Primal (2019) User Reviews (168)

Just enjoyable on an evening where you don't care about the goofs.

[stefan-526-296130 · 6/10 · 10 November 2019]

Yes, it's a plain action action movie with non extensive action. It is a clear 6.2 on the scale.

I needed some plain movie with nothing to think about, and the bad reviews just gave me the hint, this is exactly what you need today.

And yes, it was amazing, totally predictable, but good enough to ease out the evening and have some "come on"s for the goofs, "next time do better on that part".

But some nice scenes in the jungle already made up for the movie. It was clear from the beginning that it would not be a very special movie, yet it got nice parts and the story was the good vs evil in a closed space type with the expected ending.

So yes, just watch it, if you like Nicolas Cage movies, or at least some of them, this is not his worst, it's pretty decent.

Nicolas Cage vs the Uncaged

[TwistedContent · 5/10 · 8 November 2019]

Nicolas Cage never fails to entertain & nowadays it's quite easy to set the expectations for his newest pieces just right to get the max out of it. "Primal" is obviously flawed and sometimes quite silly, but it's all good and light fun that sets our beloved Nic Cage versus the uncaged.

"Primal" starts off in the jungle, introduces Frank Walsh as the thick-skinned, smart-mouthed, secretly-actually-a-good-guy hunter who's on a mission of getting his freshest catches (including a vicious one of a kind jaguar) shipped to the American zoos. In other words, characteristically, it's the type of character Cage enjoys and we enjoy it just as much, if not more. So, everybody gets on the ship, including and armada with a big-time prisoner & all goes to hell in two days, making Cage take up a fight against the uncaged, which happen to be both animals and the main villain. The story's pretty straigtforward, but moves at a steady pace, at times barely, but managing to not cross the line of boredom. Among those parts there's some classic type of action sequences, some creature feature thrills & a little bit of healthy Nic Cage comedy. Most of the characters are, well, cliche & sometimes some of them do stupid things, but the quantity of the expendable characters compensates. Acting's either decent or okay-ish, besides Cage the next best thing was Kevin Durand as the villain. I'm happy to say that visually "Primal" was a bit better than I was expecting from another VOD, the cinematography's very standard, but decent & the fx were quite solid. The soundtrack & original score was lacking and barely noticeable.

All in all it's undeniable that without Nic Cage "Primal" would be an even lesser movie, because if there's one thing I might remember from this flick is him and his line "I got a real nice cage for you". While the movie itself is very average, I do recommend it strongly for all the Cage fans out there. My rating: 5/10.

only for Nicolas Cage fans

[mov13junk13 · 4/10 · 8 November 2019]

I watched this movie because of Nicolas Cage and Famke Janssen, nevertheless its a lowbudget movie and it shows, average cinematography and some average VFX. Kevin Durand as a villian is okay but overall i have seen much better performances of all the actors in other productions. The plot is very thin, but thats not really the movies problem, just the execution and whole pacing doesnt feel right. If you really need to watch a movie that plays on a boat with some lurking threat i highly suggest "Deep Rising" from 1998, its without Cage but with Janssen, much better pacing and much more entertaining to watch.

Dear God!

[desimonici-898-584421 · 10 September 2020]

This movie is an absolute hoot. I can't believe someone said this was some of Cages best work. LOL The "assassin" is on the boat about 5 minutes before he escapes. Are these the keystone cops guarding him. There's the most dreadful CGI big cat. Our love interest looks like she wouldn't be able to whistle anymore. The plot, the script, the OTT acting... It's a positive comedy classic!

