Primeval Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Inspired by the true story of the most prolific serial killer in history.
The hunt begins soon
A news team is sent to South Africa to capture and bring home a legendary 25-foot crocodile. Their difficult task turns potentially deadly when a warlord targets them for death.
| Dominic Purcell | Tim Manfrey |
| Brooke Langton | Aviva Masters |
| Orlando Jones | Steven Johnson |
| Jürgen Prochnow | Jacob Krieg |
| Gideon Emery | Mathew Collins |
| Gabriel Malema | Jojo |
| Linda Mpondo | Gold Tooth |
| Lehlohonolo Makoko | Beanpole |
| Dumisani Mbebe | Harry |
| Eddy Bekombo | Ato |
| Chris April | Captain |
| Ernest Ndhlovu | Shaman |
| Erika Wessels | Dr. Cathy Andrews |
| Vivian Moodley | Indian UN Officer |
| Lika Van Den Bergh | Rachel |
| Michael Katleman |
2.40 out of 10 (1335 votes)
Visitor Reviews
It is what it is- a B movie to rent
posted on 29 Aug 2009-Take the cinematography from "Ghost in the Darkness"- Africa landscapes
-Throw in the boat from "Anaconda"
-The guy from 7up & Mad TV for comic relief- with a few good laughs
-A few elements from "Lake Placid"
-Some villians from "Black Hawk Down" (two plot lines going here)
-Have the Crocodile attack either like "Jurassic park 3" or a serial killer.
You basically have a Saturday night rental that you can leave on as you half pay attention and guess which common movie plot line they will do.
It is what it is; not good, but not really bad either. The cinamatographer will difenantly get more work.
Different from the trailer
posted on 20 Aug 2009From the looks of the trailer, the "Primeval" should be about a demon serial killer burying his/her victims in mass graves. It's not, it's just another version of "Anaconda," "Lake Placid" or "Deep Blue Sea" (all of which were much, much better movies), this time with a crocodile. The mass graves are the result of a long-term civil war in Burundi, where the movie is set.) The crocodile has been around for years, eats people very regularly, but apparently no one seems to have found a need to kill the crocodile. The SFX re: the crocodile are pretty good. But the movie is awful, with very little character development, no surprises, and a lousy script.
Don't waste your money!
posted on 16 Aug 2009I saw this movie at a special screening. There is nothing special about it. I wont ruin it for those who want to see it, but I will tell say this to people who are not sure: Don't waste your money! It's only January and already this movie has the potential of being the worst of 2007.This movie steals every plot point from other movies. Orlando Jones, who should have been banned from movie screens when Evolution came out, basically plays the same character he always plays: The Token Black Guy.PLOT: 0 FOR 10 Acting: 0 for 10.I cannot say anything nice about this film at all.
squanders a lot of potential
posted on 08 Aug 2009Primeval is horrible but it didn't need to be. A thirty minute creature feature is expanded by incorporating a needless plot line showing civil war and genocide in Africa. Plus the sneering tone of the film in this 'genocide segment' feels totally inappropriate for what was supposed to be a cheesy B-movie. To make matters infinitely worse, the monster is barely even shown and the shaky cam means that the action footage makes no sense at all. The acting is mediocre. Special mention for Orlando Jones who has a cringe-inducing dialogue towards the end. All in all, you come out of the cinema hall feeling cheated.Overall 2/10
A Great Creature Flick, if only there were more
posted on 08 Aug 2009I hate slasher flicks, and that is how it was advertised, so I was turned off. But upon renting it, I loved it. A great setting, different characters, and very intense creature animation, editing, gore, and chase stuff. I love a film that makes me feel: ooooh I sooo don't want to be there.I'm very bummed this film is getting such a low rating. Compared to all the pornographic slasher flicks, this stands head and shoulders above the onslaught of slashers in theatres and at your local Blockbuster.I wish there were more creature flicks like this. No over acting, no broad audience appeasement, just a straight story, that keeps building and building. And the violence is incredible and real. As in, oh, my gosh, nature is that cruel and so are humans. Without having to those demented oh so godlike scary serial killers who are so perfect in every way.Great job film makers and CG guys! I feel for ya!I'm buying it!
Based On A True Story
posted on 08 Jul 2009My Oppinion: Primeval is a great creature movie. I've alays enjoyed these types of films.
