If you are like me and are completly sick to death of the teen/college slasher horrors that hollywood seem to produce by the week then Dog Soldiers is then film for you. this film has everything for the true horror fan, a great story , good acting , lots of blood , tons of action and most importantly it's bloody scary. The film is about a group of soldiers on routine patrol in Scotland come across what seems to be a group of man eating beasts that turn out to be warewolf's and do their best to fight of the constant attack by the flesh eating beasts. What i like about the movie that while it has a good blend of horror and action it is also very amusing in parts to and unlike most hollywood horrors it it funny when the director means it to be! A classy way above average horror that you cant fail to enjoy. 8 out of 10.
552 Reviews
Worth while
stamper4 September 2004
This one is the best werewolf film I've ever seen. I must admit that it hasn't got the greatest special effects or the biggest names in the acting business attached to it, but the film succeeds in doing what needs to be done: it keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole ride and it doesn't let you go for one minute. Other than that, the actors are pretty good and there are also some good comedic moments. If you want a nice night of entertainment, suspense and scares give this one a try, because despite not being the most original or inventive film out there, it does not only promise to deliver IT DOES SO!!! I just know that I especially (and two others) highly enjoyed this low budget horror flick.
8 out of 10
8 out of 10
A Simple Werewolf Movie Done Right
johnspringer-9544024 February 2023
It's proof that a simple concept can be very entertaining when done well. A routine army training exercise in the remote Scottish highlands becomes a desperate fight for survival when the soldiers run across some werewolves. The plot's about as basic as it gets but the film benefits from good performances (the cast is particularly adept at conveying the grizzled camaraderie of the protagonists), intelligent use of practical effects, moments of understated humor and well-staged action. With the exception of one unearned and undercooked twist the script is tight and coherent.
Routinely and deservedly ranked among the best werewolf films, it's must-see for genre enthusiasts and should entertain general audiences too.
Routinely and deservedly ranked among the best werewolf films, it's must-see for genre enthusiasts and should entertain general audiences too.
This movie is just...
gregory-rebelo8 June 2004
...brillant.
I must admit that I was pretty skeptical when i picked it up from the rack at my DVD retailer. A werewolf movie? Aren't they generally so bad no one wants to watch them/buy them? The fact that it was on sale didn't help, but I braced myself and got it figuring that if it was bad, I'd bury it in some deep deep cave and never let it out. But the movie got me out of my seat with excitement and enjoyment at the action and the thrills. I remember checking the time on the DVD player and wincing at the fact I had only half an hour of film left to enjoy. True, I have seen better special effects. And true some things aren't very realistic (and the producers acknowledge those things). But for a studio I have never heard of with a budget far inferior to those of Hollywood super productions, I found those effects very well done.
A very good movie that gave me thrills I hadn't had since the first Predator.
I must admit that I was pretty skeptical when i picked it up from the rack at my DVD retailer. A werewolf movie? Aren't they generally so bad no one wants to watch them/buy them? The fact that it was on sale didn't help, but I braced myself and got it figuring that if it was bad, I'd bury it in some deep deep cave and never let it out. But the movie got me out of my seat with excitement and enjoyment at the action and the thrills. I remember checking the time on the DVD player and wincing at the fact I had only half an hour of film left to enjoy. True, I have seen better special effects. And true some things aren't very realistic (and the producers acknowledge those things). But for a studio I have never heard of with a budget far inferior to those of Hollywood super productions, I found those effects very well done.
A very good movie that gave me thrills I hadn't had since the first Predator.
Thrilling movie full of amazing makeup work , noisy action and kinetic energy
ma-cortes28 February 2011
This exciting movie is packed with noisy action, unbelievable stunts, tension, thrills, chills, and lots of blood and gore, including throating-slit ,beheading, impaling and slashing . A squad of English soldiers (Sean Pertwee , Kevin McKidd , among others) on training in the lonesome Scottish wilderness ,during manoeuvres in the dark , deep forests of Scotland region , find a wounded Special Forces captain (Liam Cunningham )and the carnage remains of his band . As they encounter zoologist named Megan (Emma Cleasby), it results out that werewolves are active in the country. After getting away the find shelter in a country house but the group encounters a pack of carnivorous, crawling creatures are waiting for them . They find themselves caught , hunted, and waiting for the long night to reach its ending . They have to prepare for some action , hope running thin and chances slipping away, as the there will be a full moon tonight with time running out .Some of them undergo a dental and hirsute transformation at the night and going on a murderous rampage every time the moon is full .
