Dawg, directed by Victoria something or other (who cares in a comedy anyways?), stars professional asshole Dennis Leary, and gorgeous model-turned-actress Liz Hurley. Before I go any further, I should point out that I'm a fan of both stars, and therefore my judgment may be slightly biased in their favor. Anyways, Leary portrays a love em and leave em kinda guy, who can pretty much get any woman he looks at. At his grandma's funeral, he's approached by Anna Lockheart, the executor of said grandma's will. Turns out she left him a cool million dollars, under the condition that he seek out and apologize to twelve of his former flames. After the women are chosen (seemingly at random), the two embark on Leary's mission. Anna comes along to make certain he doesn't cheat, and because Liz Hurley is a bigger draw in leading roles.

Review:
Now, as sex comedies go, Dawg is excellent. It blows away other cable made sex comedies, and most theatrical releases. The plot sucks, and frankly, has more holes than an octopi blow up doll (it's funny cause, you know, they have eight legs, that are all kinda phallic shape and. you know what, I don't feel I need to explain my genius to you), BUT also allows for a nice selection of memorable supporting roles. The transsexual Erik(a), the blimp-like Darcy, and the uber-slut Angel all give stellar performances. Some people may find Erik funnier than others. But, what really makes this movie worth your time is the Leary/Hurley combo. Leary plays Dennis Leary, for all intensive purposes, and well, Leary (as Leary) is always a blast. His delivery is as in his standup, so bonus points for staying true to , er, character. Hurley on the other hand plays something of a mix between her roles in Austin Powers and Bedazzled, odd as that may sound. Plus, she has massive hooters and a perfect fa. Not to mention her thighs. but I digress. However, for all their individual talents, the two have quite a chemistry( think Zellwegger/Carrey in Me, Myself, and Irene, only better). Some moments of the film they behave like Spy vs. Spy, but more frequently Leary makes a lecherous comment or commits a lewd act, and Hurley berates him for it. The scene following Angel's appearance is particularly amusing, and has one of Hurley's best lines to date.

Sometimes the film does hit a dramatic spot, primarily for the final half-hour, but its nice to see Leary actually act a little. The drama is well placed as well, and doesn't kill the comedy buzz, like o so many do (John Hughes movies are a prime example). If you've seen Chasing Amy, you know how this can be done right. Both films are funny as hell and fairly dramatic (Amy more dramatic than Dawg), but maintain a stable balance. Admittedly, Hurley's role shrinks for quite a while during the drama phase, but her role isn't a dramatic one to begin with. The movie has one truly serious downfall. The film has an excellent ending scene, followed immediately by a scene that ruins the ending and makes the viewer feel as if they've eaten Chris Farley's dead and rotting left ass cheek.

Spotlight Comparison:
I've never seen Leary in anything but standup before, so I'll compare the comedic value of this film to a few of Hurley's others. Better than Ed TV or Bedazzled, more adult, but about as entertaining as Austin Powers, and slightly inferior to Serving Sara. Dramatically, Hurley does very little, so no comparison necessary. Hurley herself pulls of a fairly standard level performance for her.

Pretentious, Overdone Grading:
Writing: 9 Great dialogue and funny gags, but the plot could have been a little more tightly wounds, and Hurley's character a little more fleshed out.

Direction: It's a comedy. In this comedy, direction isn't a factor.

Acting: 10 The leads play their roles perfectly, and the supporting cast is full of dynamic characters, and a transsexual.

Final Thoughts:
Worth the money to rent, maybe to buy if you don't mind the cop out ending. If you like romantic comedies, sex comedies, Dennis Leary being obnoxious, or Liz Hurley's, um <begin overused pun> assets <end overused pun>, definitely take the time to watch it. But, its not as good as other similar genre movies like Chasing Amy, or A Life Less Ordinary. See those first.

We'll give Dawg an A- (The ending hurts it bad.).