The Primevals Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Primevals Blu-ray Movie Review

The Primevals is a modern update on a classic stop-motion animation style of genre filmmaking (the kind that recalls the magic of the classic Ray Harryhausen stop-motion adventure gems). Featuring an original story written by David Allen, The Primevals is a nice adventure for fans of classic genre films. Produced by Charles Band (Puppet Master, Trancers) and Vlad Paunescu (Them, Pulse), The Primevals is an epic adventure made in tribute to classic special-effects monster movies – from the late David Allen.

A strange and ominous humanoid creature comes from the Himalayas. The towering creature ends up under the eye of Dr. Claire Collier (Juliet Mills). The creature is believed to be one of the legendary Yeti. With the belief in the creature being an abominable snowman, Dr. Collier is soon accompanied by her companions – her past student (Richard Joseph Paul), a longtime researcher into the abominable snowmen, Rondo Montana (Leon Russom), and more. The team find themselves searching for additional abdominal snowmen and traversing the outdoors. The team ultimately comes across more than they ever bargained for when the team discovers a group of hominids – ancient primeval creatures far different than the team expected to find.

The performances are engaging and fun. The ensemble cast has a good time with the feature-film and with what it brings to the table for audiences. The cast does terrific work in the film and fans of silly, goofy, and over-the-top b-movies will appreciate what the cast brings to the table. The ensemble remembers to have fun and let loose with the genre elements.

Edited by Steven Nielson (The Crater Lake Monster, Body Count), The Primevals is well-paced and the flow of the filmmaking works well. Nielson does a solid job as editor and makes the film flow well in spades. The action scenes are well showcased and the editorial style capably highlights the film and production. Nielson did a solid job with the editorial oversight.

Featuring production designs by Ron Lizorty (visuals effects artist on Galaxy of Terror and Saturday the 14^th ) and Milo (Prehysteria, Fallout), The Primevals looks outstanding for a modern genre film with a throwback visual style to classic stop-motion movies. The designs are creative and elaborate. There certainly is a sense of cohesion and style to the filmmaking.

The stop-motion animation by Kent Burton (The Prophecy, Nightbeast) is one of the most beautiful and rewarding aspects of the production. Burton is a talented stop-motion animator. As the top animator overseeing the stop-motion efforts, the results are superb and a testament to the craft of Burton as someone dedicated to the craft.

Featuring a score composed by Richard Band (From Beyond, Re-Animator), The Primevals is a fun and engaging score. The music plays a pivotal role in the production. Band is a talented composer with a knack for music and imagination. The engaging music plays a big role in the action-adventure style. Everything about the score adds a lot to the genre elements.

Featuring crisp and engaging cinematography by Adolfo Bartoli (Magic in the Mirror, Demon in the Bottle), the visuals of the production add a lot to the feature-film. The cinematography has a crisp, worthwhile, and engaging style. The visuals add plenty of warmth to the filmmaking. A beautiful cinematographic effort by Bartoli and it highlights the stop-motion animation well.

Written by Randall William Cook (Demon in the Bottle) and David Allen (The Magic Treasure), The Primevals is a fun and imaginative script. The dialogue can be a little over-the-top at times but it manages to be entertaining, engaging, and fun. The story is a nice throwback to classic adventure movies and the kind one might watch as an early Saturday matinee on television. The characters are surprisingly charming and their journey is compelling while the exploratory elements of script add so much to the genre filmmaking.

Directed by David Allen (The Magic Treasure, Puppet Master II), The Primevals is a compelling throwback to classic adventures. Allen made something special with The Primevals and it is certainly a fun film that genre enthusiasts will enjoy. Allen has since passed away but this charming adventure film is something audiences will hold on to and appreciate as it becomes a cult genre favorite over the years. The Primevals delivers the stop-motion charms genre fans want in spades.

The Primevals Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Umbrella Entertainment, The Primevals is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The crisp and engaging high-definition presentation is superb throughout. The scan provides a nice and filmic presentation. The crisp visuals highlight wonderful fidelity and depth. The colors "pop" with the presentation. The depth and detail helps showcase the visual sensibilities of the cinematography.

The Primevals Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio encoding is crisp and clear on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The soundstaging is excellent and there is so much worthwhile about the audio presentation. The score is well reproduced and integrated into the fun audio mix. The sound effects are well implemented into the audio presentation.

The Primevals Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a gorgeous chipboard art-box with stunning artwork. Inside of the chipboard art-box, the release also provides a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The release includes a booklet, art cards, and poster.

On disc supplements include:

Howard S Berger on the Primevals and Lost Films (HD, 15:57)

Dark Dreamers: Charles Band (HD, 23:50)

Jaimie and Aspasia Leonarder On Lost Monsters and Cryptozoology (HD, 29:23)

A Celebration of Tenacity: Q/A at Industrial Light and Magic (HD, 30:03)

Charles Band and David Allen on The Primevals (HD, 1:41)

Randall William Cook Visits The Primevals (HD, 2:31)

The Primevals – 1984 Promo Reel (HD, 2:30)

The Primevals – 1997 Promo Reel (HD, 4:43)

Raiders of the Stone Ring – Promo Reel (HD, 10:06)

The Primevals – Time-Lapse Animation (HD, 00:59)

The Beginning of The End (HD, 3:21)

David Allen at the Moviola (HD, 6:02)

Primevals – A False Start (HD, 1:37)

Alternate Extended Version of Feature (HD, 1:37:43) in Dolby Digital 2.0.

Trailer (HD, 2:13)

The Primevals Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Primevals is a fun and charming old-school adventure. The stop-motion animation is well done and there is plenty to appreciate about the style of the film. The late David Allen made a special adventure classic honoring the gems of stop-motion animation. Fans of genre filmmaking will appreciate the film and the wonders it offers audiences. Umbrella Entertainment has assembled an incredible collector's edition with a deluxe chip-board art-box, gorgeous slipcover, booklet, art cards, and poster. Recommended.