Primeval DVD Review

Dominic Purcell takes a break from Prison Break to hunt down a killer croc in Primeval, a campy horror drama advertised as the story of a serial killer. Said killer's actually a crocodile and a huge one at that. Based on true events, Primeval is the epitome of a check-your-brain-at-the-door film.

The story basically follows a TV reporter (Purcell) who's sent to Africa to not only investigate but to try and capture a gigantic creature that apparently has come to love the taste of human flesh. Helping our intrepid reporter on his quest to get the scoop on the croc are his loyal cameraman (Orlando Jones), an up-and-coming reporter (Brook Langton), and local guide/hunter (Jurgen Prochnow).

For some reason the filmmakers decided Primeval needed to be more than just the tale of a crocodile gone crazy. Not only does Gustave (a size-shifting CGI creation) have the whole continent of Africa and the croc hunters on edge, they've also got to be careful to avoid coming in contact with a warlord at the heart of a civil war. Primeval feels a little schizophrenic in tone, and cutting the warlord storyline entirely out of the film might have made for a more exciting picture overall.

The Bonus Features

The film itself did nothing for me but the commentary track is a whole different beast. Skip the film and check out the optional commentary by director Michael Katleman and visual effects supervisor Paul Linden. Their commentary on the making of the film is ten times more entertaining than the actual movie. Katleman and Linden don't hold back when discussing budget issues and the hell they went through in making Primeval.