Blu-ray Review: Primal (2019)

It’s not just another boy meets dino love story in Primal, the latest from animation genius Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack).
Spear (Aaron LaPlante) is a caveman striding the primordial byways of ol’ planet Earth ‘round back the dawn of evolution, when he encounters Fang… a carnivorous dinosaur on his way out (via extinction ‘natch). The two just so happen to share a common enemy… a pack of prehistoric predators pulled a murder on both of their respective families… and soon become fast friends.
The deadly duo then hoof it from one violence smothered scenario to the next, laying a serious ass whippin’ on all manner of monsters, dinosaurs, and evil cults. Excessive bloodletting ensues!
Now, what would you say if I told you that all of the above spills n’ chills transpire without a single word uttered? Crazy right? But that shit just works… unholy hell does it ever work, with Spear emoting all over the place as he runs from berserk rage, to pining for his lost family, to thinking of ending it all… conveyed entirely through body language and expressive visuals rather than the normal blah, blah, blah. It’s an impressive feat, and the mark of a team of master storytellers.
As for visuals think Hanna-Barbera’s Mighty Mightor and Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur by way of Heavy Metal magazine and you’d be well and truly in the beastly ballpark! This is all brutal savagery, deadly beasts, and maniacal monsters and nearly every single denizen of this world is out to satisfy one bloodlust or another! Damn, I haven’t even mentioned the absolutely gorgeous, watercolor backgrounds on display here yet…
As you can surmise, Primal is well worth your time as is, but if you care to learn a little bit more on how this series came to life, this Blu-ray release from the fine folks over at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have included a brief series of creator interviews to satisfy that craving!
Moving at a breakneck pace, Primal will give fans of barbaric action exactly what they desire, but there are also moments of pathos and even humor present here as well… an absolute masterpiece through and through!