Dog Soldiers Reviews

A classic. An explosive and heart-pounding horror film debut by Director, Neil Marshall. A real triumph in the genre. It`s Predator meets Night of the living dead with Werewolfs. A blood-pumping and hair-raising thrill-ride from start to finish. It has a solid story thats packed with strong characters, development and non-stop suspense that keeps you going until the end. Sean Pertwee, Liam Cunningham and Kevin Mckidd give strong and terrific performances. One of the best horror films i have seen in some time. It`s extreamly entertaining and totally enjoyable.

Could this be the British werewolf equivalent of 'Aliens'? a group of soldiers forced into a tight space, trapped and being taken down one by one, it does feel like it when you watch.

But lets not take anything away from this film, its a low budget basic thriller which works beautifully utilizing all the right tricks in the book. The werewolves are kept out of sight for much of the time, lots of shadows and darkness, a good barren wilderness location, tense sweaty and claustrophobic with some good amounts of gore, not overblown.

Marshall really has taken a leaf outta Cameron's book, a leaf? nay...a whole flippin bush! as previously said the film really is 'Aliens' with werewolves but its so damn fun to watch (and British made) that you have to forgive the blatant concept rip off. The small group of soldiers really work well together and you do care for them as Marshall wisely builds the characters before hand, you know they're all gonna die but never sure which one will remain in tact at the end. Of course everyone is rather cliched and predictable with their dialog and portrayals, Cunningham is the nasty outsider ('Burke') who obviously will die but calmly growls and snarls his lines of doom to the rest in the mean time...just asking for it really.

Some brilliant sequences that go from outright horror to dark gallows humour such as Pertwee having his bowels/intestines superglued back inside him after a nasty attack. Things get quite tense towards the end as the lycans get too close for comfort and we start to see more glimpses of the pretty solid effects used. Men in suits of course and they do look original in design albeit a little like over grown Alsatians.

Its gritty, dirty, bloody, basic, effortlessly British, has cool movie posters and you want Cunningham to die right from the very start after he kills that poor doggie. At times it does feel like it could use a bit of Hollywood to really make more of an impact for some sequences and the score seems a tad lackluster. Overall this is a great human vs werewolf flick that really does show what 'Underworld' could of been.

Dog Soldiers is the best modern low budget horror film i've ever seen. The premise seems corny and so does it's image but when it unfolds itself it suprises you with amazing wit, great frights and memorable characters and of course black comedy in howling perfection.

Dog Soldiers is one of the original werewolf films in recent memory. Directed by Neil Marshall who would later helm The Descent, this is a unique twist on old school werewolf films. This by far one of the best werewolf films since An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Directing Neil Marshall delivers a film that blazes with originality. Dog Soldiers is an impressive take on a classic monster. The film is well acted with a good story and good gore effects to appeal to harden fans of the genre. This film is exciting and though throughout later years of the decade, remakes have become the prime type of film to appeal to today's audiences, this film will most likely be discovered by old school horror fans that want ultimate thrills. Dog Soldiers is an awesome werewolf film with great effects. Neil Marshall has made a future classic of the genre. Along with The Descent, Dog Soldiers is one of the most memorable and original horror flicks to come out of Britain. The fact that this film takes an old idea and creates something totally new is great. This film shows that there are still directors willing to take the risk at creating a traditional, yet modern horror film, and separate themselves from the current Hollywood obsession with remaking every classic horror film. Dog Soldiers is one of the best werewolf films that you haven't seen. Great gore effects and good acting with great directing by Neil Marshall makes Dog Soldier a must see for every serious horror film fan.

Directed (and written) by Neil Marshall, Kismet Entertainment Group, 2002.

Starring: Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee, Emma Cleasby and Liam Cunningham.

Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller.

Question: Do you remember the days when you hung out with your friends in the woods with toy guns creating wartime combat scenarios? The plot-line was usually the same but sometimes a friend or two would throw in some super powers they suddenly obtained or a fantastical creature that came out of nowhere. Oh, those were the days!

