DYING BREED

DYING BREED

Matt (Leigh Wannell) and Irish partner Nina (Mirrah Foulkes) fly out to Tasmania to meet Matt's old friend Jack (Nathan Phillips).

Jack picks them up in his brand new 4x4 and it swiftly becomes apparent that their reunion is strictly for business purposes: Matt and Nina are there in search of a Tasmanian tiger - legendary since various sightings have been reported despite the belief that they are now extinct. It turns out that they've roped Jack into their search because of his zoology skills and ability to assist with funding the trip, and have offered him a cut of any prize they earn for finding the beast.

Picking up Jack's girlfriend Rebecca (Melanie Vallejo) on the way, the four of them drive out to the opening of the Tasmanian bush. From there, they board a ropy old boat and then drive further into the luscious greens of Sarah Island, and the friction between both couples begins.

By the time they reach the small town that will serve as their base, it is dusk and Jack has already had a blazing row with Nina. Matt is already feeling out of his depth with life in the sticks, and Nina feels weird about returning to the area where her sister drowned years earlier. Add to this a bunch of inbred creeps at the local bar and someone or something scratching Jack's car, and it's not the greatest start to their trip.

After a hairy first night, the group observe more of the backward locals' odd behaviour and it seems that DYING BREED is evolving into a rehash of DELIVERANCE. But then the foursome venture out into the woods and camp overnight, eating the local wildlife and enduring Jack's noisy tomfoolery while occasionally remembering to search for signs of that elusive tiger.

Finally, around this halfway point into the film, we get the feeling that the group are at real risk. From here it transpires that the small island town of Sarah is inhabited by ancestors of the infamous 19th Century cannibal killer Alexander Pearce, known as The Pieman.

With much of the latter half of the film being shot in the dark, the hunters become the hunted as DYING BREED forsakes it's slow build-up in favour of lots of forest-based panicking.

The quartet scream at each other a lot as they try to make their way through the bush, while the odd gore scene keeps us going in-between shots of locals looking mean, until we reach the inevitable twist finale.

DYING BREED is an enjoyable if trite 90 minutes, as adequate as it is ultimately forgettable. There's nothing wrong with it per se - indeed, it's an extremely accomplished-looking film - but it lacks the punch required to elevate it into something remarkable.

The early scenes when the foursome arrive at the small town and are subjected to the local weirdos in the bar are as corny as Hell. The clichés continue with the characterisations (Matt's wimpish fop juxtaposed against Jack's bolshie, experienced lad) and the clumsy way in which the story of The Pieman is introduced to the group.

Sex scenes are filmed in a predictably stylised manner, while the horror scenes are shot in quick handheld fashion. In other words, the style of the film is anything but original. Occasional nightmare sequences and flashback scenes are sure to elicit further groans from any seasoned horror viewer, who will recognise their like from a million other similar films.

But DYING BREED is at least proficient. Director Jody Dwyer has moulded a dark, brooding and slick film out of his so-so screenplay. Editing is tight and cinematography (from Geoffrey Hall) is frequently stunning. Nerida Tyson-Chew's score is restrained and effective, adding to the fact that DYING BREED is a technical success.

Wannell and Phillips prove themselves to be strong leads, especially the former who impresses with his candid vulnerability. His character is the most sympathetic, and it's hard not to feel for him when the horror escalates.

Dwyer handles the horror scenes fairly well, despite the aforementioned tendency to follow the tired convention of employing shaky handheld cameras as an indication of hysteria. Dwyer is also not shy when it comes to gore, and the film does possess some surprisingly grisly scenes.

But while DYING BREED is okay and perfectly enjoyable in it's own right, it needs to be so much more to overcome its overly familiar script and scenario. A small group of people lost in the trees, pursued by something/someone? It's been done countless times before and if you're going to do it again, make sure it's got something special to lift it above the others. DYING BREED doesn't have anything to suggest it's better than the films it sometimes reminds you of - THE HILLS HAVE EYES, STORM WARNING, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, DELIVERANCE and SHROOMS being a handful that first spring to mind - and therefore fades from memory quite quickly.

DNC Entertainment's disc is a competent but sparse affair.

The film is presented uncut in a clean and sharp anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer. Flesh tones are accurate, colours are strong without being overly so and blacks hold up extremely well. With no grain to speak of and superb restrained contrast, DYING BREED looks awfully good on DVD.

English audio is provided in 2.0 and 5.1 mixes. Both do a sterling job in playback, with the latter naturally offering the more wholesome experience.

Static menus include a 2-page scene-selection menu allowing access to the main feature via 8 chapters.

The only extra is a trailer that runs for just over a minute-and-a-half.

DYING BREED looks fantastic and is very sleek in execution. But its screenplay is overly familiar and as a result the film soon fails to register on anything but a purely visual level. It's forgettable, and DNC's disc seems to know this.

Review by Stu Willis


 
Released by Dnc Entertainment
Region 2 - PAL
Rated 18
Extras :
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