The motion picture displays action,suspense,terror with claustrophobic touches and is quite entertaining . This is a gripping, exciting , high-octane nightmare of the worse scenario with terrible werewolves stalking a soldiers team . The screenwriter provided a well-knit plot with mystery and horror, giving full rein to Neil Marshall natural talent for the terror and action genre . The theme of people being stranded in a hostile, perilous environment with attackers creatures is justly reminiscent of former films and subsequently to be made another story in similar style titled ¨The descent¨ . Stirring musical score fitting to action by Mark Thomas and appropriate cinematography Sam McCurdy . The motion picture is decently directed by Neil Marshall with splendid visual style but with no originally because he has copied previous films. Neal is expert in making brutally violent horror movies (Doomsday, The descent). Rating: Good, better than average, the film is classified PG-13 for lots of guts, gore and violence. This remarkable action film appeal to terror genre buffs .
The motion picture displays action,suspense,terror with claustrophobic touches and is quite entertaining . This is a gripping, exciting , high-octane nightmare of the worse scenario with terrible werewolves stalking a soldiers team . The screenwriter provided a well-knit plot with mystery and horror, giving full rein to Neil Marshall natural talent for the terror and action genre . The theme of people being stranded in a hostile, perilous environment with attackers creatures is justly reminiscent of former films and subsequently to be made another story in similar style titled ¨The descent¨ . Stirring musical score fitting to action by Mark Thomas and appropriate cinematography Sam McCurdy . The motion picture is decently directed by Neil Marshall with splendid visual style but with no originally because he has copied previous films. Neal is expert in making brutally violent horror movies (Doomsday, The descent). Rating: Good, better than average, the film is classified PG-13 for lots of guts, gore and violence. This remarkable action film appeal to terror genre buffs .
Loads of bloody fun! A must for werewolf freaks!
joker1actual11 January 2005
When I got this movie I was expecting cheesy American B movie about soldiers against people in rubber wolf masks. How much more wrong could I have been? This movie was brilliant and a refreshing change from all the Hollywood junk about killer dolls and such. By the middle of the movie you actually care whether the characters get out or not. The scenes in this film were well filmed and the location was absolutely breath taking. Stick around for the credits on this one boys and girls. You'll definitely find it interesting. The last time I was this impressed with a werewolf movie was Silver Bullet. I would even put this film with An American Werewolf in London. It has some excellent acting, character development and if you see this keep your eye on Pvt. Spooner! You'll remember him come the end of the movie! I would give this flick four stars for sure!
Sausages.....!!
flingebunt14 June 2005
There is a little sub genre of horror that involves people with guns vs. monsters. The most famous are of course Aliens, but there are few others (28 days later is another example).
Soldiers are the people of our society to whom we give the latest technology for killing, train them in this art to basically make monsters out of men and then their job is defend civilization against the monsters (where it is Osoma Bin Ladin or Werewolves, it doesn't matter).
Having said or that, this low budget, but well made horror flick has a squad of soldiers wandering around Scotland on a routine training mission, only to find out they are really there as bait for werewolves.
Lots of guns, guts (sausages) and gory glory. Heaps of pop culture references, fine acting, some scares, but lots of action. The werewolves are cool, the military action is authentic enough, and the analogy of the pack of werewolves and the squad of soldiers is a good one. It never had theatrical release in America, but did very well for itself in the UK.
Overall a good movie, with some flaws such as plot twists either being obvious (but then I tend to get most of them right away) or just silly and much of the time they are playing the movie for laughs when the audience is more into the tension and is there for the scare.
You won't see many horror films like this, so if you like soldier movies, horror movies, low budget movies or just want something a little different, see it.
Soldiers are the people of our society to whom we give the latest technology for killing, train them in this art to basically make monsters out of men and then their job is defend civilization against the monsters (where it is Osoma Bin Ladin or Werewolves, it doesn't matter).
Having said or that, this low budget, but well made horror flick has a squad of soldiers wandering around Scotland on a routine training mission, only to find out they are really there as bait for werewolves.
Lots of guns, guts (sausages) and gory glory. Heaps of pop culture references, fine acting, some scares, but lots of action. The werewolves are cool, the military action is authentic enough, and the analogy of the pack of werewolves and the squad of soldiers is a good one. It never had theatrical release in America, but did very well for itself in the UK.
Overall a good movie, with some flaws such as plot twists either being obvious (but then I tend to get most of them right away) or just silly and much of the time they are playing the movie for laughs when the audience is more into the tension and is there for the scare.
You won't see many horror films like this, so if you like soldier movies, horror movies, low budget movies or just want something a little different, see it.
Reasonable werewolf flick
Red-Barracuda1 October 2009
This is a fairly run-of-the-mill people trapped-in-a-building-while-homicidal-enemies-try-to-get-in movie. In this case a group of soldiers out on training manoeuvres in the Scottish Highlands wind up trapped in a remote cottage while a group of hungry werewolves try to get in and eat them. There's not a great deal more to the story than that and the set up has been done many other times, the only real difference is it's a bunch of lycanthropes who are the baddies. Other than that this, it follows the same premise that many films such as Night of the Living Dead and Assault on Precinct 13 trod many years previously. It's a decent enough effort, just completely unremarkable; there is very little in the way of surprises here. The werewolves themselves are quite impressive. They aren't often shown in too much detail but when we do see them they are quite well presented. The soldiers themselves are fairly sympathetic but not all that interesting or memorable. Although I did find the Special Forces guy to be a somewhat one-dimensional villain and I couldn't really be bothered with him. Possibly the main fault in the film is that it's just not that scary. There isn't really much of an atmosphere; the focus is mainly on shoot-outs and violent attacks. I think the werewolf presence could've been introduced in a more sinister way, instead we quickly find ourselves in a siege situation, and it does get a little limited and boring after a while.
