The original Muzzle from 2023 did not exactly impress critics, but it did slightly better with audiences. Or so the Popcornmeter on its Rotten Tomatoes page would suggest, which is why it got a sequel in Muzzle: City of Wolves. Jacob Michael King (Caviar 2023) returned to write the screenplay, and John Stalberg Jr (Bad Hombres 2023, Land of Bad 2024) came back as director. Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Smoking 2005, The Dark Knight 2008) reprises his role as gritty cop Jake Rosser. But Penelope Mitchell tagged out to Tanya van Graan (Starship Troopers 3: Marauder 2008, Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell 2018) to play his wife, Mia.
Sadly, Muzzle’s dog Socks gets finished off by the drug cartel too, as they seek revenge on Rosser for spoiling their operations. They try multiple times to blackmail him, smear him in the media through their connections, and chase him down directly with agents like the corrupt cop Beekman (Karl Thaning: Dredd 2012, The Dark Tower 2017). On top of that, Rosser must deal with his own PTSD, his marriage issues, and training up Socks’ successor Argos. Either the gang will finally get Rosser to crack, or his own mental stress will do the job for them.
The movie premiered in theaters on November 14, 2025, via RLJE Films, and aimed to be an old-school action flick in the same vein as its predecessor. It is a sleek 90-minute thrill ride with plenty of gunplay. Albeit spiced up with some actorly gravitas, as Eckhart has the acting chops to pull off mental issues like flashbacks to the last movie, nightmares of being an inadequate husband, and venting to his dog in his car. Kind of like those men on social media, except he is not complaining about Super Bowl halftime acts.
The problem with the last movie is that it offered viewers little beyond the dog and Rosser’s varied German commands for it. If it was trying to be a return to the likes of 1995’s The Rock or 1997’s Face/Off, it needed more nuttiness. More explosions, more hammy acting, more memorable lines beyond “Selbstmord!” Muzzle: City of Wolves offered room for that improvement, only for it to essentially repeat itself.
If Muzzle had Rosser fight off faceless cartel members with a pup in tow, then Muzzle: COW offers Rosser fighting off more faceless cartel members with a new pup. Only the masked gang now twists the arms of some officers to do their bidding. Some are reluctant to do so (Nicole Fortuin: One Piece series, Heart of the Hunter 2024), while the other, Beekman, might as well be a member of the cartel, acting as their puppet, rarely going against the hands that control him.
The marriage angle to the plot does not feel all that special either, though some action fans might feel relieved to see a movie where the hero’s wife sticks around. This time, they can add depth to the male lead by staying alive instead of being reduced to wistful bedsheet flashbacks. Though if they wanted Van Graan’s character to have more of her own agency, then they are out of luck. She gets worried about her hubby while also nearly doubting him from time to time. That is about it.
Eckhart’s Rosser is not exactly any better. He gets more screen time and some genuinely badass moments, though, as a character, he is a rather rote action hero. Moody grimaces, tortured glances, occasional prayers for a break. He is John McClane without the charm, or John Wick with fewer weapons and a duller backstory. That is not to say Eckhart’s performance is bad, as he serves what he is given well. It is just that he is serving up the bread sandwich of action leads.
Which likely means the best performance comes from Argos the dog. If only because viewers love an adorable pup, and seeing one in peril will always get them on the edge of their seats. As such, Argos gets into some derring-do of his own, including a mini-arc where he has not quite completed his obedience training. It is not much, but if people just want to see more dogs pounce on criminals, then they will get a little more of it in this movie.
Beyond that, Muzzle: City of Wolves is ultimately a rather generic, forgettable action movie. Most of the action scenes are competent, and occasionally impressive, but not particularly memorable. The human cast is boring, and the plot remains stale, no matter how many random asides the extras make (“Don’t be such an incel!”), but Argos is a good boy. Shame he was not in a better movie, as, at best, Muzzle: City of Wolves is worth 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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