Dog Soldiers | Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd | "I came here to be at one with nature, well I got...

Dog Soldiers | Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd | Loved it & them Brits yeah!

DVDs:

Dog Soldiers

	Dog Soldiers Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd 20th Century Fox, 2003 average customer review:based on 240 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

"I came here to be at one with nature, well I got what I wanted. Now I have to live with it."

After watching THE DESCENT earlier in 2006, I learned that that the director of that film, Neil Marshall, had made one previous "major" motion picture: DOG SOLDIERS. I had never heard of the film before because it wasn't shown in very many theatres in the U.S. I was so impressed with THE DESCENT that I was determined to find a copy of DOG SOLDIERS and view it.

DOG SOLDIERS is categorized as a horror movie because of gothic elements involved in the film. A special group of British soldiers is sent to Scotland to play a type of war games with a Special Operations squad. The regular soldiers discover the mutilated bodies of the Special Ops squad. Only one man, Capt. Ryan (Liam Cunningham), from the squad is alive, but just barely with his guts protruding from his stomach. The moon is full and the hunt is on as the soldiers find themselves being hunted by a group of unknown killers. Their rescue chopper isn't scheduled to arrive until the next morning and dawn has never been longer away. As the soldiers race from the creatures hunting them, they are saved by a female zoologist named Megan (Emma Cleasby) who has been studying the creatures that are hunting them. It turns out the fierce creatures are lycanthropes or werewolves. Megan tells the soldiers that she has been studying the creatures for years, but it is obvious that she is hiding something. Later we learn that she and Capt. Ryan have met before, but the full secret isn't revealed until much later. So, the group of eight drive to the only shelter in the area, a quaint two-story farm house at the end of the lane and set up to defend themselves against the onslaught that is to come. Werewolves are smart creatures, though, and as much as we come to care for the soldiers as the tagline says, "Six soldiers. Full moon. No chance."

Out of all the different monster movies around, I have been fascinated by werewolf movies more than any other. From the classic original WOLFMAN starring Lon Chaney to TEEN WOLF with Michael J. Fox, werewolves have held an appeal for me that no other monster movies have. There have been a lot of variations on the genre, but often werewolf movies simply rehash the same stories over and over only using different names and locations. DOG SOLDIERS doesn't do that. It acknowledges the classic werewolf films of the past, but attempts to add something new to the genre.

It helps a lot that Neil Marshall decided not to use digital effects and stick to old fashioned make-up and costuming. Of course, we don't see the creatures until almost halfway through the picture. However, once we do they look more realistic than something computer generated. Sure, they look a bit cheesy, but they also look better than most other werewolves I've seen. Instead of ape-like costumes, we get giant two-legged creatures that have facial features actually resembling wolves.

DOG SOLDIERS is labeled as a horror movie because it involves werewolves, but the film really isn't a werewolf movie at all. Instead, the film is an army buddy picture (dog soldiers is another name for grunts, after all). The film revolves not around the werewolves, but the soldiers that they hunt. The relationship between the members of the group is explored in depth and considering that we are only glimpsing two nights in their lives, it is an impressive bit of storytelling. I was actually hoping I would never get to see the werewolves because I wanted to spend more time with just the soldiers.

The other thing I liked about DOG SOLDIERS is the numerous pop culture references and homages scattered throughout the movie. For instance, Sgt. Harry G. Wells is named after the famous sci-fi and fantasy author H.G. Wells while another soldier in the group is named Bruce Campbell after the actor who plays Ash in the EVIL DEAD movies. These various references might seem unnecessary, but they illustrate that the Neil Marshall is an educated filmmaker well-versed in the genre.

In my opinion, DOG SOLDIERS is the best werewolf movie made since the original WOLFMAN. It isn't as violent and gory as many pictures in the horror genre, but it does have a great plot and is full of endearing characters. Recommended for people who like werewolf movies, horror fans, and people who have seen THE DESCENT but who don't know who Neil Marshall is.

for more information click here

Loved it & them Brits yeah!

This movie is very good a nice new kind of werewolf movie. How you would never expect it to be someone that it was. Anyway i liked this movie it was also nice to see them blood and guts along w/ some werewolves that looked like they would be werewolves not over stuff teddy bears that u want 2 cuddy w/ cuz they look like they are fat and hairy. These ones have some muscles & heads that look like wolves i loved that. The humor is very good lightens the mood before they get eaten.
Its the best movie ever. I watched, bought, and can recite this movie every word i loved it!!!!

for more information click here

Dog Soldiers

Fantastic, chilling movie. If you are looking for a thriller with gore, this movie is it.

Why do I always do this?

When I like a film, why do I feel compelled to check out the comments of those who loathed it in here? It's not because I like to argue (although maybe I do), because I seldom respond to their views. I really don't understand what subconscious service this provides. Any amateur psychiatrists out there?

Anyway, for anyone to suggest that the acting here is inadequate...well, they obviously haven't seen a lot of BAD horror films. The performances here are believable throughout, and the story pretty coherent for the most part. It's very well-made. This is a good horror film. This is a good movie of any kind.

Why only three stars? Well, gee, I think 3 stars is about right for a GOOD film. It's no classic. Actually I'd probably give it a 3.5 if I could, but I'll round down in this case because the grade inflation here is pretty heinous. If you're a horror fan, this one is worth your time. It's not gonna scare you, but it's a pretty good entry in the genre.

Did anyone else like the scene with the dog doing the tug-of-war with the soldier? Pretty cool.

for more information click here

Enjoyed it!