Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

I am very much in awe of this movie. Brotherhood of the Wolf encompasses every genre of film; martial arts, action, romance, thriller, horror, drama, everything. Keeping with the spirit of all these genres, it invokes many emotions from the viewer. A beast is terrorizing the countryside of Gevaudan and the villagers believe no man or bullet can put it down. Enter the ultimate Jack of all Trades, Grégoire de Fronsac, and his brother-in-arms, Mani, who have come to town to stop/capture this menacing beast. The story starts here and has so many twists and turns it could make your head spin. The cast is incredible. I have no idea who this Samuel Le Bihan guy is, but he absolutely rocks it as Fronsac. This also has potential to be a breakout role for Mark Dacascos but we'll have to wait and see on that one. Even if he doesn't make it beyond the B action flick, Mani will always be an unforgettable character. And Vincent Cassel is incredibly suave and creepy at the same time. Brotherhood is an absolutely beautiful example of what film can look like. The cinematography combined with the editing makes for some truly fantastic scenes. Let's not forget the fight choreography. There are some tremendous fight sequences that rival those from Hong Kong cinema. Some movies become great because they have that one moment that will forever live on in your memory; Moments that are undoubtedly awesome. Brotherhood of the Wolf is simply just one big moment. Other than the films by Luc Besson, I've never really been a follower of French cinema. But with the coming of this movie and the equally dark and beautiful Crimson Rivers I could get into it.

Fmovies: "Brotherhood of the Wolf" is so over the top, so manifestly ridiculous, that it simply defies criticism. Once you have seen 18th century French peasant women engaging in kung-fu, as you do in this film's first quarter hour, any qualms about lapses in plot or historical innacuracy become somewhat redundant.

If that wasn't enough for you, it also contains an Iracois warrior done up in 21st century tatoos, who also, for some reason, is a kung-fu expert, a naturalist who can fire two guns at once, an evil, hatchet faced villain who can wield a wicked knife-chain, and one big armoured cyborg wolf.

Did I mention all this takes place in pre-revolutionary France? So in addition the film manages to include a classic tale of the wiles and trials of aristocratic courtship.

Got all that? No? well it doesn't really matter. A film already straining to contain a reference to virtually every kind of film ever made (action, martial-arts, werewolf, monster, period romance) was never going to be very credible, and it would die if it took itself seriously. Fortunately, "Brotherhood" does not; it just pushes ahead full throttle distracting our attention with some excellent fight scenes and, of course, this being France, naked women (A dissolve in which Monica Bellucci's breasts become mountain peaks tells you everything you need to know about this film's style). As long as it entertains, "Brotherhood"'s rather obvious flaws can be ignored, however, this film is a ludicrous 140 minutes long and after a while tedium does begin to set in. Still, all in all an enjoyable experience.

I am very pleased to see French cinema depart from the "if you don't understand my movie, then you are not an intellectual" approach to film making. More often then not, French films have been explorations of relationships or psychological dramas. And they have generally been very difficult to sit through. Take "Place Vendome" for instance. It won all sorts of awards at Cannes, but is basically a very boring, unwatchable arthouse movie. This film is nothing like that. It is exceptionally well-made, it is exciting, horrifying, and will keep you glued to your seat. I have rarely been so impressed with a film. The plot is a little far-fetched, but it is based on a folkloric creature that stalked people in the 18th century in southern France. Therefore, if the movie gets a little bit super-natural, than I can accept it. After all, the "real" wolf was supposed to have killed over 100 people during it's reign of terror 200 years ago, and there must have been something odd about a wolf capable of such carnage.

Christophe Gans is the same person who directed "Crying Freeman", still one of the best action movies of all time (in my humble opinion). Mark Dacascos of "Crying Freeman" is equally in "Le Pacte des Loups", playing an Iroquois warrior, a traveling companion to the French protagonist. Where an Iroquois learned to fight like that, I will never know, but then again, I wasn't around during the French-Indian wars to verify how they fought:) Suffice it to say that the action sequences are terrific, the beast is terrifying, and the story is engrossing. This movie cannot be simply branded a horror film, nor an action film. It is a fantastic escape into pre-French Revolution France with a very large wolf thrown in. I loved it when I saw it in France in French. I bought the DVD as soon as it was out and watched it again. I am very pleased to say that it did not disappoint the second time around. I would highly recommend this film to anyone, providing they understand that : a) it is an action movie b) it has elements of a horror movie c) there are some supernatural elements to it d) it is set in 1780 in France e) it was originally filmed in French

If you can handle all of these points, you will love this film. Truly superb film-making. This is the only film I have rated to which I have accorded a ranking of 10.

Brotherhood of the Wolf fmovies. Le Pacte des Loups is a fairly impressive movie. What other movie can spend two and a half hours on a ravaging monster fought by a scientist and his loyal Iroqois "brother" in 18th century France, and keep its audience enraptured? Its plot is a bit obscure in places, admittedly, leaving the audience not so much in suspense as confusion, but this is the unconventionality that comes with such a unique work. The acting was a bit above average, the actors and actresses combining well with the enchanting atmosphere and succeeding in making memorable characters. The score also contributes to the film's mysterious mood, and great cinematography (although occasionally overdone) helps it out too. While all this goes a long way to making a great film, it is the dazzling action sequences that make it a classic. The choreography is great, the sound effects make you feel as if you're standing a foot away, and the mystery of the movie is such that nearly every battle's outcome is uncertain. If the romance is trite, a few lines seem out of place, and the plot falters a bit, overall, this is still quite a movie to watch if you're looking for a lot of adventure and action. [8/10]

They threw everything in the pot on this one -- oversized mysterious woman-eating beast, Machiavellian court intrigue, religious espionage, hot enigmatic gypsies and even hotter enigmatic Italian prostitutes, a rakish knight accompanied by a jujitsu-master "Peau-Rouge" (it appears, in fact, that martial arts instruction for both sexes was de rigueur in 18th-century provincial France), life-saving potions, conspiracy paranoia, incest, racial intolerance, amputees, bizarre weaponry, several cans of Whup-Ass, and a little French revolution tossed in for seasoning. And I've left out a lot. A ludicrous popcorn movie that should be very very bad but is redeemed by sheer reckless enthusiasm (the tone is demonstrated by our martial-arts Iroquois shaking out his long black tresses in Miss Clairol slow-motion). If it seemed fun, they threw it in. Check your brain at the door and enjoy The Dissolve - a cut so ridiculous and juvenile it has become an instant classic.

This is a grandiose monster movie from France that delivers the perfect blend of slick style and unsophisticated, gothic melodrama to make it one of the most appealing film fantasies in a long while. The international success of the film is not hard to understand; it's exhilarating in the same way that the old Hammer horror films were in their heyday. Everything about this elaborate movie is terrifically tacky, particularly the stunning production design. It's like seeing those artless, wilderness paintings containing hidden animal images come to life. The characters come off as if they were lifted right off of some garish paperback romance-novel cover. Best of all, the film has some nifty flourishes of sex and violence sadly missing from the current spate of half-baked, PG-13 Hollywood product. While some seem to be complaining of one martial-arts fight too many, faulty creature effects or simple-minded plotting; in this case, it's like bitching about KING KONG being over the top. This is a contemporary B-movie (albeit an expensive, subtitled one) for those who appreciate a good time at the movies. It delivers the kind of satisfaction audiences used to get seeing the work of Mario Bava or Ray Harryhausen; and that's saying a lot!