Battledogs (2013)

A werewolf virus is unleashed upon New York, and Major Hoffman looks for a cure while Lt. General Monning wants to establish a new canine army.

Director:

Alexander Yellen

Writer:

Shane Van Dyke

Stars:

Craig Sheffer, Dennis Haysbert, Kate Vernon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Craig Sheffer	...	Major Brian Hoffman
Dennis Haysbert	...	Lt. General Christopher Monning
Kate Vernon	...	Dr. Ellen Gordon (as Katherine Elizabeth Vernon)
Ariana Richards	...	Donna Voorhees
Bill Duke	...	President Donald Sheridan
Wes Studi	...	Captain Falcons
Ernie Hudson	...	Max Stevens
Benjamin James	...	Corporal CJ Parkins
Anthony Pacella	...	Carl Hammond
Darin Cooper	...	Defense Secretary Woods
Afrim Gjonbalaj	...	Captain Sims
Richard Lounello	...	Platoon Leader (as Rich Lounello)
Frank Rossi	...	Air Force Chief of Staff
Michael Cipiti	...	Staff Official
Richard Satterwhite	...	American Citizen

Storyline

A werewolf virus is unleashed upon New York, and Major Hoffman looks for a cure while Lt. General Monning wants to establish a new canine army.

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Plot Keywords:

virus | werewolf | battle | wolf | monster | 

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Taglines:

The population of Manhattan is under quarantine... for now.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ward's Island

Filming Locations:

Buffalo, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Infectious Films, The Asylum

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9

Did You Know?

Trivia

The word "werewolf" is never said in the film.

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Goofs

During the car chase through New York, the stunt driver of the white car can be clearly seen when the vehicle flips.

User Reviews

Fun and original, but wolves look silly

This somewhat original werewolf flick by The Asylum is more fun than it deserves to be, thanks to a its cool premise, some neato plot elements by scriptwriter Shane Van Dyke, some attractive location shooting, and the surprising and welcome presence of Ariana Richards, who's grown as hot as you might have expected since she uttered her infamous "It's a Unix system! I know this!" as a teen in "Jurassic Park."

It is, however, nearly undone by ridiculous-looking CGI werewolves, a script devoid of humor, and a couple of "Wait… What?" turns that all remind you you're watching a film from The Asylum.

Richards plays a wildlife photographer bitten by a wolf in Canada who arrives in New York's JFK Airport, where she promptly turns into a werewolf and goes on a killing rampage, turning more people into werewolves.

Without explanation, we learn the government has immediately decided to train werewolves as soldiers. That revelation provides the film's only laugh-out-loud moment, albeit unintentional, when one character asks what any sane viewer would at that point: Wouldn't that just serve to turn the enemy soldiers into werewolves, too? And then, you know, the world?

Nice of the film to take its biggest gaping plot hole and just lay it bare for the viewer.

That said, direction by Alexander Yellen is surprisingly tight and solid for a first-timer; and the Buffalo, N.Y., backdrop is a suitable stand-in for New York City. I especially enjoyed the abandoned train station that resembled Grand Central Terminal, which served as an Ellis Island of sorts for recently bitten werewolves.

But when your werewolves look like 3D versions of various cartoon "Big Bad Wolf" characters, you have to admit your audience isn't going to take your movie seriously. Therefore, you as a filmmaker shouldn't either.

And that's the major flaw in almost every film by this company – they play it straight. A little self-referential humor (I would have LOVED to see Richards save the day with a Unix system again. Just sayin') would have made "Battle Dogs" a classic.

As it stands now, it's a decent rental at the Redbox, but worth little more than that.