About The Movie: Primeval is based on a real life 25 foot man eating crocodile. The movie sets in africa where the thing actually lives. The movie is about a crew of news reporters who are sent catch the croc on film or catch the croc its self. In the middle of trying to get the killer croc one f news memeber played by orlando bloom accidentaly catches an exucution on tape and that they are now on the bad guys most wanted list. did a metion that africa is under civil war. well they got themeselves in a fine mess, Killer croc, merssinaries and civil war soldiers oh my. can they escape or will they get eaten, shot or beheaded. well you'll just have to find out.
My second oppinion. Even though this is based on a true story the most scariest part is that the Crocodile is still alive. This movie rocks i don't care what any body else says.
Should be better for a true story
posted on 17 Jun 2009I would not recommend this movie to anyone based on it's production value. The trailers and movie itself fail to let the viewer know that the majority of the instances are true. Gustave is a very real, very giant and very vicious killer. The horrible CGI deflates the real monster. Most of the characters, save "little Gustave", actually exist (with changed names). I learned of this croc years ago and that's why I watched the movie. I expected the "inspired by a true story" liner would indicate total fabrication based on a croc that killed a bunch of people. Similar to the way "Hostel" was 99.9% made up. You are better off looking up Gustave the croc on certain streaming video sites to watch the real croc and the real people hunt him. Reality in this instance is much more bloody.
Better than expected
posted on 13 Jun 2009O.K. so the misleading ads were something to get angry about, but what do you expect them to do when every other giant-croc movie went down the tubes? I don't like horror/gore movies at all, because usually they're not very well made. I'm not sure if this movie qualifies as a horror movie, but that was the basis for my apprehension on seeing this film. But in a strange turn of events, I ended up watching this movie, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The acting/directing/editing/etc. isn't phenomenal, but it's more than well-done. The story is good (and it's based off of a real croc!), it has twist and turns than kept me interested and not sure what was going to happen next (and I'm a screenwriter). Overall: worth your time.
Substandard Yet Fun
posted on 13 Jun 2009It wasn't exactly a mystery that 'Primeval' was more than likely going to be a substandard creature-feature. If Disney's last minute decision to switch its release date with another upcoming film, 'The Invisible' like it's nothing more than a pawn wasn't a clue, I don't know what is. Its jokes aren't all that funny, it's political message is unnecessary, & the constant game of tug-of-war the plot plays is a bit annoying. Yet…it's actually kind of fun to watch.Inspired by true events, 'Primeval' takes us on a hunt for the most notorious "serial killer" in all of Africa, Gustave the crocodile. He's lean, mean, & twenty feet long. Led by TV producer Tim Freeman, played by Dominic Purcell, it's the news team's job to capture the croc with a supposed victim count over 300, and bring him back to the U.S. The task proves to be more difficult when they find themselves directly in the heart of a war based on tribal malignity. The body count is increasing, and the time left is dwindling as the team struggles to stay alive.The number of jokes told in 'Primeval' is almost equal to the victim count of Gustave. Well, it at least seems that way. This might not be a problem if half of them were actually funny. "I feel like a pork chop on Queen Latifah's plate." says Orlando Jones' character, Steve. I didn't even laugh on the inside at that one. The jokes are actually important though, so I can't really poke at them too much. If it wasn't for the jokes told by Steve, you wouldn't care at all whether he dies or not.The jokes are also important for another reason. They provide the transition between each time the plot decides to switch back and forth. I believed the main focus of the film was about catching a killer crocodile. There are times though when it feels like the war of the tribes is what we all should really be paying attention to. Then just as it seems that's the direction the film is going, it quickly reverts back to the original hunt. The war should've just remained a background subject, rather than forcing itself in your face randomly throughout the film. This was probably done because it's also a main aspect of the documentary shown sometimes on PBS.The war ends up leading up to the reprehensible political message presented. Gustave's attacks are blamed solely on the war. Tim states that we made him develop a taste for human flesh with all the killing. I kid you not, that's the reasoning the film attempts to make you believe. There was no need to include that. I went into 'Primeval' expecting just to see a giant crocodile mangle and devour people. I didn't expect that to be accompanied with some asinine message wanting me to believe war is the explanation for its eating habits.Now even though the film bears these many flaws, it still manages to be kind of fun to watch. The chase scene involving the croc and Steve is highly unbelievable, but very entertaining. Almost every scene involving Gustave is veritably enjoyable. Those really are 'Primeval's only highlight except for the surprisingly well shot village scenes that are simply superb. Considering that, I won't discourage people from seeing it. Many people will probably find the jokes amusing and from the average movie-goer's standpoint, the message won't make any difference. It really all comes down to whether or not the death scenes are exciting enough. Are they? For the most part yes; the best ones being the first and last.
