch effectively tug at the heartstrings.

The road-trip structure yields a predictable array of comic mayhem and poignant bonding moments as the stubborn duo tries to find mutually cathartic common ground. In his first starring role in five years, Tatum modulates his character’s macho exterior with his internal vulnerability.

The filmmaking debut for Tatum and co-director Reid Carolin (screenwriter of Magic Mike) overdoses on self-help platitudes but is more persuasive in its quieter segments showcasing the unspoken — or in this case, abundantly spoken — inextricable connection between superbly trained military dogs and their handlers.

However, the screenplay struggles to earn sympathy and compassion beneath the surface, as it lacks sufficient character development for members of either species. Considering the effort, that’s a doggone shame.

Rated PG-13, 101 minutes.