This is an OK horror film that is worth a watch if you like werewolf movies. Nothing too special though.
This is an OK horror film that is worth a watch if you like werewolf movies. Nothing too special though.
Werewolves of Scotland
billcr1218 February 2023
A group of soldiers are sent on a training mission when they encounter werewolves. The furry creatures are not very friendly and the military men have their hands full.
The only woman in the cast takes them to a remote house in the middle of nowhere and the film turns into an updated version of George Romero's 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead." Instead of the black and white gore of that film, we get all the blood and guts in living color.
I had subtitles in order to understand the accents which can be tricky for this American to understand. Some of the slang is funny and the cast is a good one.
A fine entry in the werewolf field.
The only woman in the cast takes them to a remote house in the middle of nowhere and the film turns into an updated version of George Romero's 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead." Instead of the black and white gore of that film, we get all the blood and guts in living color.
I had subtitles in order to understand the accents which can be tricky for this American to understand. Some of the slang is funny and the cast is a good one.
A fine entry in the werewolf field.
Basic, flawed but fun and does much better than the budget would have suggested was possible
bob the moo17 July 2005
A group of squaddies are sent out into woods in the Scottish highlands to take part in a small practice operation against a group of special force soldiers. However when Sgt Wells' men locate the other unit they find that Captain Ryan is the only survivor and, appears to be mad, gibbering about "things". When the group are attacked by something else, they take Ryan and his array of weapons and flee. They find local girl Megan in a landrover and she takes them to the nearest shelter to attend to the wounded an empty farmhouse. As Megan tells them of werewolves in the woods, and Ryan sits silent as to what his team were actually up to, the "things" start to gather and strike the house.
With comparatively no budget to speak of, it is no surprise that among the references, this film pays homage to the Evil Dead by calling one of its characters Corporal Bruce Campbell. Certainly with a group of people in farmhouse (cabin) in the woods fighting off an unstoppable supernatural evil is almost homage enough in itself although, for me, this didn't get anywhere near to the horror of that film. However it does still manage to produce quite an enjoyable film even if it isn't really scary in a true sense. The plot is simple and it is a good thing because the action bits are best, while the dialogue bits are less so. The film does pretty well to keep the tension up but I did think it could have been tighter and more suspenseful than it was at times. That said, the attacks are good and, as long as you aren't too demanding, it will do enough to keep you entertained. I must admit that the "Britishness" of it and the fact that it was such a low-budget affair may me more willing to forgive it such things although some of the dialogue was so clunky and unconvincing that it was occasionally hard to get past although I did get a big laugh out of the Matrix reference "there is no spoon".
The cast do pretty well, shouting and running around convincingly enough. I would have liked a bit liked a bit more humanity but in fairness the characters were pretty accurate for many squaddy types I know. Pertwee is fun and for probably the first and last time is the big name of the film. McKidd is OK but he has to carry a lot of the talking and it means his limits show up more than the others. Cleasby is pretty poor and she is lumbered with a poor character to boot. Cunningham was fairly obvious but I was constantly distracted by just how much he came across like George Galloway (minus the moustache of course). Lockyer, Robson, Simpson and others are pretty one dimensional but Morfitt had energy and manage to stand out with a bit of character. The direction is good and wisely keeps the camera fluid and the monsters hidden although I personally though the costumes were good for the money they cost.
Overall this is an enjoyable film. It appears to homage other films as much as it borrows from them, but it does it well enough. It could have been tenser, more exciting and it certainly could have been scarier but it still works as an action/horror of sorts. Apparently a sequel is planned and I hope the bigger budget can improve it a bit but for now this is an enjoyable low-budget horror that is basic but fun and worth seeing.
With comparatively no budget to speak of, it is no surprise that among the references, this film pays homage to the Evil Dead by calling one of its characters Corporal Bruce Campbell. Certainly with a group of people in farmhouse (cabin) in the woods fighting off an unstoppable supernatural evil is almost homage enough in itself although, for me, this didn't get anywhere near to the horror of that film. However it does still manage to produce quite an enjoyable film even if it isn't really scary in a true sense. The plot is simple and it is a good thing because the action bits are best, while the dialogue bits are less so. The film does pretty well to keep the tension up but I did think it could have been tighter and more suspenseful than it was at times. That said, the attacks are good and, as long as you aren't too demanding, it will do enough to keep you entertained. I must admit that the "Britishness" of it and the fact that it was such a low-budget affair may me more willing to forgive it such things although some of the dialogue was so clunky and unconvincing that it was occasionally hard to get past although I did get a big laugh out of the Matrix reference "there is no spoon".