A B-movie that that provides just enough trashy thrill to justify itself.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 5/10 · 24 May 2020]

If you took The Ghost and the Darkness, First Blood, Under Siege, and a dash of Snakes on a Plane you'd most likely get something like Primal, an okay action thriller that succeeds despite its low budget and shaky FX. Nicolas Cage plays big game hunter Frank Walsh who books a freighter to transport his illegally acquired exotic animals(including a white jaguar worth a small fortune) but his plans hit a snag when some U.S. Marshalls piggy back on his ship to transport rogue Black Ops killer Loffler played by Kevin Durrand. Needless to say Loffler escapes, releases franks menagerie of exotic animals and the fight for survival ensues. If there's anything to be said in Primal's favor it's that it's never boring. Despite the dodgy CGI and some phoned in performance, the action moves at a quick enough pace to keep you engaged and Cage is having fun playing a professional hunter now trying to use his skills against a crazed black ops mercenary. What makes the film stumble unfortunately is its obvious budget limitations and a lack of menace from Durrand as Loffler. Aside from a few moments, the movie downplays the threat of the exotic animals and focuses more on Loffler who just doesn't feel threatening despite his earnest attempts. There's also a tracker Walsh is in possession of that I thought would be used for Alien style suspense, but despite it being brought up, it never comes into play in any meaningful fashion. Primal is a serviceable rental, it'll kill 90 minutes and you'll never think of it again. And for DTV thrillers you can certainly do worse.

Is there a movie Cage isn't acting in?

[peterp-450-298716 · 5/10 · 11 December 2019]

I just spent ten months in the jungle, and this all smells like cat crapto me.

Films where animals mess with the protagonists' life. There are a lot of those movies. Only recently you could see in "Crawl" how alligators tried to outwit a father and daughter with their immense mouths full of razor-sharp, meat-tearing teeth. In "A quiet place" there were creatures with such a developed hearing that they can locate any human sound and quickly go there to tear the source of the noise to pieces. Birds, dogs, cats, crocodiles, tarantulas, grizzly bears, monkeys, ants, snakes, and sharks. An entire segment of the animal kingdom has already been used. This movie "Primal" immediately reminded me of a movie I saw years ago. Namely "Burning Bright". In this last film, too, it was a tiger chasing two innocent people. Only it took place in a kind of Pippi-Longstocking-house. In "Primal", on the other hand, it's a cargo ship that serves as a hunting ground. And Nicolas Cage is also present. Maybe that's why it's worthwhile to give this film a chance.

Nicolas Cage. Man, I admire this actor enormously. He's a phenomenon. I'm sure he's aiming to reach a specific goal in his life. And that's being able to announce on his deathbed that he broke the world record of "Actor with most appearances in feature films". The man (known for his phenomenal roles in "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Joe") did his utmost best in recent years. Every year he appeared in no fewer than six films. Of course, they aren't all masterpieces. But La Cage seems to have an enormous endurance. I think he accepts every offer he gets. Apparently, his love for acting is infinite.

The crucial question you can ask yourself is of course: "Is this movie worth watching or is it completely rubbish?". Well, the truth is actually somewhere in the middle. When Frank Walsh (Nicolas Cage) embarks on board a container ship, together with a whole load of exotic animals, he soon notices that he's not the only one with a unique, life-threatening specimen. Frank earns his living by catching exotic animals, which he then resells to the highest bidder. And the white jaguar ("white jag" as Frank repeatedly pronounces) is a lottery ticket for him. A million to one shot and the guarantee he'll own some real estate in Pine Lake. And suddenly the American authorities show up with a highly dangerous mercenary (Kevin Durand) in chains, a battalion of soldiers armed to the teeth and a personal female doctor (Famke Janssen) to ensure that the mercenary survives the trip. It has something to do with a brain abnormality and atmospheric pressure. A side issue afterward. You can already guess what's going to happen. Soon Frank realizes he has to use his hunting instincts to hunt both the white jaguar and the perilous Richard Loffler.

The film never really gets exciting. It looks more like a long version of playing "hide and seek". The accompanying soldiers are systematically liquidated easily. That kind of looked ridiculous. Also, after a certain period, Dr. Ellen Taylor no longer had a real function. Famke Janssen restricts herself to some annoying protests about catching endangered species. She looks like a feministic environmental activist, who's about to pull up a protest sign with slogans about animal rights. Even the jaguar only managed to convince in the opening scene. Afterward, the jaguar was nothing more than a sneaking shadow. Only the two characters Cage and Durand played, caused some excitement. Kevin Durand managed to play a psychopathic character convincingly. And Cage visibly had fun here. And to be honest, compared to "A score to settle", "Kill Chain", and "Running with the devil" (I shamelessly fell asleep while watching this last one), this Cage-B-film isn't that bad. Are you a Nicolas Cage fan? Well, you can safely add it to your list of "Must See Cage-Movie".

