Dog Soldiers (2002/Region 3, NTSC - DTS Edition)

Picture: C Sound: B Extras: D Film: C+

PLEASE NOTE: Since we reviewed this import years ago, it has gained it popularity since director Neil Marshall (The Decent, Doomsday, Centurion) took off, Sean Pertwee (Equilibrium, Event Horizon, Soldier and now Alfred The Butler on the Gotham TV series) continues to be a name actor people recognize and it was finally issued on Blu-ray in the U.S.... twice so far! That sequel has yet to happen... Now, the original review...

This recent piece of British horror filmmaking has made a fairly large splash when you consider that its only real brush with what might pass for publicity in the U.S. was in being a Sci-Fi Channel premiere... not exactly a high honor. Even though the standards for original films aired on the network are steadily being raised, it's still considered to be a dumping ground for the genre films that never quite became all that they could be. And while it becomes a fairly effective movie - at least about midway through - it has been continually been placed up against the Ginger Snaps films without reason, simply because both films deal with werewolves. To me, these comparisons are absolutely thoughtless and without merit. It's pretty much like saying that It's Alive has a lot in common with Look Who's Talking because both movies share babies as central characters.

For anyone who has actually watched the films, you'll find very few things in either series that were carried over one from the other. And while this movie is fun, at least at times, it lacks that certain appeal and the cleverness found in abundance in the Ginger Snaps movies. The basic premise here simply becomes one of trapped in a house with the monsters trying to get in and from that point onward it never ventures too far from that familiar ground. Some of those who have seen the movie have been quick to say that it's Night of the Living Dead with werewolves, but these thoughts should only be fleeting; as all the characters here are mostly one-dimensional and throughout the picture it is hard to differentiate one from another in any personal way... definitely not something that could be said of that seminal horror classic. The atmosphere itself here is not one of great suspense, but is more akin to setting up bowling pins and inevitably knocking them down.

Even though I don't think this will ever reach classic status, that doesn't mean I think that it's bad. It's already got a cult following, so I may be proved wrong in the end. Seeing a big werewolf tear some guy to bits is one of life's little pleasures that I just love seeing up on the screen. I also dig big guns, traditional effects and a good-looking leading lady to complete that particular brand of movie casserole. This one has got all the ingredients covered, so I know for sure why this movie is drawing in fans. I do greatly applaud the filmmakers for going a road rarely walked by sticking a flesh and blood actor into a suit to play a monster. It s sadly become a rarity in this modern age - so to have a small batch of them running around here is comforting. As I said earlier in this review, it does fall a little short of my expectations on a few fronts. The characters are fairly well acted, but the script leaves them all rather stiff and indiscernible from one another. Not many people really came to this show to see them be anything more than wolf chow though, so I guess I can forgive.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

While the film itself is average to above average this particular DVD presentation is really where things began to fail. While you do get the benefit of a 6.1 DTS sound mix over the more standard 5.1 Dolby, you also sacrifice some of the picture and will be left without any extra features. Even the one released stateside by Lionsgate offered the film in both a preferred anamorphic widescreen transfer, as well as the full-frame version seen here. It appears that the best version currently available would be the one released by Pathé Distribution in the U.K., as it includes more extras than the U.S. version and retains the anamorphic widescreen.

There's not much else for me to say on this film - it isn't going to satisfy absolutely everyone, and in certain cases, it will only whet your appetite for something more that hasn't been provided by this film. Perhaps the sequel currently in production, Dog Soldiers: Fresh Meat will live up to what I'd assumed was in this one all along. I won't hold my breath, but higher expectations for the sequel just might prevail.

- David Milchick