HELLRAISER-Produzent Christopher Figg hat nach langer Pause erneut ein Werk abgeliefert, dass man so schnell nicht vergisst: eine knallharte Werwolfattacke, vor deren geballter Feuerkraft so manches Actionmovie verblasst. Der kompromisslos angerichtete Orkan aus Schusswechseln und Horror ist ein porentiefer Rachenputzer.

A new grizzly bastard of two classic genres pulls the horror of an aggressive werewolf pack hunting down a platoon into the tremendous firepower of an intense action feast. The raving thriller revolves around the bloody confrontation between intelligent superhuman predators lurking in the dark woods and treacherous reservists hiding in a forlorn hut. When faced with the perfect weapon their survival training quickly becomes a bloodsoaked battle for life.

“A bitch of a werewolf movie.” Loaded

“One of the most explosive, brutal and purely enjoyable horror debuts since THE EVIL DEAD. It’ll blow your house down.” Total Film

“JAWS, ALIENS, PREDATOR with a werewolf twist.” The Face

“Genuinely frightening.” CQ

“Absolutely brilliant, thrilling, exciting, scary, and funny.” Starburst
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Dog Soldiers" is a well-made (...) horror-mayhem film, pitting a group of British soldiers out on a training exercise in the Scottish Highlands against a bloodthirsty band of werewolves. (...) there is a welcome lack of pretension about the film, which very simply sets out to entertain and ends up delivering in good measure.

In previous werewolf movies, much is made about the transition process and the fact that the evil comes out only on full moons. Not so here. The awaited transformation scene involves bulging eyes, a quick fall behind a table and then up again as a slobbering monster. Kevin McKidd, who starred in "Trainspotting," walks away with acting honors, playing the only soldier with a few brain cells, while Sean Pertwee as his sergeant is also first-rate. Neophyte director Neil Marshall shows his background in editing by constructing a well-made romp that never slows down.

The squad of soldiers on a training mission in the Highlands comes across a decimated special forces team. It seems they were stalking the werewolves, but the tables have been turned, and now the squaddies are the prey. With the help of a local girl, they hide in a remote farmhouse. Members of the squad get bitten, slashed and generally slaughtered through the night, while the girl -- no surprise here -- turns out to be a reluctant werewolf herself.

The script is littered with movie in-jokes. One character is named Bruce Campbell, after the star of "Evil Dead." Elsewhere there is an oblique reference to Michelangelo Antonioni's "Zabriskie Point." The most telling link comes when one character parallels the soldiers' situation to the soldiers battling the Zulu hordes in the film "Zulu." In some ways, "Dog Soldiers" is a retelling of "Zulu." The soldiers could be fighting off Zulu warriors, aliens or werewolves -- it doesn't really matter. The action is what matters -- and the film delivers that well." Hollywood Reporter
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"While last year's "Ginger Snaps" resurrected the werewolf movie for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer teen audience, " DOG SOLDIERS" returns to the kind of lycanthrope comedy-horror that hasn't been seen since John Landis' "An American Werewolf in London".
Ripping the conventions of the werewolf genre to shreds, "DOG SOLDIERS" trades shock horror for gross out humour and the result - full of bloody entrails, jokes about Little Red Riding Hood and references to classic genre movies like "Wolfen" - is a rip-roaring comedy action fest that'll put hairs on your chest.
When a British Army platoon led by Wells (Pertwee) stumbles across a stack of bloody bodies (the remains of a top-secret special services unit) out in the middle of the Scottish Highlands, it's obvious that there's something very strange going on. Their suspicions are confirmed when they find a civilian zoologist wandering through the woods looking for evidence of some very shaggy beasts. Before they have a chance to say "silver bullets", the platoon's holed up in an abandoned farm house fighting off a bunch of attackers who all look like they need a good short back 'n' sides.
Wisely deciding to keep the creatures hidden for as long as possible (perhaps because they all bear an uncanny resemblance to Peter Stringfellow), director Neil Marshall ratchets up the tension nicely, but decides ultimately to shoot for outrageous comedy, playing up the script's deliriously silly elements and throwing ketchup all over the screen.
As the perfect Friday night movie,"DOG SOLDIERS" is full of boisterous energy, some really disgusting moments (Pertwee's cry of "sausages!" is unforgettable), and some clever-clever genre in-jokes. Clearly low budget British horror is alive and well - if a little sick." Jamie Russell, BBCi
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