More reviews here: movie-freak.be

A wrecked face, wild animals on a ship and a weathered Cage on the prowl...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 10 November 2019]

Granted, this is a Nicolas Cage movie, which means that I am already not having any particular high expectations, as he is not among my favorite actors to watch on the screen. But still, my wife enjoys his movies, so I also ended up sitting down watching the 2019 movie "Primal".

And at least I thought that with Famke Janssen in the movie, then there would be something to look forward to. Let me just say right now, that I wasn't aware that she had a heap of plastic surgery done, so I was in for a rude awakening when she appeared on the screen and removed those sunglasses that she wore. Wow, just wow, it was so hard to take my eyes off of that train wreck that was now sitting where Famke's face was before. Oh my god...

Anyway, moving away from botched plastic surgery and back to the movie. "Primal" is actually a watchable movie, as it follows a nice enough formula of how-to-make an Action movie. Now, action and action might be stretching it, as I would say this was more of an action/thriller. Sure, this wasn't an outstanding movie, but it was watchable and enjoyable enough for what it turned out to be, if you can take your focus away from certain abysmal-looking things in the movie.

"Primal" is a movie that definitely is for the fans of Nicolas Cage, and my wife seemed to enjoy it.

What worked for me in "Primal" was Kevin Durand. That guy was just phenomenal in this movie, and he played his character and his part so well here, and I will say that he was the reason why this movie stayed afloat.

As for the storyline, well let's just say it was simplistic. I mean, a dangerous mercenary assassin in captivity that breaks out of imprisonment while being transported aboard a cargo ship, then letting loose a heap of wild animals aboard the enclosed confines of the ship and start to take out the crew one by one... Well, it wasn't rocket science here, people. Nor was it a particular Shakespearian experience.

"Primal" is adequately entertaining for what it turned out to be, but this is hardly a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time, as it wasn't a particularly memorable movie, nor was it good enough to make me want to watch it again. My rating of "Primal" has to land on a very mediocre five out of ten stars.

Enjoyable guilty pleasure

[vincentboudreau · 7/10 · 9 November 2019]

Not so bad. An enjoyable B movie ride.

I am a fan of both Cage and Durand. I think they both enjoyed acting in this movie. It shows. And Famke Janssen does show good chemistry with Cage while not having not much to do. But she does stand in all of her scenes.

I found myself smiling most of the time.

Just a bunch of good actors in a not so bad story enjoying each other. This is not Oscar stuff of course. But, hey, nobody was looking for high standards here.

Fun.

Middling

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 14 October 2020]

PRIMAL is a middling movie which could best be described as DIE HARD on a ship with a pack of deadly animals and a psycho rather than a gang of robbers. Given that Nicolas Cage churns out endless movies these days and many of them are diabolically bad, this one's at least mildly entertaining. The CGI is below par but the worst effect is Famke Janssen, who looks frighteningly like a waxwork here. Cage is slumming it for the most part but Kevin Durand makes for an effective villain and the pacing isn't at all bad.

A ridiculously fun action packed spectacle that transports you back to the 90s glory days of the genre.

[JF500 · 7/10 · 5 November 2019]

Now bear in mind the film is absolutely outrageous and messy at times, but overall it's executed in a fashion that takes me back to the good old days of insane action with dangerous animals running amuck wreaking havoc. As far as I'm concerned there's no better option than one of the most intensely wacky actors for the last 30 years in Nicolas Cage to front this film. We all know that he is in about 20 movies a year and that maybe one out of those 20 or even watchable because they're usually low budget VOD drivel but the man does always bring some sense of excitement to his roles. Primal is a prime example of cage returning to his 1990s action roots . The film has its many clichés but it also has some decent character intrigue and a pretty interesting setting on this ship With certain circumstances. It moves pretty consistently with bits and pieces of intensity and decent creature feature type thrills . The plot is pretty straightforward and doesn't exactly blow you away but for what it is it works . Some of the CGI is pretty shoddy but for the low budget I can let it pass. It's definitely a worthy watch for action aficionados and anyone that wants to sink their teeth into a film that belongs to the 90s glory days of the genre.

