The Breed

Don't you just hate it when, in a movie, something seemingly trivial occurs or is introduced and you just know that it'll come into play later on?

I know I do, so when the characters in The Breed casually mention an old 'zip-ride' (or death slide, as we English call it), tinker with a car that hasn't been used in years, or break an old roundabout leaving a sharp wooden stake pointing upwards, I prayed that my cliché radar was on the fritz. But sure enough, each device played a major part later on in the film and I laughed at the film's predictability.

It's a shame really, since there are several scenes which are more than competent, actually managing to scare and excite—which is all you really want from a film about rabid, genetically enhanced dogs attacking a group of people stranded on a remote island! The five friends who come up against the vicious killer mutts are your standard assortment of attractive twenty-somethings of the type that seem to populate most popcorn horror flicks these days: a couple of bickering brothers—one reckless (Oliver Hudson) and one responsible (Eric Lively); a 'pretty' blonde (Taryn Manning—not my cup of tea but appealing to some, I guess); a wise-cracking smart-ass (Hill Harper); and a feisty babe (Michelle Rodriguez, playing her usual tough-but-tasty type). Of course, there are no prizes for guessing who is going to become dog food.

The most effective parts of The Breed are definitely the dog attacks, with the snarling, fanged beasts being suitably frightening and convincingly nasty. Surprisingly, however, given the current trend for graphic splatter, the film is rather 'dry', with only one or two moments to make you wince (highlight of the film: a poorly aimed arrow!) or turn away, and the gore-hounds amongst us will most likely be disappointed.

Still, kudos to director Nicholas Mastandrea for opting to use real dogs rather than CGI. And whilst I'm at it, I'll also thank him for getting Michelle Rodriguez into a bikini (although naked would've been better!).

Movie concepts don't get much simpler than this: on a supposedly deserted island, genetically enhanced, rabid-like dogs attack five college kids who have gone there for a weekend of fun. It's kind of surprising that a movie like this, made in 2006, still gets theatrical release in some countries; this is usually direct-to-DVD stuff. With that said, however, "The Breed" is effective at what it sets out to do. What gives this movie an edge over other contemporary "creature features" is that the "creatures" are real, highly-trained dogs instead of fake CGI bats, crocodiles, snakes, spiders or whatever. This adds an element of realism to the proceedings, as does the fact that the characters behave rationally for the most part. Michelle Rodriguez looks great (what else is new?) and shows her physicality, and the rest of the cast may not be brilliant, but they're not bad, either. The movie does suffer from a terrible ending though - it was probably intended as a shock but it's so sudden that it looks as if the producers ran out of money or time or something. (**)

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I actually quite enjoyed "The Breed" and I'm sure there's more people out there who won't admit it. It was fun right from the opening with the horrendously bad actors, "wood" and the awful direction. However, then five new kids come on the island and they're more competent actors and strangely likable as the film went on. I did actually feel sorry to see some of them die which is unusual in a film like this. The characters weren't flat, which was a lovely surprise. Of course it is extremely clichéd with the group going into a cabin with a creepy basement and so forth. This is the type of horror film "The Cabin in the Woods" was warning us of! The dogs are also quite funny as I do not find dogs scary in the slightest, especially when they're as cute as these ones! To see a bunch of cute panting dogs slowly gather and surround the young adults like "The Birds" was quite an unintentional hilarious sight. There was also a surprisingly good pace with the group always trying to make some innovative decisions. All in all I found it to be an entertaining and fun film. You shouldn't take it seriously and if you don't then you might actually find yourself enjoying it!

A bunch of undergrads (played by 30 and 40somethings--no joke!) take their jet to an abandoned island for a vacation. Because undergrads do that? They get attacked by wild dogs that turn out to be genetically engineered killers. Scary! History has taught me to stay away from anything labeled "Wes Craven Presents," but I decided to check this out because how bad could a movie starring Michelle Rodriguez vs Killer Dogs be? Rodriguez isn't the best actress, but I always enjoy seeing her one-note tough-girl shtick in movies or TV (long live Ana Lucia!) And she does her own stunts in this! There's no CGI, which is commendable, though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about a large number of dogs being trained to attack for the sake of a dumb horror movie. And this is, indeed, a dumb horror movie. All the clichés are intact, the writing is awful, and there's even a dumb subplot about brotherly love. Or something. Taryn Manning is cast as the "hottie" of the group, though she looks washed-up and talks like she smokes six packs a day. There's an interesting subplot with her character that would have made the movie more interesting had it been expanded upon. This is enjoyable for what it is, but it's nothing special.

let me start by saying I am a big fan of the nature/animal gone berserk type films and I was very excited when news of a new Wes Craven produced killer dog flick was being made and would star tough cookie Michelle Rodriquez and cool and sexy Hill Harper from CSI: New York. What eventually was made by first time director Nick Mastandrea is sadly a disappointing entry into the genre. Where in the world was Wes?? This is not to say it didn't show some small moments of promise but it never quite rises to the occasion. The story revolves around a group of five childhood friends vacationing on an Island who come across a band of sinister German shepherds who have laid claim to the Isle after surviving what is explained as a "rabies" outbreak on a compound that sits on the other side of the Island which once housed a dog training facility. Most of the back story of the dogs isn't really explained and we're left with just a few specs of dialog from cast members Eric Lively and Oliver Hudson, who play siblings that grew up on the island, to to shed a dim light. The gang enjoy some sun and water until they are visited by a pup whose visit is more like an infiltration of the enemy camp and shares one of the better moments scenes with Hill Harper. Soon the dog-pack descends on our unsuspecting group who must now find a way off the Island before becoming dog-food. The best attack scene takes place in the house where our heroes have boarded themselves up but this isn't enough to save the film. The director was obviously asleep at the wheel and it shows when one of the characters ( I wont say which as not to spoil it) suffers an injury to the leg and later seems to forget they should be limping and they can be seen walking around like nothing ever happened. Where in the world was Wes??? Yes the setup is as old as wine but I still had hopes that the makers would inject some fresh blood into the story; it never happened. The film is hurt by uninspired camera work and the even more uninspired direction of Mastandrea. I hope somewhere, some place, someone will still make an old style killer dog flick with a decent plot, great camera work, and characters you can care about. Is that too much too ask? Oh yeah..this is Hollywood...oh well