The cast do pretty well, shouting and running around convincingly enough. I would have liked a bit liked a bit more humanity but in fairness the characters were pretty accurate for many squaddy types I know. Pertwee is fun and for probably the first and last time is the big name of the film. McKidd is OK but he has to carry a lot of the talking and it means his limits show up more than the others. Cleasby is pretty poor and she is lumbered with a poor character to boot. Cunningham was fairly obvious but I was constantly distracted by just how much he came across like George Galloway (minus the moustache of course). Lockyer, Robson, Simpson and others are pretty one dimensional but Morfitt had energy and manage to stand out with a bit of character. The direction is good and wisely keeps the camera fluid and the monsters hidden although I personally though the costumes were good for the money they cost.
Overall this is an enjoyable film. It appears to homage other films as much as it borrows from them, but it does it well enough. It could have been tenser, more exciting and it certainly could have been scarier but it still works as an action/horror of sorts. Apparently a sequel is planned and I hope the bigger budget can improve it a bit but for now this is an enjoyable low-budget horror that is basic but fun and worth seeing.
Proud to be British...
d-madar13 May 2007
OK this film is cheap, with limited effects and a relatively unknown cast. It just proves that you don't need allowed of money or Hollywood to entertain somebody for a couple of hours. I was sceptical before viewing this movie but i must say it was surprisingly enjoyable and original.
Some guys are doing an army exercise in the woods of Scotland, when they are stalked and chased by werewolves. They manage to escape the woods and reach the only house nearby, where they end up desperately fighting for their lives against some savage beasts.
This is by no means a straight out horror movie. There is a lot of action and even some moments of comedy. There is also a clever twist towards the end and the audience is kept guessing who will survive and who won't. The men act like true heroes in the fighting and I genuinely felt for them - unlike in so many horror films.
Another thing I particularly loved about Dog Soldiers is that it's so British. I'm tired of so many good American horror movies! The setting in Scotland, the dialogue and the men are very British. Although its not completely original many elements of this film are. Admittedly the effects aren't great and although a bit jumpy at times I didn't find this one scary (though that isn't its main aim).
A refreshing and entertaining film; OK its not a classic but i still recommend it. If you liked this check out the Descent (by the same director) with a bit more cash
Some guys are doing an army exercise in the woods of Scotland, when they are stalked and chased by werewolves. They manage to escape the woods and reach the only house nearby, where they end up desperately fighting for their lives against some savage beasts.
This is by no means a straight out horror movie. There is a lot of action and even some moments of comedy. There is also a clever twist towards the end and the audience is kept guessing who will survive and who won't. The men act like true heroes in the fighting and I genuinely felt for them - unlike in so many horror films.
Another thing I particularly loved about Dog Soldiers is that it's so British. I'm tired of so many good American horror movies! The setting in Scotland, the dialogue and the men are very British. Although its not completely original many elements of this film are. Admittedly the effects aren't great and although a bit jumpy at times I didn't find this one scary (though that isn't its main aim).
A refreshing and entertaining film; OK its not a classic but i still recommend it. If you liked this check out the Descent (by the same director) with a bit more cash
Just Another Werewolf Flick? Think again!
mjw230515 March 2004
American Werewolf in London, was always my favourite werewolf movie. well, this is better!
The cast are not widely known, familiar faces, but no star names, yet they all give first class performances. The dialogue is slick and realistic and the plot and characters build very well.
The gore is truly realistic and looks painful at times, similar to some of the scenes at the start of Private Ryan.
Most of the characters are rock hard nutter's, and they spout off cheesy lines like 'Come and ave a go if you think your hard enough!' and 'I Hope i give you the Sh*t's, you F*ck*n Wimp!' said just after a great fist fight with a werewolf and just before he is about to be eaten.
At no point does this movie try to take itself seriously, and that's why its so good. It really is very funny and at the same time pretty realistic (for a werewolf film). If you like the genre you simply have too see this film, if you don't your missing a treat.
9/10 Great fun
The cast are not widely known, familiar faces, but no star names, yet they all give first class performances. The dialogue is slick and realistic and the plot and characters build very well.
The gore is truly realistic and looks painful at times, similar to some of the scenes at the start of Private Ryan.
Most of the characters are rock hard nutter's, and they spout off cheesy lines like 'Come and ave a go if you think your hard enough!' and 'I Hope i give you the Sh*t's, you F*ck*n Wimp!' said just after a great fist fight with a werewolf and just before he is about to be eaten.
