Gang, for those on the West Coast, Dog Soldiers will be airing on the Syfy Channel at 11 p.m..
Dog Soldiers is a 2002 UK product and if you like werewolf movies, I really think you’ll like this one for sure. It starts like any classic werewolf movie… as we watch the first few victims, well, become victims. It’s quite the classic movie start indeed.
Then there’s a scene from the past that sets the scene for today as we’re introduced to trainee Private Cooper (Played by Journeyman & Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd). We’re also introduced to a cold war-hardened soldier, Capt. Ryan, (Liam Cunningham). It’s awesome seeing McKidd in such an early role. He’s awesome.
We then jump to the present with a squad of British soldiers are on a training simulation in the Scottish forest. The squad consists of Cooper, (Kevin McKidd), Terry (played by Leslie Simpson), Joe (Chris Robson), Bruce (Thomas Lockyer), Spoon (Darren Morfitt) and Sergeant Wells (Sean Pertwee).
The ever boring routine of training changes instantly as they start to encounter the beasties. We then follow the squad’s efforts to survive the battle. The soldiers stay focused on their own survival through a very long night up against these 8-foot tall nemesis.
“They’re really good people except for once a month.”
This is one of the best low budget monster movies I’ve ever seen and it serves its genre very well. The writing is awesome and the monsters are superbly portrayed in a mix of shadows, outlines, steaming bodies at the edge of the light. Yep, No CGI in all their simplistic awesomeness.
One of my favorite scenes is when a soldier jumps in a jeep to get it back to the house they’re in. As he sits, we see the steam of an exhale from behind him. Without looking back, he just says: “You’re right behind me, aren’t you?”. His answer is a second exhale of steam. He turns to meet his end valiantly.
This flick reminds me of Night of the Living Dead, monsters relentlessly coming… they’re just a bit faster in this one as I felt an overwhelming sense of despair, laced with hope.
Dog Soldiers is produced by Christopher Figg (Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, Trainspotting) and written, directed and edited by Neil Marshall (Killing Time, The Descent). This was Neil’s directorial debut.
Now go watch it, DVR it, rent it or even buy it! Yep, that’s what I think. It’s a serious keeper in my mind!
Dog Soldiers on Amazon (It’s a great price!)
-
