Dire Wolf Review

7/10

Werewolves are nothing new to the horror genre, but how about dire wolves?  This movie brings the subject right to your home in a way I have never seen before. "Dire Wolf"(aka "Dino Wolf") tells the story of a genetic mutation gone bad, and it does it in brutal ways that would not be expected. While this film is quite obscure, and it didn't get the best reviews by most critics and viewers, I enjoyed the movie a lot for it's fun and gory antics. 

The movie begins in a lab, where a woman and security guard are working. As the security guard named Ed walks around, he is devoured by a genetically mutated creature that got loose. This monster is half human, and half dire wolf, and it is horrifying and brutal as can be. The wolf then kills the girl that was working too, and the intro credits kick in. While this scene was very predictable, it was still really cool, and quite brutal to be honest. 

As the next scenes comes in, we meet Sheriff Parker, and his foster son/warden Jim Martin. The two talk of things in the town, including a vandalizing of the station. Both of these characters were likable enough, and the rest of the people in the bar vary a lot, which makes a realistic feel to the atmosphere.

The first thing that I really really liked about the movie was that most of it was done practically. The wolf was a man in a suit, and while many people would think this is cheesy, I personally love it, because it means no stupid CGI. I truly respect the filmmakers for doing this so much, because it gives a very vintage feel to it.  The gore is also done with authentic effects, and it is absolutely insane. Blood flies everywhere, and the wolf literally takes the guts out of people on screen. This is definitely one of the goriest horror movies I have ever seen, and it was done very well.  

The acting in this film has quite a range from good to horrible. Maxwell Caulfield does a great job in the role of Sheriff Parker because he is very tough, and kind of reminds me of a Bruce Willis performance. Blake Cooper Griffin was also great as Jim, because he was the most likable actor, and causes a lot of sympathy for his character. Gil Gerard(actor that played Buck Rodgers) was very hard in the role of Col. Hendry, and he made it very believable that he was a though military man. I felt that the least talented actors in the movie were Kimberly Horner as Amber, and all of the actors playing the scientists. It was very easy to tell that they spoke right from the script, and they gave very cheesy performances.  Luckily, being the movie is a B-Movie, these cast members can get away with this, as they are still enjoyable either way. 

I think that the fact that the movie brings prehistoric elements with the topic of "dire wolf" is cool, because it gives an original twist to the werewolf genre. It also made the film have some touch with science, and made it a little more complex than the normal horror film. 

A lot of the B-Movies of the 2000's tended to be very dumb and boring, but this one was an exception. Watching it, I actually got a little bit of the feel of the old movies I really love. A lot of it came from the very tense yet melodramatic dialogue, the cheesy scenes of the science lab, and just the entire tone of the film. While many people have seen this as a flaw because of its low quality, I see it as a virtue. Sometimes when I watch a horror movie, it's really fun to get a good laugh, and this one did that perfectly for me.

The plot twist at the end of the movie was extremely bizarre, and I was not expecting it at all. While its a little absurd and threw the movie off, I feel that it gave a good enough originality to set the movie apart from others. 

Overall, this movie is really really enjoyable. I would never try to make it out as a masterpiece in any sort, but it is a gory, disturbing, and often hilarious movie that I could watch again and again.  While there are many flaws, there is not a minute I was bored at all. Definitely check this movie out, because it isn't one to miss.