 Thanks for checking out this movie review. This is for the 2002 film dog soldiers and when I'm doing this review It's available for streaming on the shutter streaming service Also heads up if you like good werewolf films. They are also putting up in March Actually by the time this comes out or already be up ginger snaps, which is another good one Which I think I'm gonna do a review on as well. So look out for that This one's written and directed by Neil Marshall who also did the newest hellboy, which I've heard me about Doomsday, which I have not seen and I didn't really hear anything about and the descent Which I saw in the theater and quite enjoyed. I think that's quite a nice film I should do a review on that one too. That one's great And there's a little bit of similarity that I'll kind of talk about later that I see between Dog soldiers and the descent, but I'll talk about that. This had a budget of 2.3 million pounds and made Five million pounds. I don't know the conversion to US dollars. I'm not gonna do it. Whatever just saying Sean Pertwee did a really good job in Excuse me still got some Crudham fighting Sean Pertwee was in this. He did a really good job. He's also in the films Equilibrium, which I quite like an event horizon, which is another one I should rewatch and do a review on people always talk very favorably about event horizon and they should Liam Cunningham does a good job in this one. He was Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones I think he did an excellent job in that He was in Let Us Pray and the newest Clash of the Titans, which I heard not good things about but he's a good actor and Kevin McKidd who plays the main character who was best known for being in train spotting, which I love train spotting Wonderful film that is so much rewatch value. I've watched it. I don't even know how many times haven't seen the second one Maybe I should tell me in the comments if I should or not But those three guys did the best in this other than them. There's some acting that's a little But you know, it's a lower Excuse me. It's kind of a lower budget affair Marshall intentionally wrote this one To you Sorry, my notes got messed up So he intentionally wrote this one having to do with soldiers because he kind of didn't like the way that Werewolf films had been portrayed or like in in such a volume because he was so used to seeing werewolf films that Focused just on the werewolves like the people dealing with lycanthropy and how that impacts them and how they deal with it And how it changes them. So he wanted it on the other side. He just wanted excuse me He just wanted the werewolves to be the villain the big bad and you don't have to understand them that much just What's it like for people who walk into a werewolf situation? Which by the way, I'm gonna be talking spoilers for this. So if you haven't seen this film stop go watch it come back So, yeah, so that was kind of his Idea, which at the time was a fresh take back in 2002 That was a pretty fresh take because he was right, you know, it was kind of all about just focusing on the werewolf And this is a good point for me a good point for me to say that I Like werewolf films, but I just don't think there are enough and I mean, I guess more it's there aren't enough good ones in my opinion For exterior shots for this film, they only built the front of the house, which is why you really only see it from further away I don't know how they did this the explosion scene though. I think maybe they found like an older Excuse me an older house that they could just blow up that looked similar. I don't know But but they only built the front for it because these were all sets there's a lot of planning needed to figure out movement throughout the house and How that would relate to how they would build the sets because especially at the end when there is a lot of movement going on through The house and like going through walls and like going into that boudoir and then there's a way down It's crazy. It's like a maze basically so apparently a ton of planning had to go into figuring out how they would build the sets and Then when they did like when they would go to another set and someone would enter that one They had to make sure they would enter from like the right angle or the right side That would be tough This movie was done with funding from four different production companies And then also the Luxembourg film fund which they also shot in Luxembourg because that's where they could get the most money from the fund So good for them Sorry, I'm gonna have to drink some water to Call him this down. It was released in the US on the sci-fi channel So not like a really good release for it in the United States like sci-fi is known for just having kind of crappier films But I mean it made it to the US. So that's good It seems a lot better than your typical sci-fi film Especially knowing that now and looking backwards because like I said, they're just known for doing like crappier stuff But it made it to us. That's what's important a sequel called dog soldiers fresh meat had has been repeatedly teased for years But it's actually never come to fruition. There's been a lot of different situations saying Oh, it's gonna