Dog Soldiers

Review by Clint Morris

Part Aliens, part Predator, and all action, British horror film Dog Soldiers swims in uniqueness, bringing an all-new element to the modern day Werewolf movie.

“People disappear out here, happens all the time,” informs one of the members of a roughneck soldier team positioned deep in the Scottish highland forest.

“It’s true, just last month a young couple were hiking through these woods and set up camp somewhere near here. During the night something happened.

“Mountain Rescue team found their remains a couple of days later. The tent ripped to shreds and there was blood everywhere. People said it was a monster.”

Monster indeed...

A six-foot, part-man, part-werewolf predator in fact, and unluckily for a few members of the British army, they’ve a penchant for human blood.

When they discover a lone British Special Forces Captain among the remains of his team, the soldiers realise they’ve been positioned in quite a frightening situation.

Surely, no man could have done to what looks like he has been done to these badly bludgeoned soldiers. And they haven’t. By full moon, the men realise they’re the targets of a frightening werewolf pack – thirsty for blood and determined to see no one invades their terrain.

Thankfully, a zoologist drives past and they hitch a ride, and with her assistance find a ranch to sit it out in. But what they don’t realise is that the wolves aren’t going to stop at no front door. No, no, no – they too know how to get through windows, smash their wooden planks and wait behind bushes outside, and by the time the sun arrives – will have had their fun with nearly every man – and woman – in this troupe.

“This is no ordinary enemy”, concludes one of the men. Quite right. We haven’t actually seen the Werewolf put to such good cinematic use since, say, An American Werewolf in London some 20 years ago – and I freeze to think the last time the ferocious beasts of the forest have scared so much.

While still very Hollywood, there’s something quite unique about Dog Soldiers. It could be it’s ability to tell a story while having bodies ripped left, right and centre - or it could be it’s novel way of bringing the underused Werewolf into an all too familiar template, giving it a much needed breath of fresh air.

Whatever the case, there’s something quite gripping here – combining the elements of an umpteenth Alien flick with something as freshly freaky as a Blair Witch.

Genre fans will lap it up and then some, what with its large helpings of blood, gore and fantastically created monsters. And it's great to see creatures created purely out of make-up and costumes again in this all too CGI-relied Hollywood.

Also quite welcomed is the cheap but effective camera movements, notably a simple use of ‘black and white’ to represent the Wolves' vision.

You’ve seen it done better, but you haven’t seen Dog Soldiers, a fierce, hugely fun roller-coaster of scares that outdoes most of today’s studio offerings.

Hopefully this will mark the return of the simply done – but genuinely scary horror feature.

3.5 out of 5

Dog Soldiers
Australian release: Thursday March 20
Cast: Sean Pertwee, Kevin Mckidd, Chris Robson, Leslie Simpson, Darren Morfitt, Thomas Lockyer.
Director: Neil Marshall.
Website: Click here

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