Sun Dogs

Most films I see have some kind of hidden Left Wing political message to drive home. I thought this one was trying to say that the terrorist threat is mostly in the imagination of mentally challenged people. Or that we shouldn't racially profile middle easterners.

But I don't know for sure that it was. It may have been showing that while defeating terrorism is a noble cause, it wasn't the appropriate calling for this particular guy.

I loved how despite his obsession with a military calling and his personal challenges, he was sharp enough to listen and perceive wisdom from others and change course without losing ultimate purpose. For example when he hears a story about people who jump from a bridge. He didn't forget it.

As others have said, almost every character in this one is a genuinely decent person. They all have their challenges and flaws, but they are attracted to doing good. That makes for a unique movie-watching experience.

I also love that it doesn't turn into a coming-of-age sex story. That was obviously a temptation. No, it stays true to the character, whose goal is to help people and make a difference, not to conquer rites of missed rites of passage.

It avoids music-manipulation, sentimentality, and clichéd characters. It also explores multiple people's goals, beyond those of the protagonist. Most importantly, all of them are influenced by each other.

I have always admired Jennifer Morrison as an actress. I liked her a lot in namely House and Once Upon a Time. To be honest, I doubted her as a director. This is her feature debut, and for a debut i gonna say, incredible work.

The directing here is incredible for an indie film and directorial debut. The writing though, not so much.

Sun Dogs tells the story of Ned Chipley, a man full of heroism and patriotism. He really hates terrorists, as he always repeats, and wants to be a marine to serve the United States.

We're also introduced to a girl named Tally. Her and Ned embarks a journey to catch a terrorist named Osama Bin Laden.

The film was pretty good at introducing characters. Ned, Tally and Sergeant Kendrick, they all got well introductions. But when the film starts focusing on only Ned and Tally, it becomes draggy.

Unfortunately, Sun Dogs fails to make the story of Ned and Tally to become interesting enough. It does pick up near the end, but the end scenes just felt rather irrelevant to the movie.

Apparently the writer of Sun Dogs has no history at all. Sun Dogs is the only credit of her according to IMDB. If this is the first thing she's ever written, then it's not that bad of a script.

Sun Dogs is saved by the great direction of Jennifer Morrison and the passable performances of Ned and Tally. Once you remember this is only an indie film, it becomes better.

I'm not sure if it's fair to call Sun Dogs a drama, comedy, or a love story. It's all three woven together in a cohesive and heartfelt manner.

As soon as you think it's going to go in one direction, it lightly changes course. It's totally unpredictable but in a refreshing way. If you enjoy whimsical yet moving films, "be vigilant", and give this one a watch.

One of those movies that makes you smile. Give it a go.

Or maybe he is. But this movie is about including people who are outsiders. Giving them a chance and showing the humanity of someone who is ill. It could have easily just be exploiting the mentioned illness, but it goes beyond that. And the performances are there to back it up. And even if you feel that the female counter part should know better, it makes sense she doesn't.

If you like offbeat comedies/dramas, than you will not be dissapointed. And you know what you will be getting. It may feel wrong at times how some things are going and you could argue that some people are contributing and assisting in him going the wrong way ... but it is all done with grace and with just the right amount of humor too