Primal

25 years ago, Primal would have been a massive release available in virtually every theater in North America. The film would have benefitted from a supersized budget, top-of-the-line special effects, and just enough studio oversight to ensure the filmmaker behind the movie knew how to handle the material given to them. It would be a hit, and we would still talk about its high-concept thrills to this day.

But it’s now 2020, and Primal is suffering a far worse fate.

Starring Nicolas Cage in a role befitting his unique gifts, Primal tells the story of an exotic animal hunter and collector who finds himself trapped on a cargo ship where one of the deadliest men in the world is loose. To make matters worse, this lunatic has also freed all the animals that Cage’s character is transporting, which severely raises the risk of death. There are monkeys, tigers, and birds aplenty all frolicking aboard a ship filled with bumbling sailors and dumb federal agents.

Everything about this movie should work. All the elements for a blockbuster action film are present, especially when you consider the cast. Cage was practically born to play Frank Walsh, a borderline alcoholic who spends all his time alone searching for rare creatures and talking to a parrot he reluctantly keeps around. Similarly, Kevin Durand has a reputation for villainous roles (see DC’s Swamp Thing series), and Michael Imperioli is no stranger to portraying authority figures. Even Famke Janssen has enough action films on her resumé to know what makes a film like this work, but their collective talents can only go so far. The script by Richard Leder does not provide enough runways for these longtime stars to truly take flight.

There’s also the not-so-small matter of the film’s special effects. A movie featuring numerous animals in situations that requires extensive CGI work needs a budget to deliver on its promise fully, and Primal is not that kind of popcorn flick. It would help if you believed a group of monkeys would murder a chef in the ship’s galley, or that Cage was fearlessly staring a white jaguar in the eyes. There are moments where the simplicity of the scenes makes low-budget CGI look better than expected, but those moments are rare. 

I certainly do not envy director Nick Powell, whose only turn as director before Primal was on the woefully misguided 2014 film Outcast. That movie also starred Cage as a warrior in ancient China and suffered from similar budget constraints. Primal is a step forward in terms of execution and pacing, but only slightly. Powell’s extensive work in stunts hasn’t given him an eye for action, though I suspect it informs the projects he’s hired to direct. He also struggles to maintain any sense of tension.

Primal is a textbook example of a movie you want to like and try to love, but cannot fully enjoy due to budget constraints, poor direction, and cinematography that feels lifted from an even cheaper indie film production. In another time with another director, this film could be something great. I’ll even go as far as to say it should be something film fans celebrate. In reality, however, this is yet another underwhelming movie dumped on VOD to avoid the losses that would come from a major marketing campaign and theatrical push.

Grade: C-. Rated R. Now available on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube

(Photo: Lionsgate)