Whilst I absolutely have to hand it to Australian filmmaker Luke Sparke for his inventive genre blend in Primitive War – that being the war-set action film and the dinosaur-centric creature feature – this bloated actioner, overall, never quite finds the right footing in how to successfully execute such a bodacious mash-up.
With a requisite “Fortunate Son” needle drop (following a cold open that clues us in on the dino attacks to come), Primitive War sets itself up in 1960s Vietnam, where the film’s ragtag group of soldiers (led by a no-nonsense Ryan Kwanten) come to find that their mission is not as straightforward as they were led to believe; Jeremy Piven adding his usual comedic intensity as their foul-mouthed commander.
It makes sense that Sparke’s script – based off of Ethan Pettus‘s book of the same name – would want to flesh out its characters so that we give some semblance of a shit when they become ultimate dino food, but at 130 minutes there’s too much time devoted to their dynamic, which fails to extend beyond the usual machismo banter; and because its 1960s Vietnam, be prepared for a slew of casual racism from the all-American soldiers at bay. Essentially, we go to a movie like Primitive War for the bloody carnage promised, not for the mental deterioration such an experience can have on its soldiers.
I’m all for the psychological aspect of war, but when Primitive War descends into B-grade movie chaos, where questionably-accented Russian scientists are responsible for bringing dinosaurs back to life, it hardly feels like the right space to explore anything of intended dramatic weight. And it’s a shame that it never finds that balance, because when the film delights in the variety of species ripping the humans to shreds, it proves entertaining; it also has to be noted that the effects are, for the most part, quite solid for a film that would’ve had something of a limited budget.
Ultimately, there’s an enjoyable, intentionally nonsensical monster movie at the core of Primitive War, unfortunately unable to be fully realised through a sense of seriousness and overt character focus. Its theatrical release is still a win for the Australian film industry though – we certainly can’t take that away – and such funding to help Sparke execute his vision hopefully indicates that more genre voices can be heard.
TWO STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Primitive War is now screening in Australian theatres.
*Image credit: 3DVF
Seasoned film critic and editor. Gives a great interview. Penchant for horror. Unashamed fan of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jason Momoa.
Contact: [email protected]