Primitive War (2025) Review

Primitive War (2025) Review

This ain’t no walk in the park. Vietnam. 1968. A search and rescue team known as “Vulture Squad” is sent to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing Green Beret platoon. As they hunt through the primordial depths of the valley, they discover ancient horrors that not only threaten to unravel their minds, but to end their lives as well. Dinosaurs have somehow been unleashed… When the casualties mount, the members of “Vulture Squad” must abandon their human nature and give in to their savage instincts to survive…

PRIMITIVE WAR is written and directed by Luke Sparke (Occupation: Rainfall, Scurry) and based on the 2017 sci-fi military novel series of the same name by Ethan Pettus. Starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, 2067) and Jeremy Piven (Entourage, Grosse Point Blank), PRIMITIVE WAR is far too long at two-and-a-quarter hours runtime and also takes far too long to get going.

Working with a smaller budget than the JURASSIC PARK/JURASSIC WORLD movies the dinosaur effects work is better than you might expect but that is not to say that it does not also lack in places. This is also more adult than the well-known Spielberg produced franchise, with the F-word getting a regular airing and the gore quota satisfyingly upped for a more mature audience.

The Marines reminded of the same in James Cameron’s classic 1986 movie ALIENS, as they constantly battle against creatures that they have no training to adequately cope with but on the flipside here they lack the characterisation that made you want to care about who lived or who died.

Aside from the over-indulgent runtime PRIMITIVE WAR is too sombre, far too serious for what is a B-movie concept, it consequently ends up one-note and I found my interest flagging the further into the viewing I got.

Primitive War only in UK and Irish cinemas from 28 November. Distributed by Signature Entertainment

UK trailer