Dog Soldiers

Neil Marshall’s directorial debut, Dog Soldiers details the chaos that unfolds after a routine military exercise takes a decidedly horrific turn. There’s a rough-around-the-edges feel to much of Dog Soldiers that’s generally rather easy to overlook, as the narrative’s various problems, including pacing issues and interchangeable characters, are generally allayed by Marshall’s visceral, violent take on his own screenplay. And while the movie’s deliberately-paced first half doesn’t entirely work – Marshall’s attempts to develop the protagonists and build an atmosphere of tension fall fairly flat – Dog Soldiers boasts a second half that admittedly does contain a handful of thoroughly engrossing sequences and set-pieces (eg a bitten character inevitably transforms into a werewolf). It’s clear, too, that the movie improves substantially once its very large cast is winnowed down to a mere handful, with performers like Sean Pertwee and Kevin McKidd eventually managing to transform their characters into somewhat compelling protagonists – which does ensure that the final battle is much more engrossing than one might’ve anticipated. The end result is a strong first film that never quite becomes the balls-to-the-wall extravaganza promised by its logline, with Dog Soldiers nevertheless standing as a fine out-of-the-gate effort from a filmmaker who would go onto bigger and better things.

**1/2 out of ****