Primeval (2007)

First of all the movie isn't as bad as anyone has said, in fact I thought it was rather good. Not only was the plot better than expected but the jokes were well done and Jones delivered them with perfect timing. I know a lot of people are mad because of the advertising, but one of the people I went with thought it was going to be a human killer and was really happy with how the movie turned out. A lot of people has a bias towards movies like these because they are too predictable or the actors and too typecast, but I didn't find any of these a problem (Well I guess Orlando Jones is a token black guy). Overall the movie was good and the effects were well done.

Fmovies: There has always been a special place in my heart for Killer Croc movies. "Crocodile" from Tobe Hooper was super cheesy but entertaining as hell; an example of a "good" killer croc movie. Then there is "Blood Surf" that was so bad it made me giggle at the title creature every time it poked it's low budget face out of the shrubs (yes only the face is shown unless it's crappy CGI). "Primeval" is genius, even better than Hooper's croc movie. The special effects are beautiful; the croc actually looked real and monstrous at the same time, making it at least somewhat frightening. The night scenes combined with tons of blood made it look beautiful at times too, especially the kill at the bridge.

Now, this is definitely a movie for moviegoers who love a good laugh and blood and gore. I see in the forums that certain people consider some of the dialogue is "racist," but I have to disagree. Orlando Jones is hilarious, and if your sense of humor is very intact you will find him to be the most enjoyable character due to him being the character who makes sure the movie does not take itself too seriously. Jones and the croc are the stars of the movie, they save it from being too generic.

If you want a good storyline, do not watch this movie. It's fun as hell, but the story is too political when it should be about the croc. The tone shifts a bit too much showing that the director or writers tried to tie in political criticism just to express a last opinion. It would have been great overall popcorn fun if the movie would have been strictly about Mr. Gustave the Crocodile and no African rebels and such. Other than that, I love this movie and will always be able to watch it. Fun it is, deep it is not.

I saw this movie at a special screening. There is nothing special about it. I wont ruin it for those who want to see it, but I will tell say this to people who are not sure: Don't waste your money! It's only January and already this movie has the potential of being the worst of 2007.

This movie steals every plot point from other movies. Orlando Jones, who should have been banned from movie screens when Evolution came out, basically plays the same character he always plays: The Token Black Guy.

PLOT: 0 FOR 10 Acting: 0 for 10.

I cannot say anything nice about this film at all.

Primeval fmovies. After a noted scientist is killed by what can only be described as some sort of beast an expedition is sent to track it down. Dealing with their own problems, conflicts, and the fact they are in country torn part by civil war.

The film starts as a typical monster flick with an intense death scene and a hint of political agenda. It then proceeds to be a typical creature feature with some decent gore and terror, but the political agenda brought up subtly in the beginning resurfaces and the film becomes mismatched. Fans of gore and horror will have fun with the gore and horror, but the political theme is sorely out of place. It is hard to say that it is irrelevant, because if it was well developed it could serve as a decent metaphor.

Godzilla, for one, is a monster metaphor - the bastard of the nuclear age. Here that is what the film tries to do with Gustave - the HUGE killer croc. It fails - whether it is noble failure or pathetic failure is ultimately up to you - but the failure to intertwine themes and idea throughout the movie results in this mismatching. Things just seems to appear out of nowhere, like a long sequence where the main beast literally disappears from the film. It was right there in the previous scene, but for a while it is gone. Then it is conveniently back for the conclusion. In a funny way this seems to be a monster horror flick from the Sci-Fi channel that has the seriousness of "Blood Diamond" here and there. That just doesn't work, folks. Metaphors and themes must be a pervasive presence to work. --- 4/10

Rated R: graphic violence/gore and profanity

When I realized about 10 minutes into the film that I had paid to see a crocodile movie and not one about a serial killer as advertised, I was mad as h*ll!. For the first time I was about to demand my money back. However, I gave the movie a chance. I did end up enjoying it, but not enough to forgive being duped into paying the price. It is a pretty fun movie, but it's the same thing we've seen before on Sci-Fi Channel for a fraction of the price. To the distributors credit, they knew what they were doing. No one wants to pay to see a run-of-the-mill crocodile movie when they can see an giant reptile, insect, or animal/human hybrid film on cable each weekend. I love "Lake Placid", but if I knew this movie was about a croc I would not have gone to see it. It was a fun film, so if you want to pay to see Sci-Fi fare, you'll enjoy it.

I thought that this movie was very well done, but like many other people have said the advertisements were extremely misleading. My mom and I are big fans of horror movies and went expecting to see a slasher film, but once the movie started we quickly realized that it was an action adventure thriller. However, despite the fact that the movie was not what we were expecting, we both ended up really enjoying it (probably because we are fans of both genres).

Now on to the movie: The script was extremely well written, managing to bring the broader issues of genocide and civil war to light while at the same time delivering plenty of action and scare sequences, as well as humor to lighten the mood between the thrill sequences.

In addition to the writing, the actors only further contribute to the high quality of the script by consistently hitting their marks and clearly conveying the intended humor, horror, or whatever else is called for during the different scenes.

I was also impressed by the directing and cinematography. The combination of the two resulted in creating a movie that manages to involve the audience and provide footage that matches whatever mood is needed at the time; whether it be awe at the beauty of Africa or the fear when the characters are facing a dangerous situation.

To be fair, I must admit that the movie did not have very good graphics and audiences will be able to easily tell that the crocodile is done through CGI. However, between a little imagination and the actors believable performances, this does not detract from the thrills of the movie.

Ultimately if you are a fan of action-adventure and enjoy a good thrill I would highly recommend this movie, but if you are looking for a slasher film don't bother.