be this or it's gonna be this and just hasn't happened Marshall Marshall Initially had ideas for a trilogy of this film and he said and I don't really maybe I missed it But I don't really get Get what he was talking about with what I found here Said the portion with Megan cutting her hand on glass was supposed to end up being a setup for a third film Which would be about werewolf DNA? I don't know and apparently the second one was supposed to be about soldiers who then become werewolves and The the issue of you know in the first one It's just like your your common folk and then they're going around killing people But what happens when it's actual soldiers who are infected and they're highly trained killers already And then they have lycanthropy on top of it, which was a cool concept, which is why I think we needed that second film I'm not sure about a third, but I would give the second one a shot So when I first started watching it, I realized wow, this looks terrible They don't have a good version of this film to be honest. It's very grainy. I mean cinematography and directing wise It looks good, but the quality of the film is not good So just know that if you're gonna watch it It looks like it's like from the 70s, which I don't know why it looks so bad, but it looks bad and that's disappointing The first attack is messy because it's hard to see what's happening But the big spray of blood is a great payoff to it like when the the sorry when the two got when the man and the woman are in the In the tent and they're camping and then you start seeing like the zipper go up Which is cool. I like that because it gives it like the anticipation of what's coming in And then like the the werewolf arm shoots in and like pulls her out and then she's getting like jerked around But like the shots are like so frantic and the movement is to you can't really see what's happening But I guess what really matters is you see the arm come in pull her out and then you see the blood spray Like that's what is most important But it's kind of confusing and there are a few moments in this film where they kind of do that where it's like Quick shots that are just kind of confusing and you're just like yeah It's funny how the guy says he won't kill the dog, but he does later Human dog. I'll talk a little bit more about that later, but Obviously at this point, it's it's a setup for what's coming much later where You know it first establishes good guy bad guy because bad guy wants to kill the dog Good guy does not want to kill the dog But then also bad guy will become a werewolf good guy will kill that werewolf So it's foreshadowing and it's pretty cool This situation makes the werewolf seem even worse because soldiers are supposed to be able to handle anything That's what I put watching this film as an audience member. Usually it's just normal people Fighting against werewolves and other big bads, but when it's soldiers It's particularly terrifying because they're supposed to know what they're doing They're supposed to be prepared for anything. They're highly trained and they're struggling to take on these werewolves So I like that aspect of it The dead animal crashing the campfire is a pretty solid jump scare. Not all jump scares are created equal But that one is a good one in my opinion I feel like the guy the dying guy they ended up finding shouldn't have said There was only supposed to be one so much Like that's supposed to be a clue that there's something else to the story that they're there for a different reason But he should have just said it one time and then see if people catch it He kept saying it and kept saying it and kept saying it And I just felt it would have played better if it was more subtle because then it would have lent more to the film having Rewatch value, you know, and then only the most astute people would kind of pick up on it and be like, oh I just hate when they kind of try and beat you over the head with these These hints that they're giving you it's not so much a hint If you just keep saying it and keep saying it and keep saying it becomes you're getting bludgeoned with it And it's like stop. So that's how I felt about it When the one guy has his gunjam when a wolf is near there's a series of quick cuts and it's just too much It's crazy disorienting. They're like cut to the werewolf cut to him cut to the werewolf cut to him And they're doing it at like different angles and you can't focus on anything. It's just too frantic. It's too crazy You can't focus. It's disorienting That's a bad portion. They should have Done better with that editing that editing was rough, but the film does settle down from that stuff later I like how the reaction to being torn apart or slashed in this film is actually very minimal. It's It's very unrealistic this film when people are getting killed their reactions are very very mild And it would not be that way people would be screaming like crazy And then the fact that like they get mauled and then not that much later They are acting fine like when the people have like those giant gashes in their stomachs and they need to be stitched up Then they're just like immediately after that just like Oh, I'm fine, and I don't like that. I don't like