Battledogs

Battledogs (2013)

** (out of 4)

The Asylum strikes back with this rather confusing mix of sci-fi and horror. An evil Lt. General (Dennis Haysbert) does battle against the good Major Hoffman (Craig Sheffer) over a woman (Ariana Richards) who was bitten by a wolf (or dog) and turns into a wolf (or dog) and goes on a rampage in NYC. With the virus spreading, Hoffman wants to try and save her for a cure but the General wants more wolves (or dogs) so that the Army can use them in wars. BATTLEDOGS is a pretty confusing picture on one major level and that's the fact that I'm really not sure what the monsters are. They act and sound like werewolves but the title refer to them as dogs. Even stranger is that throughout the film they are called wolves by some, canines by others and some call them dogs. I'm really not sure what they are but the CGI used for them makes them look decent but they're still clearly fake but this here is to be expected with such a small budget. The film on the whole doesn't work but I think it contains a few entertaining things for those who line up week after week to see what SyFy is giving us. The biggest attraction to the film is its cast members as many familiar faces from familiar films are on hand. Not only do we get Haysbert (MAJOR LEAGUE), Sheffer (A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT) and Richards (JURASSIC PARK) but there's also Wes Studi (DANCES WITH WOLVES), Kate Vernon (PRETTY IN PINK) and Ernie Hudson (GHOSTBUSTERS). Obviously the screenplay doesn't give any of them a real chance to act but I thought all of them were fine in their roles and certainly raised the material. It was also fun seeing Richards back in a film after a six year break. The CGI effects are all pretty cheap and bad but The Asylum did give us some real, practical effects, which allowed for plenty of gore. I say this after everyone of these movies but if you're expecting quality then you're not going to find it here. If you looking for cheap entertainment then this here offers a little of it.

I can forgive the ridiculous plot and low budget. And as a career Army guy, I have learned to be tolerant of so many mistakes in portraying the military. But wow, why make them look like such slobs? Unshaven, pants untucked, etc sheesh! Even the guy playing the President (Bill Duke) wears an ill-fitting suit. He also looks too creepy for the role, hunched over and mumbling.

And one thing that really doesn't make sense - why would there be only one doctor working on this problem if it's a worldwide threat?

After being bitten by a wolf and given a curse that will turn her into a ravenous werewolf, a woman sides with a sympathetic Army major and a scientist friend to find a cure for the disease before a rogue general uses the creatures as a weapon for the US military.

This was a pretty surprising entry that had some pretty enjoyable aspects to it that makes it far better than expected. One of the best elements here is the film's use of real animatronics and puppets for the werewolves that lend the creatures a sense of realism that far off-sets the utterly atrocious CGI which also pops up, but the fact that a lot of it is with the on-set effects makes it more enjoyable. The relentless action allows for plenty of high-energy scenes, including the creatures running loose in a crowded airport with the turned victims rising up as new werewolves to join in the fray as well as a big battle with the military on the streets of New York that has a lot to like. Throw that in with some nice gore and a pretty involving storyline that never really gets convoluted, it's got a lot to like that really makes up for the film's few flaws in it's CGI and pretty bland beginning that never fits in with the rest of the action, causing it to take a while to get going. Otherwise, this was quite fun.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

SyFy have a notoriously bad reputation, though there are some tolerable movies of theirs out there even if they are too far and between. Battledogs was a movie that I wasn't sure what to make of, it wasn't a particularly good one but neither was it a disaster. I am in complete agreement with the acting being the best asset, the cast were a good one to begin with and they all give fun performances, especially Ernie Hudson. Battledogs is a better-looking movie than most SyFy movies, true the CGI is not particularly great(not really much of a surprise though) but the dogs/werewolves were fairly convincing, the scenery is good and the editing is not too choppy. The music and sound mayn't win any awards as such, but they are atmospheric and sharp enough and serve their purpose well. The car wreck scene was quite an exciting set piece, and the gore isn't too shabby either. Battledogs is not without its flaws though. There is some nice tongue and cheek humour in the script, but too much of the dialogue is cheesy, unnaturally flowed and not always fitting in certain scenes. There is also a rather make-it-up-as-you-go-along feel. The story is a mixed bag. The good news is, it didn't bore me particularly and the nods to King Kong, Free Willy and Day of the Dead original were nice; the bad news is, nothing comes out as original and the mix of sci-fi and horror is confused. Maybe it would help if those two elements individually worked, sadly they don't; it is not thrilling enough to be good sci-fi and it's not scary enough to be good horror either. And it is largely to do with the overall quality of the CGI, the poor suspense and how tame and uninventive the attacks seemed to be. I'd forgive the fact that the characters are overused stereotypes if anything interesting was done with them, but despite the efforts of the actors the characters never were developed or likable enough. And how inaccurately and poorly the military are portrayed is likely to get people even more infuriated, especially if they're part of the military themselves. In conclusion, not terrible or great. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I actually couldn't finish the movie because the CGI werewolves were way worse than the one from American Werewolf in Paris. It's bordering on cartoonish or a parody. Couldn't take the movie seriously. I'll never understand how people think they can have a werewolf movie with a horrible werewolf or in some cases no werewolf at all. I was surprised at how bad the quality was because the cast was impressive.