While Red Dog is based on a true story (which ended up being turned into a novel and then adapted into this film), it doesn't manage to quite capture the emotional impact that it wanted. There are plenty of scenes where you just don't know whether the film wants itself to be taken seriously or just throw itself out there. The acting and dialogue can be cringeworthy and there is a scene towards the end where it just felt like the film gave up with overuse of CGI (which you wouldn't expect in this film) and ends up feeling like a joke. The tale of Red Dog, and the way he had influenced the community of Dampier is supposed to move the viewer and while there are some slightly emotional scenes, a lot of it feels cliche and predictable.