Bad freight!

[wjosephjorob · 5/10 · 8 November 2019]

A dumb reach thriller with a T. V. movie plot, but you don't watch these type of movies for the plot, a hunter with a chip on his shoulder strikes it rich with a rare type of jungle cat, decides to ship his captured animals on the freight ship, but another type of animal is boarding the ship as well, and it is being guarded by federal agents in a cage just like the jungle creatures, the animal is an internationally wanted assassin, who is another douche bag with a chip on his shoulder as well, everything goes sideways when he escapes on the ship and lets the animals loose too, the movie turns into a thriller with some decent action scenes and funny dialog between Cage and the killer, The hunter now has to capture more than his animals and a few innocent people lives are at stake , not a bad film if you got spare time to watch this, I would rather not see Nic Cage exploit himself doing these releases almost every month as of lately.

,

Nic Cage strikes again in a white henley tshirt n with a white jag.

[Fella_shibby · 8/10 · 10 November 2019]

The film starts with our Nic sitting on a tree house in a forest reading a magazine about real estate, his belly protruding, a cigar in hand n an Indiana Jones hat.

This time he is a hunter who captures animals to sell it to the zoos. Contrary to a zoo's demand of a black jaguar, our Cage manages to capture a rare white jag, which locals call it a man eater demon.

The ship he has boarded with his animals, has another dangerous animal, a psychopath criminal.

So like Con Air, this time too our Nick will take on the criminal after all the tough military personnel r killed.

This film has a vicious monkey attack scene (the description of which is given by Nic to a young boy about how the mother monkey tears off the skin with her teeth n rip the flesh right off the bones of anyone coming close to the baby monkey).

It has a snake attack scene n two deadly jaguar attacks.

The gun shot scenes r brutal n the film moves at a decent pace.

A lot has been cavilled about the face of Famke Janssen. Fellas don't realise that females above 50 has to deal with a lottuva auto immune disorders which can cause facial puffiness. Even the medication (corticosteroids) causes disorders.

Of course she has done the face lift to ward off the double chin but she has maintained her weight.

"Bad Kitty"

[Kamurai25 · 7/10 · 28 September 2020]

Really good watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

This is one of Nicolas Cage's more reserved roles, and the movie is very well balanced between him and Kevin Durand (and LaMonica Garrett and his team dealing with Durand's character).

The premise is intriguing and simple: trapped on a boat with a killer, wild animals, military, and a hunter: who wins?

The biggest problem I have with this, and the movie specifically leans into it, is that Nicolas Cage is not playing a good guy, he's a poacher. The only reason he doesn't go to prison for life (though I'm sketchy if the US Cost Guard has jurisdiction given it's not a US ship and neither country involved in the trip is the US), is because Famke Janssen has the hots for him.

Kevin Durand really is amazing in this. He's been reserved to what feels like bit parts in the past, but giving a chance to shine, he really does. He's able to steal the light from Cage in some parts of the movie.

This isn't the greatest movie ever, but it's really good, and I think you'll remember it.

Not good at all

[turun22 · 2/10 · 8 November 2019]

One of the worst movies that I have seen lately, how can anyone give this movie 6,7 or more stars rating🤔.... And wtf happen to Famke Janssen face..😳

A fine B movie

[Timbo_Watching · 5/10 · 14 March 2020]

For being a B movie it was entertaining. The story was quite boring and dull, but that was to be expected for a movie like this one. The CGI and everything was also to be expected with it's budget; the budget at least was put to good use.

A hunt not worth gearing up for

[eddie_baggins · 4/10 · 26 February 2020]

Nicolas Cage's willingness to sign up for what appears to be any film that comes across his desk, has made for one of the most interesting and unpredictable modern day acting careers.

An actor at home in Oscar worthy heavys, yet also an actor content to headline straight to disc D-grade fare, Cage and his newest film Primal appear on paper to he a match made in cheesy film heaven, but sadly this high concept thriller never lives up to the possible glories of it's idea.