At no point does this movie try to take itself seriously, and that's why its so good. It really is very funny and at the same time pretty realistic (for a werewolf film). If you like the genre you simply have too see this film, if you don't your missing a treat.
9/10 Great fun
Excellent and am looking for the next one.
gdunagin-131 January 2005
I have been unable to write reviews for some time so I thought I'd better get back into it.
I saw DS for the first time this past weekend and thought it was great! No CGI!! Yea!! Real actors and real acting. Good drama, character development and easy to follow. Yes, our British family has done an outstanding job on this one, for sure. I also loved the "Zipper scene." excellent transition. People should learn from this picture; one does not need mega bucks and CG to make a great movie. I am looking forward to DS 2: Fresh Meat.
Greetings to all :-) My quote, which I wrote "You can count your true friends on one hand, with fingers left over."
I saw DS for the first time this past weekend and thought it was great! No CGI!! Yea!! Real actors and real acting. Good drama, character development and easy to follow. Yes, our British family has done an outstanding job on this one, for sure. I also loved the "Zipper scene." excellent transition. People should learn from this picture; one does not need mega bucks and CG to make a great movie. I am looking forward to DS 2: Fresh Meat.
Greetings to all :-) My quote, which I wrote "You can count your true friends on one hand, with fingers left over."
Excellent movie, great script, dialogue and acting with superb DVD coverage
PyrolyticCarbon18 March 2005
When the trailer first came out for this movie I was dead excited, it was a British film with a different slant on a well visited horror genre. It had also received some interesting quotes at it's festival showing, all giving you the impression that it was a good movie.
Then time took over and quotes and reviews dropped it down, then I just never got round to watching it. So when my first copy of the DVD was poor and I stopped watching half way through I was gutted, and had to wait a few days to get a replacement.
The movie is great fun and mixes two genres really well, that of real soldiers mixed up with a bizarre horror premise of Werewolves in Scotland. As they say in the making of, it's a story of Soldiers and Werewolves, not the other way around. So it is that the story starts out looking very realistic and feeling pretty normal, and it's slowly ramped up and pulled slightly sideways scene by scene until it's pretty much madness.
Saying that, the reactions and lines from the characters are all pretty much realistic. There aren't many Hollywood one liners, instead there are quips, swearing and straight denial that you get in real life when people are faced with difficult situations. It all feels like these are real people in a real situation.
The script is excellent for this very fact, but the actors lend a tremendous effort too. Sean Pertwee is a sadly under used talent, and he shows his colours here flying through scenes with the greatest of authority, and he's very well followed through by the rest of the soldier cast who all just seem so natural in their roles. All except for the female of the story who feels very much out of place and awkward, her lines all too unnatural.
The action and editing keeps going, and there are quite a few refreshing moments when traditional horror films would throw something that the characters, but here it doesn't happen. For that it's quite unpredictable and enjoyable. The action just keeps on coming with very few breaks, the Werewolves are unstoppable.
Not only are the unstoppable, they also look great. Big, hairy, scary, there's nothing that looks fake about them and they really do look menacing.
Overall it's a great fun film and the experience on DVD is so much better than so many others I've seen. Plus it's British, quite original, full of movie references and with some great actors.
I have never enjoyed an audio commentary as much as I have with Dog Soldiers. It's hilarious and the guys involved sound like they had such a laugh doing the movie, never mind the commentary.
I've just watched the second audio commentary by the US Producers, and I was surprised again that I've learnt so much more about the movie again. There are so many more hidden references and character\story connections that I'd missed. This truly is the first DVD that I've watched where the audio commentaries are so strong.
Then time took over and quotes and reviews dropped it down, then I just never got round to watching it. So when my first copy of the DVD was poor and I stopped watching half way through I was gutted, and had to wait a few days to get a replacement.
The movie is great fun and mixes two genres really well, that of real soldiers mixed up with a bizarre horror premise of Werewolves in Scotland. As they say in the making of, it's a story of Soldiers and Werewolves, not the other way around. So it is that the story starts out looking very realistic and feeling pretty normal, and it's slowly ramped up and pulled slightly sideways scene by scene until it's pretty much madness.
Saying that, the reactions and lines from the characters are all pretty much realistic. There aren't many Hollywood one liners, instead there are quips, swearing and straight denial that you get in real life when people are faced with difficult situations. It all feels like these are real people in a real situation.
The script is excellent for this very fact, but the actors lend a tremendous effort too. Sean Pertwee is a sadly under used talent, and he shows his colours here flying through scenes with the greatest of authority, and he's very well followed through by the rest of the soldier cast who all just seem so natural in their roles. All except for the female of the story who feels very much out of place and awkward, her lines all too unnatural.
The action and editing keeps going, and there are quite a few refreshing moments when traditional horror films would throw something that the characters, but here it doesn't happen. For that it's quite unpredictable and enjoyable. The action just keeps on coming with very few breaks, the Werewolves are unstoppable.
