“AJ Goes to the Dog Park” is a delightfully absurd and irreverent comedy that thrives on low-budget charm and silly sight gags. Delivering a relentless barrage of goofiness with an endearing dorky flair, writer / director Toby Jones‘ film is a showcase of how avant-garde cinema can also be approachable and entertaining. If your sense of humor aligns somewhere between “pensive teenager” and the likes of Tim and Eric, Aunty Donna, and movies like “The Greasy Strangler,” you’re in for a wild, wacky, and outlandish treat with this one.
The story follows AJ (AJ Thompson), an ordinary man from Fargo, North Dakota, whose simple life is upended when his favorite dog park is taken away. This loss sets off a series of increasingly bizarre events that send him on a surreal and unforgettable odyssey filled with outrageous misadventures that range from excursions to the local schoolhouse and the mayor’s (Crystal Cossette Knight) office to fishing with Captain Seastab (Jacob Hartje) and scrap collecting. The humor is goofy and unapologetically gag-driven, and Jones embraces the absurd while maintaining enough mainstream appeal to attract indie lovers. The homegrown vibes keep things comfortable, especially because most of the film feels like a live action cartoon.
The sheer volume of gags can be overwhelming, making it a lot to digest in one sitting. The film could benefit from a tighter runtime as it eventually feels like when you’ve eaten that third scoop of chocolate ice cream: it’s simply too much of a good thing. A lot of the jokes run together and become tiring, especially after you’re hit with them in such a rapid-fire manner. For this reason, I would recommend watching the movie in smaller doses in order to get the most enjoyment. Even those of us with an affinity for this type of comedy will find it a lot to take all at once.
Ultimately, “AJ Goes to the Dog Park” stands out as a hilariously weird and subversive exploration of the ordinary turned extraordinary. It’s a downright silly, idiosyncratic, low budget midnight movie that celebrates the joy in all things unconventional. It’s a great movie for anyone looking for a good dose of offbeat humor — if you have the stamina to endure its relentless quirkiness.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 