Hearing about the chance to witness an angry Cage as hunter and black market animal trader Frank Walsh go toe to toe against a rare white jaguar, as well as Kevin Durrand's off the rails government assassin on a cargo boat bound for Puerto Rico makes you excited for what oddities could be coming our way, but sadly stunt man turned director Nick Powell ensures Primal is a mostly boring and lethargic exercise.

It all seems set up well as the film opens with Cage reading real estate magazines whilst hunting animals in Brazil, then yelling at wise cracking parrots but as Primal's story kicks in as Durrand's Richard Loffler escapes containment and starts unleashing Walsh's exotic animals whilst murdering the ships crew, you realize Powell wasn't too sure on how to balance the films tone and story developments, as he instead falls into a lame rhythm of scenes and scenarios that virtually squander it's fun sounding concept.

Around the half way mark of the film you begin to wonder what the whole point of the film's animals on the loose idea even is, as Loffler takes centre stage and the badly CGI'd jaguar, snakes and monkeys get short shift as Cage gets lost in a dull procession of setups that anchor the 'Crazy Cage' the film needed.

Joined by slumming it one time stars Famke Janssen and Soprano's hard luck story Michael Imperioli, Cage and Walsh appear to be a great match up but Cage is relatively restrained throughout as he plays Walsh as a self-centred money hungry loner who just so happens to have a heart of gold.

With the film founded to get Cage versing some of the most deadly animals on the planet while also hunting down a deadly assassin, you can't help but feel ripped off by a film without a singular genuinely memorable action sequence or character interaction, as Primal becomes nothing more than a generic action thriller, one that just sadly had the potential to be something much more.

Final Say -

Cage is known to be a part of many more misses than hits, with Primal not an exception to that sentiment. Squandering a solid concept, Primal is a hunt not worth gearing up for.

2 blow darts out out 5

A movie we din't need

[mavigloomy · 2/10 · 11 November 2019]

Frank is a animal trafficker, he comes to Brasil to capture a rare feline and other animals. Local people speak Spanish (in Brasil we speak PORTUGUESE) they are very passive except one guy that refuse to drive for Frank. And a big coincidence happens, he is in the same ship as ''one very dangerous prisoner, captured by a lot of great agents'' another cliché. The rest of the movie they try to capture that prisoner. Boring movie, with a lot of bad stereotypes. Nicolas Cage and Famke Janssen could have chosen a better movie. One good thing on this movie that I have to mention: The music Arraial do Pavulagem - Cachoeira Prateada

Very Good Tension and Suspense

[itsbobr · 7/10 · 2 January 2020]

In Brazil, Big Game Hunter Frank Walsh (Nicolas Cage) bags a rare White Jaguar and puts it aboard a ship to sell to the highest bidder. Also aboard the ship is Richard Loffler (Kevin Durand), a top Assassin, wanted by the US Government and guarded by U.S. Marshals. Loffler escapes from his cell, and lets all the animals out including the White Jaguar and two poisonous snakes. This can't be good.

There is a lot of suspense on the ship as a cat and mouse game breaks out to capture Loffler, and the US Government wants him alive, not dead.

Notables: Famke Janssen as US Navy Lieutenant Dr. Ellen Taylor who needs to monitor Loffler's health aboard ship and she has a distaste for Frank who she considers Not a Good Man; Michael Imperioli as a US government lawyer, Paul Freed, and we are not sure all is on the up and up with him; LaMonica Garrett as John Ringer, the U.S. Marshal In charge.

Tension and suspense reign throughout and the choreography how everything is diagramed is excellent. The Nicolas Gage Impersonators this time do have a lot to work with. Kudos for them. (7/10)

Violence: Yes, lots of it plus some bloody scenes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: No. Language: Yes, some not much. Rating: B

Awful Film

[claudio_carvalho · 3/10 · 28 January 2020]

The hunter Frank Walsh (Nicolas Cage) captures and steals wild animals from the Floresta Amazônica and smuggles them in a ship. Meanwhile, an American agency brings the skilled agent Richard Loffler (Kevin Durand), who was trained to be an assassin, together with a security team and a doctor (Famke Janssen) to be transported to the USA in the same vessel. Along the journey, Loffler escapes and releases the animals to bring chaos on board.