Not only are the unstoppable, they also look great. Big, hairy, scary, there's nothing that looks fake about them and they really do look menacing.
Overall it's a great fun film and the experience on DVD is so much better than so many others I've seen. Plus it's British, quite original, full of movie references and with some great actors.
I have never enjoyed an audio commentary as much as I have with Dog Soldiers. It's hilarious and the guys involved sound like they had such a laugh doing the movie, never mind the commentary.
I've just watched the second audio commentary by the US Producers, and I was surprised again that I've learnt so much more about the movie again. There are so many more hidden references and character\story connections that I'd missed. This truly is the first DVD that I've watched where the audio commentaries are so strong.
On careful consideration - pretty much the best werewolf film ever.
Billius4412 September 2004
Why is Aliens the best action SF film ever? One of the reasons is because James Cameron took the time to build up the characters in the squad to the point where you actually cared when the grunts started to get shredded.
Dog Soldiers does exactly the same, and features some great Brit dialogue to boot.
The region 2 DVD features an extra commentary not found on the Region 1 DVD - basically this consists of the director, the co-producer, Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee and Liam Cunningham getting hammered on Stella Artois and producing a brilliantly funny commentary which sounds like a bunch of mates getting drunk while watching the movie. Which was exactly what it was, except that this particular bunch of mates actually made the movie. Genius!!! Liam Cunningham - spectacularly stiff upper-lipped and evil in the film - turns out to be a very droll Irishman with the gift of the gab. "The Uamhunn.... The Uamhunn....."
One of the film's strengths is its gritty portrayal of British infantry in action, both in word and deed. I particularly enjoyed the cast commenting on how much they relished dumping those "crappy plastic guns" (the SA-80s the squad carries at the start) and getting a chance to charge about with MP5s. As Kevin McKidd put it: "So, you want me to run about the woods with a machine-gun, firing it all over the place. And I get PAID for this?!!"
Dog Soldiers does exactly the same, and features some great Brit dialogue to boot.
The region 2 DVD features an extra commentary not found on the Region 1 DVD - basically this consists of the director, the co-producer, Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee and Liam Cunningham getting hammered on Stella Artois and producing a brilliantly funny commentary which sounds like a bunch of mates getting drunk while watching the movie. Which was exactly what it was, except that this particular bunch of mates actually made the movie. Genius!!! Liam Cunningham - spectacularly stiff upper-lipped and evil in the film - turns out to be a very droll Irishman with the gift of the gab. "The Uamhunn.... The Uamhunn....."
One of the film's strengths is its gritty portrayal of British infantry in action, both in word and deed. I particularly enjoyed the cast commenting on how much they relished dumping those "crappy plastic guns" (the SA-80s the squad carries at the start) and getting a chance to charge about with MP5s. As Kevin McKidd put it: "So, you want me to run about the woods with a machine-gun, firing it all over the place. And I get PAID for this?!!"
One of the best horror movies since The Evil Dead
imperfect_soul26 April 2003
Chances are most people will come across this movie like I did. Walking through your local video store looking at shelves for something to rent. Dog Soldiers caught my eye, and I picked it up, looked at it, and laughed. When I found nothing else in the store, I walked back to it and decided 'what the hell' and decided to rent it. When I got home and watched this movie, I was surprised to find out I had rented one of the best horror movies since The Evil Dead.
The premise of the movie is about a squad of troops that enduring survival training in the middle of nowhere (never a good sign), when they come across a rival squad that has been decimated, except for the leader who is badly hurt. Now throw in the typical chase/shooting/lets go in that house scene and you've got yourself a horror movie!
Some of the violence may be over the top (like when Cooper has his stomach sliced open), but the acting is suprisingly solid with some sassy british wit thrown in. Add that with some great scenes and decent werewolf design, and you've got what a horror movie should be, chilling, not special effects.
8/10
The premise of the movie is about a squad of troops that enduring survival training in the middle of nowhere (never a good sign), when they come across a rival squad that has been decimated, except for the leader who is badly hurt. Now throw in the typical chase/shooting/lets go in that house scene and you've got yourself a horror movie!
Some of the violence may be over the top (like when Cooper has his stomach sliced open), but the acting is suprisingly solid with some sassy british wit thrown in. Add that with some great scenes and decent werewolf design, and you've got what a horror movie should be, chilling, not special effects.
8/10
Cringeworthy.
gayfbiagentsmecker7 February 2003
If you have more than two brain cells to rub together then heed my advice and stay well clear of this pile of crap.God awful acting.Terrible effects(Sean Pertwee lying on the ground with a string of sausages lying on top of him),cheesiest script and most uninvolving action sequences ive ever had the misfortune of seeing.The worrying thing is that so many people seem to soak up turkeys like this.