that. They would have been in a lot of pain Although you want more seeing just parts of the wolves The werewolves it's effective. It's fine at least until the end like as long as you get that payoff in the end I'm good Sometimes it's extremely effective when you're just seeing bits and parts one of the One of the movies that I think actually they should have just done that and not shown the thing at the end Was the M. Night Shyamalan film signs Because like the silhouette against the moon looked really good and then the arms coming out like the great in the basement looked really good But then when they actually show the alien in it looks terrible and it just ruins everything this is an instance of the quick shots work and then you get a really good payoff because the werewolves look good and Yeah, that's one of the strengths of this Especially with werewolf movies They got to look good and they didn't really show they didn't really try to show transformation Which was probably a smart move because they you know the bar is so high at this point because of the howling because of American werewolf in London You know just off-screen is the way to go Especially when it's lower budget What's the deal with the focus on the fiddling with the egg salt shaker? When they first get into that like cottage or like farmhouse The main character, I forget his name, but I have it down there later the guy played by Kevin McKidd he like while they're talking he's like just spinning this this egg-shaped salt shaker and they're focusing on it so much is There a meaning there that I missed it just seemed very odd to me and out of place And I just didn't get where they were focusing on that so much. I was just like what? And about the hour mark in this film is when it really hits its stride This is where it starts like as soon as you get to that our point from the hour to the end. It's quite good prior to that It's pretty slow It's a little bit of a rough watch at that point plus by the time you hit the hour portion You're used to how grainy it looks So it's better Plus it's not as dark at that point because you have like more lighting on the inside Sorry And and then it becomes well and one of the reasons from the hour mark to the end is so good It's because then it's a focus on the siege portion where the werewolves are just trying as hard as they can to get in And that's obviously the best part That's the big payoff and the fact that that big payoff lasts for so long is super satisfying Especially after you waited through all the crap in the first hour. So I mean it's worth sticking with The black and white werewolf vision is I get it It's kind of meant to be like this is how a dog sees they don't see color Which is not actually true. They do see colors They just don't see as many colors as humans do but I understand it was supposed to be this is wolf vision But it's it I don't think they should have done it. It didn't really add anything to the film They could have just done regular wolf vision Um, it didn't add anything to the film. It's actually a little bit annoying It didn't look that good and they did it infrequently and I they especially didn't need it because They weren't focusing in this film on the werewolves and who these people were So I don't know. I just thought it was a poor choice The best part is when the wolf bites the guy's neck and then rips his head off and then throws it At the jeep with that the guy's sitting in that was awesome. That was so violent It was so brutal, but it was also funny at the same time and it was just a great mix Like that is my favorite moment. That's my favorite scene really good This consistent checking of ammo is also good in this film. I I appreciated that so many of these films No one checks ammo. It's always just like we have unlimited ammo. We could fight forever But the fact that they keep checking in throughout the siege and being like, okay, how many bullets do we have now? What do we have available now? It ratchets up the tension It makes the situation seem more dire and it really adds to the film for that reason Because every time they check in obviously the number is going down and that makes the audience member feel like This is getting close. I don't know if they can pull this off and I like that aspect It's it's a small thing, but it can mean a lot It's an awesome looking shot when the wolves show up behind megan in the dark after she reveals that she's one of the Wolves she says something super super stupid where she's like, it's that time of the month Which is supposed to be a period joke, which In all fairness to the film back in 2002 probably played a lot better than it does now One of the reasons being that that kind of joke's been used a lot and I've seen it a lot in films that it just Watching it again now. It just seems I just eye rolled now. I was just like, oh, it's so cheap and dumb Um, I I also think it takes a little bit of the impact away From her revealing at that moment that she is A werewolf because it's throwing comedy in there and it's It shouldn't be a comedic moment. Like that's kind of like a oh my gosh moment Like the whole time this person you were trusting was one of them But I do like her kind of emotional thing