Okay, did I just lose half of my readers? Yes, ladies, this might not be what you did growing up, but when my older brother would allow it, I would jump right in and play along ready to "kill" the next bad guy. Although I was always bummed I could never make the machine gun noises no matter how hard I tried, I still had a blast pretending I was in the middle of a war or fighting off some creature(s). So, when someone suggested, and I finally watched, Dog Soldiers I was immediately thrown back to my 10 year-old inner child.

Honestly, as I was watching Dog Soldiers I kept thinking the film-maker (Neil Marshall) must have never let go of his childhood imagination. His film is about 5-6 British soldiers on a practice mission who run into werewolves that apparently can't die even when shot multiple times with semi-automatic guns.

As usual I don't want to go into much detail about this film - this is a thriller, of sorts. I will say there is a little overacting, some poorly-written dialogue and some over-the-top plot points; however, I think that was all intentional. So you must have a sense of humor while watching Dog Soldiers. It is definitely a B film that had me howling with laughter at certain scenes, covering my eyes over some of 'blood and guts' violence and rolling my eyes at some of the innuendoes.

Also, if you are unfamiliar with British slang, I suggest you click here - this is something I JUST discovered and it might help translate some of the sayings in this movie. A few of the phrases you might not know: 'Big girl's blouse', 'taking the piss', toffee-nosed'. These are used in Dog Soliders, along with a few others, but I'll let you discover what they mean on your own.

If any ladies stuck around for the rest of the review, I can tell you the lead actor in this, Kevin McKidd, is from Grey's Anatomy. So if you have a thing for Dr. Hunt, you might want to watch Dog Soldiers - just don't tell your boyfriend or husband why, but they would probably be too shocked to ask anyway.

This is the perfect movie for the next level of what young-in's like to do in groups: watch cult-like, horror films (that usually scare their little sisters who still want to be a part of the group). So once you've grown out of the 'play outdoors phase', might I suggest Dog Soldiers. However, this is rated R - so if you are under age, please ask your parents kiddos.

My favorite thing: That I wasn't all that scared watching a horror.

My least favorite thing: Watching some of the gore.

Rating: R
Length: 105 minutes

Review: 5 out of 10

A Squad of British soldiers on manoeuvres in the Scottish Highlands are ambushed by a pack of werewolves. Neil Marshall's knowing homage to the werewolf movie cleverly combines the myth with other horror formulae to create what is essentially An American Werewolf In London crossed with Predator. Thanks to some naturalistic dialogue, funny banter and believable performances by the no-name cast, the soldiers feel like real squaddies and Marshall's efficient direction cranks up the suspense to just the right level despite some obvious budget limitations. The photography is rather TV standard and the effects hardly cutting edge, but it's a case of lack of money being the mother of invention and thanks to a knowing script, what emerges is a hugely entertaining horror with a wide streak of very British humour. The formula of isolated cabin in the woods under siege from monsters has been done to death, but rarely with this level of wit. If you need fancy CGI to enjoy a horror film I'd look elsewhere, but if you want thrills and spills and plenty of genuinely funny moments, this is well worth a look.

Great Werewolf Movie...no CGI...all man in suit...

A raw, scrappy little horror film concerning a platoon of soldiers who are dropped into a Hellish terrain stalked by flesh-hungry werewolves who are difficult to kill. At times, it feels as though Marshall is tipping his cap a little too much towards other greats like "Aliens", and "The Night of the Living Dead", and at times you feel he is running the risk of having his entire movie become a mash-up of just other great ones. However, this film is an irrefutable visceral thrill, and one that does not slow down throughout its duration, including an intense finale in which the blood and guts really hit the floor. Not for the weak stomachs out there, and Marshall's "The Descent" still remains his most accomplished work and the best horror film from the 00's, but 'Soldiers' definitely shows a respect for horror greats, as well as an eye for how to make a film truly scary but funny at the same time.

One of the best horrors I have seen in recent years. A low budget UK film but it is bloody and tense as well. A group of soldiers are on a training mission in the Scottish Highlands when they encounter a pack of werewolves. If you love Horror films this is one of the best Werewolf films around.

