There aren't a lot of movies about packs of savage dogs. One was The Breed (2006), an American early-20s vacation movie where the action takes place mainly during the day. That was a great movie. The Pack, an Australian family movie set mainly at night, is a much better movie. For starters the dogs are bigger, blacker and meaner. Secondly there is a better lead in, and the horror cinematography is way better, and although the locations for both movies are not dissimilar, the Australian location is much better used, becoming part of the terror. The story is simpler too, and this simplicity helps the overall vision, which is consistent from beginning to end. There are some classic images here. All aspects of the production, and the acting, were superb. The build up is creepy, with terrific moments of terror, and when the dogs reach the farm the action and terror really is on, and a terrific ride. I loved the story, a story that at its heart is super important and probably typical of the Australian experience. And yes, in Australia, there are lots of packs of wild dogs roaming the countryside, as well as dingos, which will actually cooperate in packs to run down and corner game. Mind you, one wonders why a farmer with a massive 6-month predation problem on his land ends up only having 6 bullets. I'm pretty sure they were supposed to be under lock and key under Aussie Law as well, which they weren't. In fact, I do have a problem with the storyline. I wondered at the preparedness and tactics of the family, though I concede under stress thinking isn't always perfect. For one thing, clearly heard on the radio that day is the double slaughter of a nearby farming couple by a pack of dogs. On this farmer's farm sheep are being slaughtered everyday, obviously many not simply for food. The couple have a small son, allowed to wander. I scratched my head a bit over that. When the attack begins I concede the dogs have learned that glass is no barrier, but still I wondered why barricading themselves in a room was never an option. The police had been called and would be arriving eventually. In so many horror movies I see these days it seems movies get rushed into production before the logics of it all have been properly examined. If any filmmakers read this and think 'So what, it's just a movie, when people watch it they'll hardly notice', then let me assure you, we do notice and it makes a huge difference. At the moment I'm deducting just 2 points for shaky storylines, but others slam movies outright. Just read the reviews. Anyway, perhaps that might be a thought for the next movie. Without the writing hiccups, The Pack would be a 10 from me.
Review of The Pack
