Hounds of War

First let me say that I'm a fan of Grillo - he always holds his own and never needs cast direction, thus why even newb/terrible directors seek him out as he makes them look good. However, that also means he'll keep doing B movies, and I feel he deserves better than that, as he's been in a few of my top B films.

Yesterday I saw him in Long Gone Heroes and I was really disappointed in that movie. It was very slow and the long 2 hour runtime dragged on and felt much longer in a cliched storyline that was rather dull and boring. I rated that movie a generous 4/10.

Today I saw Hounds of War, and I enjoyed it much more. Sure it's not a perfect film, and there certainly were many plot and technical issues, bad editing, and the directing had some flaws, BUT the storyline kept me engaged (and sort of unique and not riddled with the typical cliches), and had excellent pacing and non stop action and suspense. The 95 min runtime flew by almost too fast. Even the action scenes (although not perfect) were much better than yesterday's movie. Plus the set/location shoots were beautiful, and I've never seen Malta as beautifully as it was shown in this movie. So from an eye-candy perspective, this movie was amazing, not to mention the beautiful and lovely Rhona Mitra was very easy on the eyes. Plus the soundtrack theme song at the end (Vladtoseeu - Nosence, you're welcome) was amazing, and I've already added it to my playlist.

So this movie had lot's going for it, and undeserving of all the current 1-3/10's from the wannabe critics. Go see Long Gone Heroes, that once certainly deserves those low scores. This is a very well done B movie and deserving of the 7/10 from me.

Underwhelming & boring right from start. Bad editing & audio effect; Most of the film sounded muffled with certain parts jumping up and down. The film is obviously another independent low budget relying on a couple B-list actors in order to help sell it. All the rest of the "actors" are just D-list nobodies with cringing acting. The first scene is just unrealistic..... the President would have more than just a handful of secret service visibly around. I just saw Gillo in another film that got released same day "Long Gone Heroes" which was slightly better; ratings between the 2 films proves it.

I was actually looking forward to watching this. Frank Grillo movies are decent for the most part and after seeing Isaac Florentine was the director I figured it would be on the lower budget side but with good/solid action sequences. I've always enjoyed Florentine/Adkins collaborations. Unfortunately this one fell short. The action just felt choppy and off the mark. It had its moments but all the hand-to-hand, well, wasn't good. Replace Frank with Scott Adkins and it most likely would have been better. It's entertaining enough but it's one I don't think I'd sit down and watch again. It's to bad, I really wanted to like it.

This isn't a bad film, but it's also not a good film. I don't really understand, as Issac has made a whole heap of fantastic movies. Ninja 2, Undisputed 2 etc, with this movie having scenes that go on for far too long.

The movie could easily drop 30 minutes and tell the exact same story. Scene for scene. The big fight scene in the middle ish of the movie.. sped up far too much. The pacing is off.

Again, it's not a bad film, but it's never going to be a great film. Shame. Frank and Rhona rock, as always, but that's not enough to save the movie. The camerawork is fantastic, great colour grading and the story isn't bad. Oh well. Next.

Grillo always make the B grade action movies looks better.. Yeah it's a cliche story but enough to you chill n relax in 90min..a little bit harsh if lower than 4/10... The careography of the action, the locations of the movie.. the camera.

Hounds of War" is a gritty action film that focuses on mercenaries involved in a conflict in a fictional country. The story delves into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the moral complexities of war. It showcases intense action sequences and character-driven narratives, exploring the personal motivations of those who fight for profit rather than patriotism. The film is noted for its realistic portrayal of combat and the psychological impact of warfare on the characters.