Muzzle: City of Wolves
November 14th, 2025
MOVIE: MUZZLE: CITY OF WOLVES
STARRING: AARON ECKHART, TANYA VAN GRAAN, KARL THANING
DIRECTED BY: JOHN STALBERG JR.
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 1 STAR (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 95 MINUTES
It came as a surprise to learn that Muzzle: City of Wolves isn’t the first but the second entry in the Muzzle series. Many of us remember –I hope the sarcasm is obvious- 2023’s Muzzle, in which Aaron Eckhart played Jake Rosser, a retired service member turned police officer working in the K-9 unit. In that first outing, he bonded with a German Shepherd named Socks, struggling to connect with humans as much as his furry partner. In City of Wolves, Jake has a new dog, and the enemies this time are drug cartels who cross the wrong man, setting him off on yet another quest for revenge. Unfortunately, this John Wick–lite knockoff grows tedious fast, making you wonder how a second installment got greenlit at all.
The screenplay, co-written by director John Stalberg Jr. and Jacob Michael King, never seems sure what kind of story this sequel wants to tell. Jake has retired from the police force and now runs an independent service-dog training company, still wrestling with the demons of his past. When a restaurant robbery goes wrong, Jake survives a shootout, unaware he’s just tangled with high-ranking cartel members. Soon, Jake, his wife Mia (Tanya van Graan), and their newborn are all in danger. After their home is riddled with bullets and some of his dogs are injured, Jake sets out to hunt down every cartel associate, unleashing his impeccably trained pets as partners in vengeance.
As action films go, City of Wolves fails at nearly every level- acting, stunt work, pacing, and story. Stalberg seems more interested in mirroring the current state of the world, sprinkling in conspiracy-minded characters and general cynicism, than in crafting a compelling narrative. Eckhart isn’t miscast; in fact, he’s at the perfect point in his career to take on Liam Neeson–style mid-budget action roles. But Stalberg insists on letting the dogs upstage him at every turn.
There’s a potentially rich character arc here- Jake trying to stay sober, protect his family, and find justice in a lawless environment- but it’s buried under exaggerated shootouts and dialogue stiffer than a brand-new chew toy. Other Neeson projects, or even the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, have tackled similar material with far more energy and personality.
The climactic showdown with the cartel leader should feel like a grand finale, but instead it devolves into a long, rambling monologue, the kind of stalling tactic a Bond villain might use- minus the charm and cool factor. It’s hard not to think Stalberg had plenty he wanted to say, but instead of writing it in a journal, he let his characters wander through speeches. There might be a great movie out there about an assassin and his loyal dog, but Muzzle: City of Wolves is more like reheated dog food. Yuck.
1 STAR
MUZZLE: CITY OF WOLVES IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