"Primal" is one of the most terrible films with Nicolas Cage ever made. The story is absolutely predictable and full of clichés. Frank Walsh performed by Nicolas Cage is a thief of animals from the Floresta Amazônica and a smuggler. Famke Janssen is weird with a face looking like wearing a mask and an awful haircut. Richard Loffler, performed by Kevin Durand, recalls the indestructible Terminator with grimaces. In the end, watching the forgettable "Primal" is an absolute waste of time. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Surprisingly Decent

[asnyde · 6/10 · 18 May 2022]

First things first: Primal is carried entirely by its lead and antagonist. With Kevin Durand performing as his typical unhinged villain, Nicolas Cage channels his best Bogart and proves he still has the chops for an action movie. The remainder of the cast is at best forgettable and at worst irritating, but the script mercifully keeps their screen time brief (before killing most of them off entirely) and reserves the majority of the movie to be carried by Cage and Durand. The tension stays relatively taught despite a couple lulls, and the plot is simple but coherent. About as much as you can ask for from an offering like this. Thankfully Cage maintains his trademark commitment and energy till the end, and Durand makes an entertaining, if recognizable, foil. Plus there is a scene with killer monkeys...Decent late night fare.

Nic Cage is wooden and Famke Janssen looks like she's made of plastic.

[davidgollop · 1/10 · 11 November 2019]

Good God even for a guy that bangs out 6 movies a year Nic Cage Movie this sucksNic Cage is wooden and Famke Janssen looks like she's made of plastic. Sweet jesus where to begain?? The plot is snakes on a plane and conair but on a jaguar, monkeys and a couple of snakes. Honestly save 1 hour 37 minutes of your life and watch a sunset or paint a picture.

Much better than I expected!

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 8/10 · 20 January 2020]

The only issue I had with this film was the obviously amateur directing. Camera work was decent, but directing the cast was a fail, but then again, this is amateur director Nick Powell's only 2nd film. The writing by Richard Leder was well done in a unique story that was well put together, but it lacked that extra "bang" I was expecting - maybe a directing issue. Pacing and length were on point, cinematography was ok, but the editing needed some work. Casting was good, except for Famke Janssen, who looked terrible and acted even worse. Cage was his usual awesome self and Durand was fire with his role. I'm shocked at the low score, as this is one of the better b-grade films I've seen in a long time. Even the score was on point, coz usually b-grade films have the worst score. It's a shame a better director wasn't used to put this together the way this story deserved. Nevertheless, a well deserved 8/10 from me.

Not A Bad movie

[G00fhunter · 6/10 · 12 November 2019]

Not a terrible movie.Good fight scenes and good CGI for a low budget movie.Nick cage plays his part and other acting isn't bad.Plot really leaves something to be desired and at times makes no sense.Just a fun movie to watch if you can get past a fake face or two.

Parrot was the best thing about it

[851222 · 5/10 · 3 January 2020]

Greetings from Lithuania.

I did not expect anything from "Primal" (2019) in a first place, and at the end of the day i wasn't dissapointed bacause of that. This movie wasn't awful, and that is the best i can say about it. Acting was pretty wooden by everyone, and here are familiar faces which have done many good movies before. "Primal" unfotunatelly wasn't one of them.

Overall, "Primal" has a very simple premise with no surprises along the way. It has OK special effects of animals considering the budget. Its not a terrible movie, but very mediocre one, even if i did not expect anything from it.

PRIMAL HUH!!!!!!

[stan_gee · 2/10 · 14 November 2019]

What a joke this trash is, I just read it took 22 years to get this made, I'm thinking, they should have waited another 22 years to decide on not making this. I gave it two stars for the cat, and the child in the movie, I'm sure both wanted to jump overboard and escape. Nicolas Cage needs to be banned from Hollywood or anywhere there are movie cameras or even a script. If you haven't watched this trash yet, DON'T it's as bad as you think it might be. probably worst. It should have been called PRIMAL SCREAM, cause that's what it makes you wanna do.