PRIMITIVE WAR – Review

By Marc Butterfield, Contributed by Michelle McCue

Given the description of a war movie that found itself in a dinosaur movie is pretty accurate. Luke Sparke’s PRIMITIVE WAR, while well acted, written, and directed, still knows not to take itself too seriously. The movie is set in Vietnam War era, and while, yes, it uses every military stereotype and trope out there, still somehow gets you into the mood for what’s going down. It gets going immediately, and the pace never lets up. You do get moments of exposition, but they are brief, and relevant.

Based on the popular sci-fi novel by Ethan Pettus, the film stars Ryan Kwanten (“True Blood”), Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Lucifer”), Nick Wechsler (“The Boys”) and Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”). The affable cast gives us every reason to like them, and be sad when anything happens to them.

It’s two and a half hours, but you won’t notice it when watching. The pacing is perfect. And you do get what you want… dinosaurs, and LOTS of them. None of the philosophical musings or weird reasons for why they exist, like in the Jurassic Park/World franchise… these are just there, and, while the reasons for this are very sci-fi, you feel you’re seeing a military vs creatures movie in the same vein as PREDATOR and DOG SOLDIERS. Composer Frederik Wiedmann provides an emotional score and cinematographer Wade Muller’s raw immersive photography, shot on the Gold Coast, Australia, with a mostly local crew, sprawling sets and real jungle locations puts the audience in the middle of Vulture Squad’s thrilling journey with the dinosaurs.

Go see it. PRIMITIVE WAR is a blast.

3.5 Out of 4

PRIMITIVE WAR is now playing nationwide from Fathom Entertainment.