A ragtag group of canines undertake a mission to get revenge on an abusive owner in Strays, which opens in Prague cinemas and worldwide this weekend. Most local screenings are of a Czech-dubbed version of the film, but the original English-language print can be caught at Cinema City Slovanský dům, Edison Filmhub, and other limited engagements.

Strays is the talking animal version of Sausage Party, which featured animated food products, or Good Boys, which starred a pair of sixth graders; it’s a one-joke premise that gets its mileage from the fact that audiences aren’t used to seeing these characters in such a vulgar context.

Directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) from a script by Dan Perrault (American Vandal), Strays makes the most of that premise by having it’s adorable canines spew a relentless torrent of f-bombs from the voices of Will Ferrell, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, and (especially) Jamie Foxx.

While the dogs are voiced by a human cast, meanwhile, they’re played quite wonderfully by real canines with a minimal amount of CGI used to animate their mouths. The effect here is far less unsettling than your average Beverly Hills Chihuahua or Cats & Dogs, and manages to create some authentic-feeling characters; kudos the on-set handlers and animal actors themselves for carrying the film.

Strays stars a Ferrell-voiced Border Terrier as Reggie, long-neglected by his hate-filled owner Doug (a particularly nasty Will Forte), and ultimately abandoned on the streets of the big city. While initially eager to make make his way back home, some fellow strays – a Boston Terrier voiced by Fox, a Great Dane voiced by Park, and an Australian Shepherd voiced by Fisher – help him understand the years of abuse suffered at the hands of his former owner.

With this newfound knowledge, Reggie sets out to make his way back to Doug with his new friends in tow – but now, with vengeance in his eyes. And Strays becomes an unusual and effective revenge fantasy told from the perspective of the dogs.

It must be said that Strays isn’t very funny: the one-joke nature of the premise can only take it so far, and Perrault’s script rarely ventures beyond the obvious for a gag. A brief cameo from Dennis Quaid is the film’s only attempt at more offbeat humor, and it’s one real laugh-out-loud moment.

Strays is pretty gross, meanwhile, and includes sexualized scenes of the dogs that would receive an NC-17 rating if these were human characters, plenty of vomit and urine, helpless smaller critters torn to shreds, and what must be the highest amount of fecal matter ever seen in a mainstream Hollywood production. Still, there’s little here that a dog owner won’t encounter on a daily basis.

But what saves Strays is its commitment to its vengeance-fueled narrative. You never really know if the movie will deliver on its outrageous promise, but the climax of this movie is one of the most satisfying moments of revenge fantasy ever delivered on screen. Be sure to stick around for a mid-credits scene that adds the chef’s kiss.

And when Strays gets sentimental after 80 minutes of grossout doggy business, and Reggie finally hears a “good boy” for the very first time, be prepared to even shed a tear.

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