MovieChat Forums > Dog Soldiers (2002) Discussion > Things that bugged me a little

Things that bugged me a little

posted 9 years ago by tpupkin
6 replies | jump to latest

I sort of liked Dog Soldiers, but there were little things that kept taking me out of it. I actually have a high tolerance for horror nonsense, but this felt like a movie that wanted to be taken a little more seriously, so the things that bugged me stood out more.

1. When the bloodied cow just plops down in the middle of their camp. They took that really coolly. Why did no one ask "Where the F--- did this cow come from?" and investigate it immediately? It would be one thing to stumble upon a cow corpse, but it literally fell from the sky, and they just waited until the next morning to look into it?

2. Megan's reveal: This "twist" felt completely gratuitous and really ate away at the integrity of the entire plot. Can someone explain to me what she was doing for the entire movie up to that point, and what caused her to change her mind? Did she only become a werewolf after hurting her hand, and wasn't one before that at all? Why does she say early on "I know how to kill them" and then no one ever talks about it again?

3. At the beginning the werewolves are super stealth killing machines, but they get slower and less efficient as the movie goes on, to the poinbt that sometimes they just stand and growl at their prey for prolonged periods with no obstacles. Did I miss something about their behavior that made sense of this?

[–] Wildstyle26 9 years ago

Megan was a werewolf from the start. However, when the soldiers came, she thought they'd be able to help, by killing the other werewolves, and possibly find a cure for her. It's been a min since I watched. But Megan thought Ryan;s team, since she'd met him before, were trying to study and possibly come up with a cure, but in truth, Ryan was trying to capture them as weapons, not to cure them. And Megan probably thought those soldiers were out to rescue and help.

As she asks "You came here because of them, right?" Cooper says he doesn't know, or care, about them. Then she corrects herself, asking "This isn't a rescue?"

So, she was genuinely trying to help them. But when Ryan's secret came out, and the soldiers were looking to be on the grim end of things, then Megan chose "her family." She didn't want to be a werewolf. She wanted to be saved. But when that wasn't going to happen, she gave into her instincts, she's been holding back for the film, because her desire to be saved over-road those instincts. But, by the end, she didn't have the faith, desire or power, to continue fighting.

As for the wolves slowing up, could be the get a bit weaker as time passes, and sunrise approaches. But where did they just stand and growl? I know one stopped to glare at Spoon during the battle in the kitchen, but it like "challenge" then. Like a respective duel.

[–] tpupkin 9 years ago

Yeah, she said something about how she hoped they would help her, but then she changes her mind for apparently no reason. That twist really fell flat for me, it seemed to mean nothing to the story and retroactively made her character very confusing.

What I meant about the power of the wolves was that when they wipe out Ryan's team they move so fast you can barely see them and apparently have no trouble taking out a special forces team with no trouble. When it comes to the people in the cabin, however, they take their sweet time lurking around instead of attacking, even letting one soldier punch them multiple times. Everything just seemed very artifical, which was at odds with the serious tone of the movie, I thought.

Neat actions scenes, though, and good performances.

[–] DBLurker 9 years ago

Well it's a small cabin. Outside they were running fast and attacking at full speed, surprising their targets.

Inside, they can't exactly build a momentum. Well that and it would be boring if they killed everybody in a flash. :P

[–] ArtofAlmost11 8 years ago

The movie is a comedy, so I'm not sure what serious tone you are talking about.

The wolves get less powerful so that there can be a movie.

[–] kunivinbastard 9 years ago

1. They believed the cow wondered and fell onto the floor. It's in the very next cut scene. They were clearly startled and 1 started shooting blanks at it. I wouldn't call that cool. It completely disrupted the camps jokey nature. With Sarge starting the watch shifts straight after telling people to clean up (get ready for a quick evac) and take watch and get some good kip. Some even wanted to break radio silence.

[–] Chuckles_OToole_PBnJ 8 years ago

1. They were encamped at the base of a low cliff; the cow fell off the cliff above them into the fire after the werewolves killed it. The scene the next morning shows them at the top of the cliff examining where the cow fell over.
2. Covered by previous responses, but to recap: She wanted out and resisted her transformation, but when it became apparent the soldiers were SOL, she gave in.
3. I don't understand this particular question. The werewolves behaved pretty much the same throughout the entire movie. They killed everyone except Cooper. They were very tall and had to move slower inside the house, but come on- they went right through the walls when they had to.

"No no no- don't tug on that... you never know what it might be attached to."