Neil Marshall proves, with Dog Soldiers, that budget and experience isn't everything.The title is straight forward and unornamented, but that doesn't stop the 1 hour and 40 minutes from unleashing the entertainment. The setting doesn't change much either and it doesn't have to. What better place for a werewolf movie than in the middle of the forest? The first third of the film is all character buildup with some mildly entertaining dialogue, while the final hour, in the cabin, is where all the fun happens.There is very very little in the way of cheap effects, if any at all. Instead, Marshall breaks out the costumes and makeup to create some very intimidating werewolves and violent scenes.The acting for the amusing characters is big reason for this film's success. Kevin Mckidd and Sean Pertwee take the center stage, with Darren Morfitt and Emma Cleasby backing them up.There is more than meets the eye with Dog Soldiers, which is why this is a thriller to consider checking out. "Open your mouth, watch your ears, mind your toes! "

I will commend this movie for having some of the best looking werewolves on screen next to Underworld. My big complaint of the movie was the poor film quality, it looked like a t.v. show at times. That's really the only downside though, it's a great werewolf movie in the same vein as Predator and Aliens. Neil Marshall's style is really interesting and Kevin McKidd played the ultimate Scottish soldier.

One of the better Werewolf films in recent years. Sit through all of the Howling films and you might just argue that it deserves an Oscar!

"Six soldiers. Full moon. No chance."

A routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scotland wilderness.

REVIEW
Pretty smart action/horror with a low budget that still manages to be highly thrilling. The werewolves are clearly just men in costumes, but that doesn't stop them from being a great representation of the mythical beast and scary to boot. The story is very sharp for a film like this, with the dialogue between the soldiers feeling incredibly natural and the plot unfolding itself exceptionally well. The actors are all very adept at both action sequences and dialogue-heavy banter, and the contrast between the two works very well in the film. The direction is a bit too shaky at times - indicative of the low budget - and the visual look is too grainy, but the film is great fun to watch and one of the most entertaining horrors in recent memory. One of the best werewolf films ever made.

Ok where do I start? Such mixed feelings about this film.

You have some great British Drama Actors here, Liam Cunningham, Kevin McKidd, plus Sean Pertwee etc and the acting throughout wasn?t bad, but the film itself was really poor. The werewolves were embarrassing ? I can?t believe a film of this time, with the evolution of special effects and make up etc have come up with this as a suitable horror.

The storyline isn?t original, it?s pretty much the same as many original werewolf movies, but the soldier part is thrown in as an extra.

A very minotinous film, with little appeal.

Despite being low budget, this is a very good looking, and very effective horror film. It's not without it's faults/nit picks though. Neil Marshall obviously knows the classics, and knows how to reference/be influenced by them while at the same time making things his own. This is a very atmospheric, entertaining, and thrilling action/horror film. This film is better than it has to be, and gets the grade it does for doing basically everything right and having loads of style. Due to a few small complaints, let's call it a very very hgh B+.

"Where's Spoon?
- There is no Spoon."

Huge fan of Neil Marshall, I tells ya! "Dog Soldiers" is a low-budget film about a group of British soldiers, having a basic military exercise, in beautiful Scotland. Sounds boring? Well, it ain't. They just weren't told that they're really there as bait for werewolves...

Neil Marshall's first feature film is great fun. It's got scary and thrilling scenes but the only "flaw" that comes in mind is that, Marshall can't decide whether to scare you to death or make you laugh your ass off.

But the film is somewhat brilliant. It actually is one of the few horror films that actually work. Highly recommended!

"My guts are out Coop!
- We'll just put 'em back in then!"

the werewolves look good enough, but the dialogue in Aliens was much funnier, and the plot felt less forced; a British male bonding fantasy

Shot like a strange cross between a werewolf flick and army recruitment video with choppy camera work. It's actually a fairly solid British action-horror movie, albeit with a painfully obvious plot.

Hilarious. Arse Kicking. British as fuck. This is real British cinema. Unfortunately there isn't enough. Well done to Mr Marshall who even topped this with The Descent and I can't wait to see his bigger budget Doomsday. A wonderfully loveable gallery of hilarious characters really capture the essence of family within the team before some nasty Werewolf bastards strike. Endlessly quoteable and endlessly enjoyable.