fit to be called "creature feature"!
posted on 12 Jun 2009the plot was great. the crocodile was only a portion of what was going on . the real problem was a war that struck africa. while gustave was busy eating people. the treaty was signed ending the war . and best of all gustave lives! he is currently living and hunting on the rambizi river.
A typical B movie for monster fans.
posted on 04 Jun 2009When I was in kindergarten, we always used to sing this crocodile song (I forgot the name of) and according to the lyrics, her jaws were never closed because she always gossiped about the rest of the animal kingdom. Well now, the croc in "Primeval" answers to the name Gustave and his jaws are never closed neither, but for a completely different reason. Since the beginning of time, he reigns over the swamps & rivers in the poorest regions of Burundi and he supposedly devoured over 300 people already. Gustave normally just feeds on locals, so nobody in the Western world cares whether he lives or dies, but he now made the terrible mistake of eating a female white reporter and his quiet and peaceful days of over for good. A prominent American newspaper sends out an expedition, complete with reporters, local guides and a professional crocodile hunter, to capture Gustave alive.
When "Primeval" came out a couple of months ago, it already earned itself to be noted one of the worst films and receives one harshly negative review after the other. Quite undeservedly if you ask me, because it really isn't such a terrible movie and even benefices from a handful of good aspects, like a solid cast and engaging CGI-monster effects. The scriptwriters simply made one incomprehensible and unforgivable mistake! Why on earth did John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris had the ambition to use the premise of a low-brained monster feature to alert us about the disastrous political situation in Southern Africa? There's a 25-foot-long crocodile running amok and yet this movie mainly criticizes how the Western world shamelessly turned its back on the poverty & civil war issues in Burundi. If they wanted to make a harrowing and insightful follow-up to "Hotel Rwanda" that's perfect by me, but please don't pretend it's a non-stop gory and exciting creature-feature! It's like the characters in the film say themselves: nobody cares about politics as long as there's a croc involved! Mixing big-animal-horror with political drama topics, as well as the supposedly heart-breaking sub plot revolving on an African adolescent who'd do everything (literally EVERYTHING!) to enter the USA, is probably Hollywood's worst spontaneous decision to date, and it's really no surprise the public hates this movie for it. If "Primeval" simply had focused on the bloody crocodile-hunting mission, everything would have been a-okay and it definitely would have ranked on the list of above average monster films. All the necessary ingredients and stereotype characters to make a delightfully cheesy and entertaining creature feature are present.
The crew exists of a reluctant reporter who considers his trip to Burundi as a punishment for ruining a previous assignment, a new and ambitious female reporter who desperately wants to prove herself, the 'token-black-guy' cameraman, the overly self-confident expert who thinks he's even better than Steve Irwin (RIP) and of course the introvert guide who has a personal score to settle with Gustave. Director Michael Katleman patiently waits a good 45 minutes before properly showing the crocodile - and hence effectively builds up tension - and it has to be said the animal looks very impressive. Gustave is big, but not over-the-top big, and he looks genuinely menacing when speeding through the swamps and destroying cages of solid steel. But then, completely out of the blue, the cameraman accidentally witnesses a political execution in the middle of nowhere and suddenly the Americans have to flee from local crime-networks instead of from Gustave. The sudden change in tone & message is impossible to cope with and the rest of the film is giant disaster. Not even the fairly spectacular finale can undo the damage. The cast is pretty decent, with Dominic Purcell ("Prison Break"), Brooke Langton ("The Replacements"), Orlando Jones ("Evolution") and a typical supportive role for B-movie veteran Jürgen Prochnow. I say see it if you ran out of rental ideas.
