Directed by:
David AllenScreenplay:
Randall William CookCinematography:
Adolfo BartoliComposer:
Richard BandVOD (1)
Plots(1)
The remains of a towering humanoid creature from the Himalayas wind up under the supervision of Dr. Claire Collier (Juliet Mills), who believes it to be one of the legendary Yeti. Joined by her former student (Richard Joseph Paul), a longtime believer in the creatures’ existence Rondo Montana (Leon Russom), and others, Dr. Collier leads an expedition into the mountains to track down more of the abominable snowmen. Their trek results in an encounter with a tribe of primitive hominids - which in turn leads to the far more frightening discovery of beings they never could have expected or imagined. A film 45 years in the making from the late David Allen, no monster or special-effects fan will want to miss The Primevals. The Primevals is a glorious tribute to classic animation, with a true sense of adventure that reminds the audience why movies are magical. (Umbrella Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (2)
The Primevals is a project by Full Moon Features, the bulk of which was filmed in 1994 after the considerable success of Jurassic Park, but remained unfinished after funding problems and was shelved for nearly three decades after the death of director David Allen. It wasn't until a few years ago that producer Charles Band decided to pay for its completion, and so in 2023, after 29 long years, we finally have a finished product that is a downright genre relic from the mid-90s, using stop-motion animation techniques to a great extent. Plot-wise, it's a sort of Lost World with a little genre twist, and a rather silly, laugh-out-loud film to boot, but it definitely has the guileless charm of Band's productions, and if you're a fan of Full Moon's trashy stuff, it'll definitely fit the bill.
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After 29 years in the making, this forgotten relic has finally reached audiences — and I'm thrilled about it! Development for The Primevals actually began back in 1978, with legendary Phil Tippett as part of the original crew. However, the project faced constant delays due to high production costs. The roots of this film trace back even further to 1968, with David Allen's short film, Raiders of the Stone Ring, which featured many of the themes found in The Primevals and served as a prototype for the entire project. Producer Charles Band loved the concept and planned to make it through his company, Full Moon Features, throughout the 80s. The project finally moved forward in 1994, largely thanks to the huge box office success of Jurassic Park. The story is a blend of Jurassic Park and classic genre tales like Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, with a unique twist involving aliens and reptilian creatures. The stop-motion animation took two years of hard work, and the film was originally set for release in 1996. However, Band lost a distribution deal with Paramount, and Allen fell ill and sadly passed away in 1999. The film was shelved indefinitely, with little hope of completion. It wasn't until 2018, with financial support from an Indiegogo campaign, that Band raised the necessary funds to finish the film, which began its festival circuit in 2023. While 5% of the original material was lost, these sequences are expected to be replaced by storyboards in the VOD release to fill in the missing parts of the story. I watched a version without these supplementary scenes and never felt like anything crucial was missing. The Primevals isn't a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it is a highly entertaining adventure film with a great soundtrack, beautiful production design, and charming (if somewhat stiff) characters. The stop-motion animation, though archaic by today's standards, adds a nostalgic charm that perfectly complements the prehistoric creatures featured in the film. In fact, it's what makes The Primevals so enchanting!
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