Shape Shifters

Shape shifters is probably one of the most realistic animated films I’ve ever seen, and I love that it gives the military story line a random curve ball of werewolves being a part of the universe.

As already said the animation looks pretty much realistic to the point were I completely forgot I was even watching an animated film every bit of dust from the sand or beams of light coming through tents looks real and all characters and the world around them seems natural and part of a real world meaning I was never brought out of the story because of something a bit out of place or seeming unnatural.

This short film focuses a lot on the emotional bond between Decker and Sobieski as their bond is not only a strong military bond soldiers might have with each other but also a bond in the fact that they are both werewolves and friends only having each other with the rest of the platoon being humans. One shot that really plays with the bond the two have is when they put their heads together when they say goodbye and the same shot is used when Sobieski is murdered, and Decker lowers his head next to his dead friends. 

The fight between the werewolves is done really well and gives a lot of information about the werewolves like how they transform and how much damage they can take and what happens when they do die. Giving this information to the audience means that it is not just a pointless fight for the audience they gain information on the world from the fight. 

The fight is also one of revenge for Decker and so when watching as an audience we feel that emotion when the fight finally does happen. The fight is brutal and full of anger with Decker impaling a young werewolf on a tree and nearly getting his arm ripped off to killing the young werewolf and having the older one lash out in anger and all the way up till Decker bites through the top of the werewolf’s head and gets his revenge for his fallen friend all with a gruesome crunch. 

The ending feels satisfying as the whole reason all of this occurred is because of war and with Decker losing the only reason he joined up he leaves burying his dead friend and going wild.