where she's saying like you think I want to be like this You think I want to do this I was hoping I could get out of here Which actually that would have been terrible because then she's still a werewolf and she's with Other humans and nobody knows that that would have been bad But yeah, anyway after she reveals it and then those three werewolves like show up behind her in the dark That shot looks amazing. It looks so good even with the grainy look of the film. I will say I really really like that moment um Then Ryan who was the bad guy? Uh wanted Excuse me Sorry Ryan wanted cooper to put that dog down remember and then in the end he puts ryan down as a dog So it was kind of that karmic thing. It was the foreshadowing Coming in full circle. I like that. I really like how they wrote that in Good movie good ending especially at the hour mark hour mark on sorry water time I'm Apologize for that Yeah, so like I said like it's a slog to get through that first hour, but then once you hit that hour mark It's pure enjoyment. It's great the fight scenes. I think they did a really good job with piecing together and they're shooting inside Of the um that like cottage house Yeah, looked really good The acting like I said the three people I I called out in the beginning are great. Everyone else is kind of The cinematography isn't that good though And the editing is way too frantic at a lot of the times Simitography gets a lot better. It's like as the film goes on it slowly gets better and I think by the end It looks a lot better, but it seems like they're kind of working through some stuff The confining to the house with the werewolves work Lurking on the outside is the best aspect of this film. It's kind of like a claustrophobic feel which If you've watched a lot of my reviews on here whenever that's present in the film. I always comment on it. I love it I think it really ratchets up the stakes. It ratchets up the tension feeling like they're super super trapped They're really locked in there and it's going to be hard to get out and I I just like that extra feeling of dread and and hopelessness and I feel like this movie does a good job with that Now it's interesting too because it creates a claustrophobia within the film with all these werewolves on the outside of the house And claustrophobia is even more so present in the descent Which is another neil marshal film. I think it was the film that neil marshal did after dog soldiers So like I said, I got to review that one It's been a while since I've seen it But man claustrophobia is on at the top of that list in that film the twists are good in this It's portrayal around every corner pretty much. I like that how you keep finding out More and more things that make the situation feel even more dire So it's good and then it just makes you keep guessing like How many people are gonna make it will anyone make it? It's good It gets pretty emotionally impactful when wells Makes cooper leave without him, you know Wells was the guy who was turning into a werewolf, but he was still cognizant And he wanted to fight the werewolves and he ends up blowing up the house And he's just telling cooper like you gotta go man. You gotta go. I'm gonna handle this and it was a pretty impactful moment It was emotional and yeah, it was shot very well and acted very well. Was the other thing So very good. Uh, yeah, I quite like this film It had been a long time since I'd seen this I'm gonna say Oh It's it had been at least 15 years since I've seen this film So the first time I saw it I rented it at a blockbuster That will give you an idea of how long ago it was When blockbuster was the thing although there is one still around I believe out in california like la But anyway, so let's talk about the rating of this film overall with five stars out of five stars with half stars in play There's a lot to consider here because there's a lot of bad stuff about the film like that graininess The fact that it's such a slog for the first hour the editing is so frantic at times There's a lot of bad to this film, but there's a lot of good the story is really solid The end like 45 minutes pretty much is really impactful and action packed and well done and the twists are nice There's some bad acting some good acting just makes it tough for me. I'm gonna give it I think with all that said Three I'm gonna have to go with three stars. I was between three and three and a half But with all those technical issues I it can't hit that three and a half It's got to be the three if I was doing quarters. I do 3.25, but I don't so that's what it is But anyway, tell me your opinions on this film Let's talk down in the comments about dog soldiers about just werewolves in general too or neil marshal Because let's talk a little bit about the descent. We can do that and hopefully I do a review for that But I might also forget but hit that subscribe for me real quick That's your way to repay me for doing any of these videos I really appreciate that if you're already subscribed Definitely hit the thumbs up to let me know you're still watching give me that little bit of encouragement to keep going And yeah comments again, but thanks everyone for checking this out and until next time keep it brew