Rish's Reviews
First things first: I have heard it said (hell, I may have said it myself) that there's no such thing as a perfect film. And I believe it. But as Horror films go, Dog Soldiers comes as close as you can.
A squad of fun-loving British soldiers is out in the woods on maneuvers when they stumble across a botched attempt to capture the local wildlife: werewolves. As day becomes night (complete with Full Moon), they find themselves holed up in an isolated farmhouse as the creatures close in, picking them off one by one, killing some, infecting others.
I LOVED this film. For years, I've told you that the werewolf/Wolf Man has always been my favourite movie monster, and for years, my favourite werewolf movie was American Werewolf In London. Not to take anything away from that film, but this one may have to replace it on my list. I was blessed (yeah, and I know how that sounds) to be able to see it on the big screen not long ago, and I'll be jiggered if I didn't have the best time with a movie in a long, long time.
It had a great script, with unique and entertaining characters, clever dialogue (early on, one of the men refers to Wrath of Khan, but you'd have to be a nerd like me to catch it) and brilliant twists and turns. Plus, one character is disemboweled and Super Glue is used to patch him back together. The abundant violence is graphic, quick, and unbelievable. I've heard the flick compared to early Peter Jackson, and though I'm no fan, I have to agree. Like his works, the gore can be funny rather than disgusting, and other times, it's just disgusting.
It's fair to compare it to Predator and The Evil Dead, quite favourably (I enjoyed it more than both those movies, to tell the truth). It's similar to Aliens too, another of my all-time favourite films. Good job, our English brothers!
The film had a limited budget, but you'd never know that. They make great use of few sets and locations, and a utilize great-looking werewolves which we almost never clearly see. It's one of those films people in the future will be studying, saying, "This is how you do it right!"
This was the best horror film since The Sixth Sense, and certainly a more pleasant experience than that film. I watched it with a grin and laughter (the audience even applauded a couple of times), and grinned all the way back to my car. Apparently, a couple other folks didn't like this film as much as I did, but let me pay Dog Soldiers the highest compliment in my bag: I could never have written something this good.
Sadly, unfairly, tragically, this film didn't receive theatrical distribution in the U.S., and was relegated to a release first on the Sci-Fi Channel, and then on video. There is no justice in the world.
I'd Recommend It To: Any Horror fan. The only caveat I can come up with is that there are no recognizable stars (big deal) and that that the thick accents may be somewhat difficult to understand (which might be daunting to some).

The tyranist's thoughts
What is it about setting a werewolf film in Britain that makes it so effective? For that matter, what is it about setting any of this style of movie in Europe that works so well?
Perhaps it is the fact that Europe is an older world and these monsters are myths and legends from that world. Could it be that seeing a werewolf in the aged environs of the UK makes it seem more real, more possible? I don't know the answer, really, butit is definitely true that the best of these are set there.
I don't think I enjoyed this movie quite as much as Rish did, but then I didn't have the advantage of seeing it on the big screen with a good audience. Instead I sat alone in my rickety old house watching it in the dark. The movie was still very good and I can imagine that with a packed house it would only be better. The script was very good (although there were a couple of groaners towrads the end) and the acting top-notch. The effects were also very well done.
I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Sean Pertwee (probably because his pappy played the Doctor for a time), and I wasn't disappointed. Of course, the rest of you probably don't know who or what I'm talking about since Rish says there are no recognizable stars here. I also found Emma Cleasby to be pleasant. Most of all though, the werewolves are exceptional. They were perhaps the best werewolves I've ever seen on screen, and done without CGI, I might add. Very nice.
The movie has a nice pace to it, and is very entertaining beginning to end. If you get a chance to see this one, it is very worth it.