If I had known this was another "Gator" movie, I wouldn't have wasted my time or money!
posted on 26 May 2009I, along with other viewers,was duped into thinking that this was about a serial killer when in fact it was about an animal that kills humans. O.K. animals do this as it is part of their instinct & sometimes animals acquire a taste for blood. In this case the theory is that the "Gator" acquired this "taste" because of all the bloodshed from the civil war that had gone on for years in that country. Could be? All I know is that when I started watching the movie & realized that it was just another "Gator" movie I was not only disappointed, but just plain mad. Mad that I had been duped, but I am not alone as many of of my fellow movie goers will see!!........Very Disappointed!!!
Why is it so hard to make a really good killer Crocodile movie?
posted on 24 May 2009An news crew travels deep into the darkest reaches of Africa to capture a 25 foot crocodile that has been snacking on innocent people for decades, but find out that this is no normal crocodile & he isn't the only threat to their lives either....PRIMEVAL looked to be a movie based on a serial killer from what I could see from the many advertisements they had for it on TV & what I assumed to be a killer crocodile movie from the box art & film reviews I read, however one would hardly recognize that after seeing the film, since the crocodile is seen very little in the movie, which instead focuses on the massacres taking place inside the jungles by a group of vicious killers, it seemed to me that the film was really two short films strung together to create one feature length movie, one about a group of killers, the other about a killer crocodile, however despite the fine performances & the odd jolt here & there, PRIMEVAL has no bite (pun intended) it's direction is flat, it's pace to slow & it's characters are even less interesting. There's no real memorable kills in the movie, nor anything remotely interesting happening in it to make you remember this film a week from now, in fact the film will probably fade your memory by the time your done rewinding the tape or taking out the DVD. By & far the lamest killer crocodile film I've seen. Skip this one, it's not as good or as exciting as it's premise would suggest.*1/2 stars
An Enjoyable Creature Feature
posted on 18 May 2009This movie is about the hunt for a giant crocodile in a war torn African nation. Okay? That means that if you don't like monster movies in general you wont have any fun here. And for those complete and utter attention deficit morons who feel that the trailer falsely advertised the movie as a serial killer flick....all I can say is SHAME ON YOU! The trailer mentions the giant croc seconds into its start. You would have to be deaf and blind not to realise that this is a creature-feature! Okay on to the movie: Its a beautifully shot, fun filled thrill ride. There are enough variations in this monster movie plot to provide you with some interest (and its not a tired rehash of every other monster movie you have seen). In fact I would say that the ending of this movie is unique amongst creature features. The croc itself looks good and the locales it inhabits suitably creepy. The actors do a reasonable job and there are enough twists in the plot to keep you interested in what happens. All in all an enjoyable movie...not Oscar winning stuff...but just plain old FUN.
False Advertisement and Poor Taste
posted on 18 May 2009I'm not one for horror movies, but I am one for a good mystery. From the advertisements, I thought this movie was going to be based on actual events of trying to capture an internationally notorious serial killer. The little bit of being "not-human" grabbed my attention furthermore, due to the idea that there really could be missing links in the evolutionary scale. Instead, I'm handed crap. My friend and I viewed possibly one of the worst movies ever, but unexpectedly hilarious. As well, how dare Hollywood Pictures have the gall to advertise a horror movie when it is a lame excuse of a somewhat political agenda. Yes, there is suffering in this world, but how dare the powers that be exploit such poverty with horrific humour. Sadly enough, I caught myself laughing at Orlando Jones' lines and the badly made CG deaths. If you dare see this B movie (maybe C or D), be sure to not watch the advertisements.
Best Creature film in years.
posted on 16 May 2009Ignoring the wailing howls of morons who bash this film for a plethora of reasons I decided to see Primeval.Firstly, it isn't so much a monster film, but a film that has a monster in it. The script is fairly solid, the acting was very good as was the directing and camera work. It is certainly deeper than most films these days by not just being a film about a killer crocodile (who actually exists) but a film about the brutality and inhumanity that occurs in Africa. Considering the budget the CG was great, not just great for the budget but actually good, because the film makers knew how to show CG, how to light it and blend it instead of just shoving it in your face like so many films (IE King Kong). Comparing it to the recent big creature films over the last few years like King Kong and Jurassic park 3 Primeval delivers on so many levels and never enters the realm of cheesy or lame creature flick like the above two do.The action scenes feel like they have come out of a great dinosaur film, the kind of rush you got when first watching the original JP film. But they also keep in the human aspect, which the later JP films left out.All in all, this film is worth a buy. And for those film makers out there who want to make monster films and also have the human element present so your film doesn't just go down on the list of BS Zgrade creature films, watch this film, they do it brilliantly, you could pick up a few things.Best film I have seen this year.