It's a black comedy, take it as such and enjoy
Totalbiscuit15 August 2003
Right.. let's get one thing straight. This is not 'the classic' werewolf movie. It is not a 'revolution' in horror flicks. It's just a damn good horror movie, in the same was that Dawn of the Dead was a damn good horror movie. I'm not going to bother explaining the plot, it's been done before, I'll tell you what I think about the movie. It's a good old fashioned slasher horror. To say that's it's Dawn of the Dead with werewolves is probably a bad but effective analogy. Black comedys are a difficult thing to get right. It's an art to get someone laughing while people are being ripped to pieces left right and centre.. Dawn of the Dead was funny... and if you've got the right sort of twisted sense of humour, Dog Soldiers is funny too. Damn I'm writing this review at 5:30am after watching the film.. so don't expect some critical genius. I have to reiterate this basic fact.. THIS FILM IS FUN TO WATCH. This is all that really matters in this sort of genre. Do you want an all-out action movie that puts the grey-matter through a ringer? Not really, you'd like to see someone elses grey matter splatter all over the nearest wall as some evil looking creature bears down with nasty big pointy teeth.
Various gripes that people have had with the film including predictable-ish storyline and b-movie-esk themes can be easily dismissed. What were you expected.. shakespeare? You've got a bunch of army guys in the woods with enough bad language to put a bus full of gangster rappers to shame. They have guns.. there are nasty effectively invincible werewolves that are rather keen on making a meal out of our plucky heroes. That's it... that's the basic plot. Ignore the plot, it's not relevant in an action thriller like this. And it is thrilling and there are times when you wonder 'how the hell are they going to get out of this?'. The casting is excellent, the characters are far more realistic than the plaster-casting of modern hollywood. You can relate to the characters, which is great since they're about to be torn to bits.
You don't get to see the werewolves on screen for more than a second or two. I think this works. Maybe it's a method of disguising the bad wolf costumes but as a horror film pivot it works. For the first half of the film you don't get to see them at all, which is even better. The unseen enemy makes the imagination run wild.
I dunno what more to say about this movie... If you like stuff like the Evil Dead then you'll probably like this. It is in the classic horror b-movie style, and it works. Just don't expend a brain-bending hollywood epic, because it isn't.
8/10
Various gripes that people have had with the film including predictable-ish storyline and b-movie-esk themes can be easily dismissed. What were you expected.. shakespeare? You've got a bunch of army guys in the woods with enough bad language to put a bus full of gangster rappers to shame. They have guns.. there are nasty effectively invincible werewolves that are rather keen on making a meal out of our plucky heroes. That's it... that's the basic plot. Ignore the plot, it's not relevant in an action thriller like this. And it is thrilling and there are times when you wonder 'how the hell are they going to get out of this?'. The casting is excellent, the characters are far more realistic than the plaster-casting of modern hollywood. You can relate to the characters, which is great since they're about to be torn to bits.
You don't get to see the werewolves on screen for more than a second or two. I think this works. Maybe it's a method of disguising the bad wolf costumes but as a horror film pivot it works. For the first half of the film you don't get to see them at all, which is even better. The unseen enemy makes the imagination run wild.
I dunno what more to say about this movie... If you like stuff like the Evil Dead then you'll probably like this. It is in the classic horror b-movie style, and it works. Just don't expend a brain-bending hollywood epic, because it isn't.
8/10
I like it
Loki1675727 May 2005
When I first saw Dog Soldiers it was on SCI FI channel I was a little skeptical at first but as I continued to watch and I must say I was quite impressed by this movie The Movie plot was excellent in my opinion and the special effects were good for such a movie of this category I like the character all very well rounded characters the move depth was excellent I like the dark feeling of old horror movies. The camera work was another aspect I liked the werewolves them selves were quite impressive I like that look of Monsters Ex (aliens) the movie dialog was over all good but left room for some improvements as well as some of the action senescence as well as the acting this movie I recommend to fans of such movies as Night Of The Living Dead and Aliens This movie should be seen by those who love good action horror films. ME personally I loved this movie because of its originality
Worth watching
megagurka12 July 2003
Pretty good werewolf movie. The acting isn't great (but not bad either), the story is a bit predictable and the special effects are cheap, but that's part of the charm with movies like this. If you're put off by things like this, don't watch this movie!
The movie starts off pretty well with the werewolfs chasing the soldiers though the woods. This part is somewhat similar to Predator, which is good. Unfortunately when they get to the cottage it seems the story writers kind of ran out of ideas and added some scenes that are very predictable and tedious ("Are they really werewolfs?", guy standing in front of window etc.). That part of the movie lowers the rating. But I was pleasantly surprised by the gory and action filled ending. It remainded me of great films like Evil Dead. Super stuff!
Overall rating 6/10
The movie starts off pretty well with the werewolfs chasing the soldiers though the woods. This part is somewhat similar to Predator, which is good. Unfortunately when they get to the cottage it seems the story writers kind of ran out of ideas and added some scenes that are very predictable and tedious ("Are they really werewolfs?", guy standing in front of window etc.). That part of the movie lowers the rating. But I was pleasantly surprised by the gory and action filled ending. It remainded me of great films like Evil Dead. Super stuff!
