Dog Soldiers

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Moviecut—Dog Soldiers

By all means a positive surprise. I've watched many a horror movie in my time, so I'm always skeptical whenever I either go to the movies or to the video store. However, this movie just made my jaw drop; I watched this movie very late at night all by myself and I was so scared! However, I do have a slightly hyperactive imagination, but still...WOW! So why is it so good? Well, first of all the acting is really good. You really invest in these characters. Second of all, the werewolves are NOT CGI! The way they look is just so utterly creepy, especially because they have a very original design (at least in my opinion). Thirdly, the script is great; it's nice to watch a horror movie where the cast isn't a bunch of teens you couldn't care less about. The dialog is at times very, very funny. Not involuntarily funny, but funny because the writer intended it to be so. You should watch this movie if you like horror films that are a bit untraditional or if you want to see a convincing werewolf movie with great acting. IMPORTANT! I've heard the US TV version has been trimmed horribly. Therefore I must insist you see the DVD version. The region 2 DVD version also features one of the most hilarious commentary tracks ever recorded in DVD history, which makes the region 2 version the most recommendable version of all.

Exciting and thoroughly well-made werewolf film from Scotland delivers the goods to both horror and action fans! A band of soldiers go into the Scotland country for a training exercise and instead find themselves struggling to survive against a horde of werewolves! Writer/director Neil Marshall does a knock-out job with creating a solid werewolf film that packs on plenty of quick suspense and steely action. Marshall's story is always gripping, building to an explosive climax. He's obviously a genre fan as he references a number of old-school horror films in the process, even naming one character after B movie hero Bruce Campbell. The direction is right on too with plenty of atmospheric spookiness, as well as a feeling of complete claustrophobia even in the sprawling woods! The special FX come off pretty good and provides for more than a few gory scenes. The cast isn't half bad, hero Kevin McKidd (dearly departed Tommy from Trainspotting) and Sargent Sean Pertwee being the best. This film may have flown under the horror radar back in 2002, but genre fans should discover just how good this film is. Dog Soldiers is a movie that lets us know that the monster flick is not dead! *** out of ****

A group of squaddies are sent out into woods in the Scottish highlands to take part in a small practice operation against a group of special force soldiers. However when Sgt Wells' men locate the other unit they find that Captain Ryan is the only survivor and, appears to be mad, gibbering about "things". When the group are attacked by something else, they take Ryan and his array of weapons and flee. They find local girl Megan in a landrover and she takes them to the nearest shelter to attend to the wounded – an empty farmhouse. As Megan tells them of werewolves in the woods, and Ryan sits silent as to what his team were actually up to, the "things" start to gather and strike the house. With comparatively no budget to speak of, it is no surprise that among the references, this film pays homage to the Evil Dead by calling one of its characters Corporal Bruce Campbell. Certainly with a group of people in farmhouse (cabin) in the woods fighting off an unstoppable supernatural evil is almost homage enough in itself although, for me, this didn't get anywhere near to the horror of that film. However it does still manage to produce quite an enjoyable film even if it isn't really scary in a true sense. The plot is simple and it is a good thing because the action bits are best, while the dialogue bits are less so. The film does pretty well to keep the tension up but I did think it could have been tighter and more suspenseful than it was at times. That said, the attacks are good and, as long as you aren't too demanding, it will do enough to keep you entertained. I must admit that the "Britishness" of it and the fact that it was such a low-budget affair may me more willing to forgive it such things – although some of the dialogue was so clunky and unconvincing that it was occasionally hard to get past – although I did get a big laugh out of the Matrix reference "there is no spoon". The cast do pretty well, shouting and running around convincingly enough. I would have liked a bit liked a bit more humanity but in fairness the characters were pretty accurate for many squaddy types I know. Pertwee is fun and for probably the first and last time is the big name of the film. McKidd is OK but he has to carry a lot of the talking and it means his limits show up more than the others. Cleasby is pretty poor and she is lumbered with a poor character to boot. Cunningham was fairly obvious but I was constantly distracted by just how much he came across like George Galloway (minus the moustache of course). Lockyer, Robson, Simpson and others are pretty one dimensional but Morfitt had energy and manage to stand out with a bit of character. The direction is good and wisely keeps the camera fluid and the monsters hidden – although I personally though the costumes were good for the money they cost. Overall this is an enjoyable film. It appears to homage other films as much as it borrows from them, but it does it well enough. It could have been tenser, more exciting and it certainly could have been scarier but it still works as an action/horror of sorts. Apparently a sequel is planned and I hope the bigger budget can improve it a bit but for now this is an enjoyable low-budget horror that is basic but fun and worth seeing.

With all due respect to other nations, we British make some fantastic werewolf movies. There was the brilliant An American Werewolf In London made in 1981 and in 2002, this superior feature. Dog Soldiers is a simple story about an Army platoon on exercise in Scotland who find themselves pitched against intelligent werewolves. The script is excellent, the characters believable and the werewolves are scary. Dog Soldiers is one of those horror movies that gradually builds up the tension. For the first half, you don't actually see the werewolves but you know they are there. Then, you get glimpses of them and in the final half you get to see them in all their gruesome glory. The main part of the film finds the platoon holed up in a cottage with the werewolves gathering outside-Night Of The Living Dead was obviously an inspiration. This is where the film really delivers. The soldiers are in a predicament. Are they safe inside or would they be safer outside? It's hard to figure out. The scenes are really tense, especially certain scenes where certain soldiers attempt to brave it outside. Do they make it? Watch the film and find out. I have to mention the werewolves. They are very original looking, a far cry from Lon Chaney's Wolfman. They are big mean looking suckers who just exude fear at the slightest glimpse. Dog Soldiers should be included in any Top Ten Werewolf Movie list. I have no problem in recommending it to anyone.

There is a little sub genre of horror that involves people with guns vs. monsters. The most famous are of course Aliens, but there are few others (28 days later is another example). Soldiers are the people of our society to whom we give the latest technology for killing, train them in this art to basically make monsters out of men and then their job is defend civilization against the monsters (where it is Osoma Bin Ladin or Werewolves, it doesn't matter). Having said or that, this low budget, but well made horror flick has a squad of soldiers wandering around Scotland on a routine training mission, only to find out they are really there as bait for werewolves. Lots of guns, guts (sausages) and gory glory. Heaps of pop culture references, fine acting, some scares, but lots of action. The werewolves are cool, the military action is authentic enough, and the analogy of the pack of werewolves and the squad of soldiers is a good one. It never had theatrical release in America, but did very well for itself in the UK. Overall a good movie, with some flaws such as plot twists either being obvious (but then I tend to get most of them right away) or just silly and much of the time they are playing the movie for laughs when the audience is more into the tension and is there for the scare. You won't see many horror films like this, so if you like soldier movies, horror movies, low budget movies or just want something a little different, see it.