true story - movie a little cheesy & funny at times.
posted on 16 May 2009The movie was a little cheesy and funny at times. I liked it. I originally watch National Geograpics Gustaves documentary. I suggest watching it! In the film, a news team attempts to capture Gustave, a legendary man-eating crocodile. This storyline follows on the heels of an Adventure article by Contributing Editor Michael McRae. In "Have You Seen This Croc?" (published in March 2005), McRae, along with Contributing Photographer Bobby Model and herpetologist Brady Barr, go on an expedition to track the legendary Nile croc in war-torn Burundi. Their gripping, true story follows, as it originally appeared.In May 2006, Burundi-based Gustave tracker Patrice Faye, a self-taught naturalist, updated McRae on the croc's activities. Faye said Gustave had been credited with ten fatal attacks along the heavily populated shore of Lake Tanganyika, south of Bujumbura, the capital. He also noted that it was impossible to pinpoint Gustave's location, because the cunning croc is always on the move.On January 6, Faye's assistant and translator Dominique Puthod noted Gustave's latest activity in an email to NGA: Faye and other witnesses saw Gustave last November on the Bujumbura shore area, which is very good news, as many feared he had died or been shot. Apparently, two more deadly attacks were linked to Gustave's coming back. Since then, we've lost track of him. It is difficult to spot Gustave these days due to the heavy showers that have poured over Burundi over the last two weeks. Water in the lake is high and muddy. The rainy season has been intense this year; the water levels will finally go down in April.
Exciting Creature Feature!
posted on 14 May 2009I'd usually trust the poor reviews of a movie like this but decided to take a chance and go against them. I was not disappointed. The first thing that kept me interested is the "cinema" look and feel of the film. Unlike shoestring budget films like, "Supercroc" (2007), this one makes a good first impression. The movie is generally about a legendary 20+ foot crocodile that is terrorizing terrorized South Africa. A news team from the US is sent to capture the creature but naturally find out it's more difficult than they thought. Not to mention that the crocodile isn't the only thing they need to watch out for.The main actor, Dominic Purcell, I best remember as "John Doe" from the short-lived series of the same name. Lately, I've been seeing him mostly as a B+ actor in films like this. He neither adds nor takes from the film. In short, you could replace him with almost anyone else (with the same build and look) and it would be fine. Brooke Langton is strangely out of place. She's a little bit too attractive and sweet to be on such an expedition in war-torn Africa. If she's not careful, a girl like her might just get robbed and raped for good measure. Overall, you can relate to the important characters and the story builds up quite well. It's also not short of suspense.The crocodile also makes decent appearances every now and then showing that the movie isn't relying on some Hitchcock excuse of leaving things to the imagination. The beast looks quite realistic and even moves slower than the blink of an eye sometimes. Length-wise, it's just right. Many movies these days drag on for up to 2 hours (or more) but don't warrant it. This one is compact at a classic 90 minutes or so. Finally, I have to say that I do not agree with the poor reviews of this film and the points they bring up because it just seems to me like a bias toward "creature features". If you're looking for entertainment, you'll find it here.
I'm sorry...an alligator cannot be a serial killer...
posted on 30 Aug 2009Wow, I saw this film last night, and I have to say that I was very disappointed when I left. I think what made me most upset was the same thing that made many others upset: the trailer and tag line says "Inspired by the true story of the most prolific serial killer in history," but the film is about a killer crocodile. AN ANIMAL CANNOT BE A SERIAL KILLER...IF SOMEONE GETS IN ITS WAY, IT WILL ATTACK! In no way is an alligator a serial killer...it is simply killing on instinct, and without a consistent method or demographic, unless an animal that eats humans is the method and demographic. It would have been helpful if the trailer was more clear and addressed the fact that an alligator will be doing the killing in this movie, not a serial killer that is still at large.