Overall rating 6/10
My favourite werewolf movie
davidwalker-9447128 February 2023
Strong statement against the likes of an American werewolf in London and the howling (my 2nd and 3rd favourites) but I stand by it.
First and foremost these are some of the best looking werewolves ever put to film and a predator-esque fight between the howlers and a small group of highly trained and well armed military guys is something a bit unique.
This film has been made by people who understand horror and are very obviously movie buffs at heart. The references and Easter eggs are endless, the humour is dark, the gore is gruesome and I'll say it again, these are the best designed and most terrifying lycanthropes I've seen.
There are plenty of quality tonge-in-cheek moments; Spoon's parting shot is my favourite line.
After 20 years the film quality looks a bit tired and I still find Megan's monologue a bit annoying but this movie is scary, funny, gory and fun.
First and foremost these are some of the best looking werewolves ever put to film and a predator-esque fight between the howlers and a small group of highly trained and well armed military guys is something a bit unique.
This film has been made by people who understand horror and are very obviously movie buffs at heart. The references and Easter eggs are endless, the humour is dark, the gore is gruesome and I'll say it again, these are the best designed and most terrifying lycanthropes I've seen.
There are plenty of quality tonge-in-cheek moments; Spoon's parting shot is my favourite line.
After 20 years the film quality looks a bit tired and I still find Megan's monologue a bit annoying but this movie is scary, funny, gory and fun.
That time of the month...
farne26 July 2005
I sat down to watch Dog Soldiers with relatively low expectations, but was very pleasantly surprised. It's rare to find a film which knows its audience so well and which hits its targets to squarely. Unlike its contemporary 28 Days Later, Dog Soldiers has no pretensions to make statements about human nature or to capture impressive money shots of deserted London landmarks. Instead, we have an all-out, action-packed, if jokey, horror film based around that reliable old standby of a disparate group of characters thrown together in exceptional circumstances. The characters here are a group of British soldiers on exercise in the Scottish highlands, who end up barricading themselves into a deserted farmhouse under siege from an army of werewolves. Although ostensibly a horror film, Dog Soldiers has much in common with films like Aliens and Zulu, and even references the latter film at least once. Unlike 28 Days Later, the portrayal of British soldiers is also surprisingly believable; their banter, the way they react under pressure, even their language and army slang all seem just about right. Among the cast the stand out is Sean Pertwee, as the foul-mouthed but sympathetic sergeant in charge of the motley group. Writer/director/editor Neil Marshall has produced an enjoyable, funny and fairly gripping film on a relatively limited budget, and Dog Soldiers must rank as one of the most solidly entertaining B-movies of recent years.
Bloody...Bloody Awful
Ark-Flash29 March 2005
I watched this bc of favourable reviews posted. Did I see the same movie? It sucked. Where do you want me to start? The cover says Jaws, Predator, American Werewolf in London. What a Rip Off! Do not compare this movie to these classic well made movies. As for DS I've never seen such obvious man-in-a-monster-suit with fake werewolf attacking hands. Cheap special effects, weak plot and character development. It reminded me of low budget high school student movie production. Hoping the movie would get better, I tortured myself by watching to the end.
But if you still want to watch this movie, I warned you. Me, I want me 1hr 45 min back.
But if you still want to watch this movie, I warned you. Me, I want me 1hr 45 min back.
A fun little movie
a_forbes12 August 2004
Dog Soldiers is a fun little horror movie that accomplishes what it sets out to do. It borrows heavily from other films, but it is all done in such loving fashion that we forgive it as homage rather than theft. What it lacks in originality and plot it makes up for in energy and fun-factor. The story is this: a small group of British soldiers are on manoeuvres in the Scottish wilderness and get attacked by werewolves. That's essentially it. What follows is a fairly straightforward chase/barricade movie with a lupine twist. Think Night of the Living Dead with fleas. Some of the humour falls flat (one character seems to be written exclusively so that his name can be used for a rather lame pop-reference/one-liner) and a few of the story's contortions are poorly explained (Lon Chaney Jr. could jump through most of the plot holes, with room on both sides), but it's still a fun little flick with a shnazzy Brit feel. Best of all: the filmmakers understand that men in hairy costumes are more frightening when seen in heavy shadow and in fast cuts. Recommended for the horror fan with a spare bowl of popcorn.
7/10
7/10
What Up Dog?
paul sloan27 November 2003
Great! A werewolf movie in Scotland.Much of the plot is silly but the whole thing is just so spooky and well made. The scene where the guy challenges the werewolf to box is terrifying and funny at the same time.A great example of the horror-movie genre at a time when so many other efforts have fallen flat. Recomended.
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