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

The werewolf story seems to have had some kind of cinematic resurgence in recent years - first was the Canadian GINGER SNAPS, then the French BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, and now the British DOG SOLDIERS. They say that bad things come in threes, but the opposite is true here as all three films are above-average genre examples. DOG SOLDIERS is a refreshingly straight-forward cross between an action flick and a splattery horror film with plenty of humour, bloodshed and thrills to appeal to mainstream audiences. As such, its been garnering rave reviews and after visiting the local cinema I can't find much to fault about it. Don't go in looking for plot or complex twists - this is an old-fashioned thriller with a simple premise and lots and lots of action to carry it along.

Things begin creepily enough with some taut scenes in the woods which rival THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT for eerieness. Our unfortunate soldiers find themselves stalked by some prowling creatures (P.O.V. shots show a greyed vision of the action). Tension builds, interspersed with some clever shocks - the falling cow is a real jolter in particular. Then bam! the werewolves are introduced in some extremely bloody antics involving dangling intestines and impalings which prove to be real eyeball-poppers. Refreshingly, this is a crowd-pleasing B-movie which doesn't skimp on the gore effects - in fact director Neil Marshall started out as an SFX technician and his proficiency shows itself with plenty of decapitated heads, splattery blood, and fountains of gore all over the place. However, this is enjoyable rather than disturbing, thanks to the mean streak of extremely black humour which recalls the like of Peter Jackson's BRAINDEAD - there's a particularly sickening bit involving a dog and an intestine which is completely gross but still somehow funny with it.

Once the foe has been introduced, our heroes make a truly thrilling run for cover as darkness falls and night closes in - some very taut and exciting moments follow in the ensuing chase. Finally, they find solace in a mysteriously abandoned farmhouse, where character motivations are uncovered as well as a fair amount of shocks, surprises, and plot twists. None of them are particularly surprising and indeed DOG SOLDIERS is a film packed with clichés - there's nothing here that hasn't been done before in the likes of ALIENS, An American Werewolf in London, and the farmhouse siege sequences directly reference the likes of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and other famous siege movies. Yet Marshall puts his heart on his sleeve and openly acknowledges his influences, with plenty of sly but not in your face movie in-jokes and asides to make things enjoyable. Where the film succeeds is in mixing said clichéd situations into a new, unpredictable mix, thus making it interesting and fresh viewing.

Things culminate in a spellbinding conclusion that features some impressive explosive effects, an amazing man vs. werewolf punch-up in a kitchen (hilarious) and some edge-of-your-seat stuff as a cat and mouse game ensues between heroes and villain. The action sequences are excellent and realistic with it, instead of never-ending bullets our heroes find their supplies dwindling and are forced to use their imagination to find other weapons. The characters are well-defined and the cast populated by some fine actors - particularly TRAINSPOTTING's Kevin McKidd, who shines as the underdog-turned-heroic leader. Elsewhere we have Emma Cleasby as a helpful ecologist, Sean Pertwee (EVENT HORIZON) doing his bit extremely well as the hard-headed Sergeant, and Liam Cunningham excellent in an early role. The film offers plenty of distinctly British humour - most of it blackly comic as the characters bemoan their desperate situation - which keeps it snappy and likable. The pacing is also spot on. As for the werewolves themselves, well thank god they're not CGI, but instead animatronics. Obviously low budget and not terribly convincing, Marshall does well to hide them in the shadows and show them only in quick cuts so that they retain their menace throughout. But the werewolves are only part of it - the icing on the cake, so to speak. This exciting B-movie epic would be just as good without them, but with them it becomes something unique and special. A tremendously fun experience.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this movie as much as I did. While the final battle with the creatures is a little more silly than scary and the special ops was a good idea in hindsight but felt tacky, I found Dog Soldiers surprising. It was stylishly filmed, with great location work and very effective make-up. That's not all, the music is stirring, the dialogue is fun, naturally flowing and suspenseful, the characters are likable and well-developed on the whole and the story is thrilling with moments that are genuinely terrifying. The werewolves also make a positive impression, and the acting is never wooden, but naturalistic and engaging. All in all, I really enjoyed Dog Soldiers. 8/10 Bethany Cox