Primal Force

No mistake, this is a formula movie. The cynic imposed upon to go on a dangerous quest, teaching the others about the dangers. But it done exceptionally well. Ron Perlman has earned a lot of respect. He gives what could have been a stereotype a lot of character, but it isn't all him. Credit must also be given to the writers, director, and rest of the crew. It was a good team effort. The result is a fun, riveting film that leaves you hanging. The monsters in the case are mutant savage primates on an island. Perlman has dealt with before, and doesn't feel any impulse to deal with them again. He is coaxed into it, however. The story is good. The action well directed, the danger well defined. It lacks the silly blood and gore all over the place all the time that more comically inclined movies have, so you take it much more seriously. The reactions of the characters are well filmed. Stands out in the B monster movie genre.

Yes... it's another one of those "I can't believe somebody actually thought this would be a good film" movies. Admittedly, the premise is deliciously ludicrous (clean cut Americans menaced on godforsaken island by mutant killer baboons!) but once the film starts you realise that 'Primal Force' is BEYOND bad. The characters are ridiculous simpering idiots... their actions are completely schitzophrenic. One minute they are running frantically from a location in fear for their lives, another they are sitting calmly back in the same spot they were running from beforehand. Who wrote the script to this thing? One of the characters knows about the killer baboons, but rather than warning anybody else ("Um, did I mention this island is populated by mutant killer baboons?") he decides to keep quiet and occasionally deliver gruff hints at the carnage to follow ("They've shent you on a shooicide mission"). And the baboons themselves? Well, you'de think they would make them look mutant... indeed, some good costume design and effects work could possibly have saved the movie... but instead they simply make the baboons look like, well, your every day baboon. All in all, Primal Force is clearly an attempt at Jurrassic Park, only with men in monkey suits. It's irredeemably inept scripting and it's dull and predictable plot developments make it one of the worst of the generally dire 'evil creatures' films. Please don't waste your life watching this. Unless your an acute masochist with a penchant for bog standard nature gone wrong flicks. In which case it might be exactly your kind of thing. Worse than Deep Rising. And that's saying something.

A much-told story, a reluctant direction, some incompetent actors... Primal Force never seemed something unusual than a cheap TV feature. Basically the plot is a cheaper modification of Michael Crichton's Congo... where Perlman stars as a macho, experienced hunter and guide.

The movie, however easy the plot is, could be made better. It is not, mostly due to casual production. There should have been use of a little more money, with a bit more tolerable camera work and special effects.

Say what you will, but this engaging and cruddy little film has at least one major thing going for it- Mr. Ron Perlman, the hardest working, most underrated man to cruise the B-movie circuit since Brad Dourif. Plus, it's got a delicious monologue from the requisite mad scientist.

"Radical? I will show them 'radical'!" As modern TV movies go, Primal Force is more of a throw-back to an age when even the loosest, most derivative stories were set to celluloid with an intense determination and the utmost of integrity...no cheap shots or meta-jokes. Films like Alligator, Island of the Alive, and, of all things, Re-Animator had the same sort of consistent internal logic... and the tour-de-force acting styles of Michael Moriarty and Jeffrey Combs compare to Perlman's attempts at rising above the material. It is a modern movie, though, as the slightly irritating, music video style quick cuts and bwaa-bwaa electric riffs very quickly make clear. Aside from these minor quibbles and typical low budget continuity problems, Primal Force carries its modest concept cleanly through beginning to end, trying as hard as it can to make the material fresh and interesting. I've seen much worse on the Sci-Fi channel, anyway.

Anyone who enjoys '80s style nature-gone-wild flicks should take a look at least for Perlman.

But not bad enough, i was hoping this would fall into the so bad it good category but alas no. This movie was so bad it was bad, but that did not stop me from watching it till the end. It would not of taken much to make this either good as in made for TV good or bad as in straight to video bad, u know the kind of bad movie that your little brother brings home when he has seen all the new releases in the video store and he doesn't know what else to get.

Anyway...

No one should ever watch this movie unless they have several friends over in the gaf and at least 2 or more mind bending narcotics. That may make it enjoyable. Actually turn the sound down and put on some tunes, it makes a good music video, i recommend desert island disks giles peterson Anyhow in drunk and angry because there is no way to get the last two odd hours of my life back so i should stop ranting...

Drunken Irish dude is going to bed...

Rgds John