Does The Dog Die In The End Of Oak Street?

Warning: Spoilers for "The End of Oak Street" to follow.

What could possibly be worse than being stuck in 1980s suburban Detroit with two parents in a slowly disintegrating marriage and an entire neighborhood that somehow transports tens of millions of years into the age of dinosaurs? Doing so while the family dog is missing and at risk of getting eaten at any given moment. Fortunately, writer/director David Robert Mitchell turns this silly premise into one heck of an Amblin-style thriller in "The End of Oak Street." Against all odds, the film features flawed characters that are easy to root for, super-violent dino action that outshines anything in "Jurassic World," and, yes, sequences of terror that just so happen to put a lovable pup in harm's way.

While the most squeamish among us might not care to see even the implication of peril follow our four-legged hero around, rest assured that "The End of Oak Street" does so in ways that never feel exploitative or shocking. While we fret about the impossible situation that Anne Hathaway's Denise and Ewan McGregor's Greg find themselves in, their kids Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery) are busy with their own sets of concerns. For Audrey, that's her developing crush on neighbor and fellow survivor Jeanette (Jordan Alexa Davis). For Brian, well, it's the whereabouts of the goodest boy around, Starbuck (which, you guessed it, is a cheeky "Battlestar Galactica" reference).

For those who'd like to know about Starbuck's fate ahead of time, allow us to quell your concerns: Starbuck lives! And, what's more, he even plays a crucial role in keeping his family alive and saving the day. But he is placed in mortal danger a number of times, so keep your guard up, dog lovers.

While animal lovers may have a bit of a rough time with "The End of Oak Street" (a movie that pits dinosaurs against dinosaurs, dinosaurs against pets, and the biggest, creepiest snake you've ever seen against an entire house), at least one canine makes it through the movie (mostly) unscathed. Starbuck is actually played by two different dogs, named Buzz and Brisket, and the end credits go out of their way to emphasize that no real-world harm ever factored into the filming of this creature feature. This is pure movie magic, folks, and everything ultimately wraps up in satisfying fashion.

That's the good news. The bad news is that viewers ought to be mindful of just how close to that line "The End of Oak Street" gets. Once things kick off and our characters are trapped on a street overrun by dinos, Starbuck is missing (and presumed dead) for much of the action. His unexpected return causes Brian and Audrey to venture out into the unknown in a reckless (though understandable) attempt to bring their dog back safe and sound. Naturally, this only leads to even more chaos and mayhem as the main family of protagonists try to avoid becoming dinosaur chow. Though the same can't be said for certain other household pets (in one brief moment, a cat is shown to be the victim of some heartless carnivores), the film's ending allows Starbuck to get a hero moment of his own, save the day, and walk away with only a few scars to show for it.

"The End of Oak Street" is now playing in theaters.