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Dog Soldiers

Actor(s): Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby, Liam Cunningham, Darren Morfitt
Director(s): Neil Marshall
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Movie Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Not For Children, Adult Humor, Gore
Movie Release: 2002
DVD Release: 11/05/2002
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan
Audio Tracks: English
Subtitles: Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Members Wishing: 10
Genres: Horror, Creature Film
See Also: Dog Soldiers [Steelbook], Dog Soldiers [Blu-ray]

DVD Synopsis

British director Neil Marshall's directorial debut Dog Soldiers resurrects and embraces the low-budget horror-comedy. Sergeant Harry Wells (Sean Pertwee) leads a team of British soldiers on a routine expedition to the Scottish Highlands. The six men would rather be at home watching the game, but they are even more dismayed when a carcass lands on their campfire. The next morning, they happen upon a severely injured Captain Richard Ryan (Liam Cunningham) and the bloody remains of his squadron. Soon they are attacked by giant werewolf beasts and chased through the woods, only to be saved by zoologist Megan (Emma Cleasby), who explains some of the truth about the creatures. They all take refuge in an old farmhouse while the threat of the monsters looms increasingly heavy. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Actors

Sean Pertwee - Sgt. Harry Wells
Kevin McKidd - R/man Lawrence Cooper
Emma Cleasby - Megan
Liam Cunningham - Capt. Richard Ryan
Darren Morfitt - R/man Phil Witherspoon

Editorial Review of DVD

Neil Marshall's horror film Dog Soldiers comes to DVD with a pair of transfers. The widescreen transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and is preferable to the standard full-frame transfer. English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Surround. Spanish subtitles are accessible, and both soundtracks are closed-captioned. Supplemental materials include a commentary tracks recorded by the film's producer, a making-of featurette, and a trailer. This is a strong disc from Artisan, especially considering the fact that the film is not widely known. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Member Movie Reviews

IVOR I. from CHICAGO, IL wrote on 11/10/2009...

I feel in love with the team of Neil Marshall and Sean McCurdy when I saw a masterpiece of horror called 'The Descent.' McCurdy is an awesome cinematographer with the brilliant palate of a latter-day Stanley Cortes. Having now been disappointed by the cliché-ridden storytelling in 'Dog Soldiers' (2002) and the wince-inducing pile of clichés that is his big budget drekathon, 'Doomsday,' I've decided that writer/director Marshall needs to keep McCurdy krazy-glued to his hip for the sake of his career.

'Dog Soldiers' is not really a horror film, per sé, it's part of what I'll call the 'Lost Platoon' genre. You know, where a bunch of city-bred guys are lost in the country and they think they're really hard before they run into a bunch of true savages. The old survivalist trope, whether it's 'The Lost Battallion,' 'Deliverance,' or 'Southern Comfort' was gussied up for Schwartzenneger's 'Predator' and Steve Barker's brilliant 'Outpost' (2007). 'Outpost' is about a group of mercenaries being picked off by Nazi zombies. it's a lot of fun and doesn't take itself seriously at all. Maybe that's the problem with 'Dog Soldiers.'

'Dog Soldiers' pits a squad of six infantrymen against an army of werewolves in the Scottish highlands. Led by the witty and resourceful Sergeant Harry Wells(Sean Pertwee) the squad get creatively slaughtered, one by one, by the werewolves. It's no surprise at all that the pithy local Highlanders, led by a devious hottie named Megan (Emma Cleasby) turn into werewolves at night. A conflicted Private Cooper (Kevin McKidd), who we've seen being thrown out out of the British Special Forces for refusing to kill a dog by the vicious Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham)in the beginning of the movie, seems to be the only squaddie capable of outthinking Megan and her pack. When Cooper's old nemesis Captain Ryan shows up, he's a quivering wreck. His squad all killed off, he becomes the soothsayer of doom.

All in all, it's kind of boring. If you like good cinematography, Sean McCurdy does an outstanding job. If you like creative gore, the killing and the special effects are outstanding. There are a couple of good running jokes about England beating Germany 5-1 in football and Cooper's friendship with Sam, Megan, the werewolf pack's leader's dog, but, otherwise, the film is the same ol' same ol'. Kevin McKidd, a fine Scottish actor who has given standout performances in "Train Spotting' and 'Topsy Turvy' is very much wasted here. Be sure to see 'The Descent' instead.