Muzzle

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a cop whose canine partner gets killed in the line of duty. After losing his dog, Jake Rosser plummets deep into a sinister underworld to uncover the truth about who may be responsible.

The film was directed by John Stalberg Jr, who also wrote it with Carlyle Eubank.

THINGS I LIKED: I've been a fan of Aaron Eckhart for years, and I usually like all of his movies, so I was interested in seeing this one. The movie is a study that shows how both his character and the dog are muzzled by past traumas.

I also really like Stephen Lang as an actor. His characters always look like they have a long story to tell about their background.

The movie shows a very ugly side of what's happening in America now. The streets are filled with homeless people in tents surrounded by garbage and worse things. The story takes place in Los Angeles which, sadly, has turned into a complete dumpster fire of a city.

The color palette of the film is dirty and grimy, perfectly representing the filthy underworld the movie is about.

You'll learn some German words because cops speak to their canine partners in German! I've heard that German Shepherds are one of the smartest dogs.

There is a suspenseful scene with some action that utilizes very interesting camera angles. Well done.

The ending is really sweet.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The love interest is odd. The woman is a nurse with her own set of emotional baggage, so it's weird that she would be interested in an infamous, violent cop who has shown zero warmth toward her when they first met. She basically throws herself at him, vanishes for the majority of the story, and then shows up at the end of the movie with almost no more interaction with the cop.

The final villain looked like a cartoon character.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity, including F-bombs We see prostitutes, crazy people, and druggies on the streets An explosion kills people Violence Blood A variety of weapons are used Cigarettes and alcohol use We see people get killed in various ways.

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I feel like you have to have some sort of connection to dogs at the very least to comprehend the reason behind plot. Bonus if you're LE or a MWD Handler. These dogs are technically equipment, but they're so much more. They're a lifeline. Jake (Aaron Eckhart) has a military background and an LE job with a very expensive piece of equipment for a partner, multiple actually. (Ace and Sox/Socks) Right off from the start you get an insight to how he leans on this dog; he has full blown conversations while on patrol. (Any *loving* dog parent can tell you, we all have full blown convos with our dog. Sometimes even talking back to ourselves as the dog. LOL)

The fact the dogs in this story line were taken and turned into weapons for the bad (versus the greater good) is the heartbreaking part. The dogs are mere pawns. Jake is having none of it.

I don't quite grasp the negative reviews of this film. Was it a blockbuster? No. Did it keep my attention? Absolutely. (Which is no easy feat.) This is worth a rewatch down the line as well.

Overall, great movie. Not a 10, but great nonetheless.

I must say that I absolutely loved this movie.

It was very heartbreaking and as a canine lover, just shows the true love between a dog and their human.

I love the interactions between the dog and owner and how it just shows that there are no bad animals, just bad owners.

I think it sends a very good message to the public. And should be embraced and shared. My dog watched it with me and she got very sad.

Don't know why some bad reviews.

An absolute wonderful heartfelt caring movie. I cannot fault it at all.

I will encourage anyone who loves animals to take the time and watch this gem. You will never be the same.

That sometimes has to be a bad dog - well no pun intended. Aaron really is the ... (Eck)hart of the movie (I probably should have used that as summary headline). That said, he has quite the supporting cast - you can look up the names yourself. If you have a heart (not gonna use his name again ... for this review at least) for pets/animals, you will find a lot to like here. Unless you are a cat person I reckon, but that is a different topic to discuss.

The story is good and the suspense is high - I would say that the story is predictable overall, but you will still find yourself on the edge of your seat ... waiting for what happens next ... knowing or not knowing almost does not matter. I assume most will invest themselves in this - especially if they know what the movie is about and what they are about to get ... can justice be served? Being right morally and in the eyes of the justice system may be two pair of shoes ... if that does not give you paws to think about ... (I had to, sorry not sorry)

I do have a soft spot for these type of movies... Channing Tatum's "Dog" was surprisingly good, I thought "A Dog's Purpose" was good also. I mean, Turner and Hooch set the bar (or should I say "stick"), it's a classic. I think the less said about K-9 the better. It seems an element of comedy helps these movies build the relationship between man and his would-be best friend. Here though, it's out and out drama with not much in the way of levity to break up the doom and gloom.

I think this started out well but the point where it really needed to start drawing you in to whatever the endgame was, it didn't. Aaron Eckhart did a decent job but I think was let down by the watered-down, John Wick-esque, murky underworld that he was tasked with infiltrating and ultimately toppling. A real lack of a crescendo with the final confrontation being somewhat absent of any real, ahem, 'bite'.