Primeval
Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment
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In one of the most remote places on earth, a bloodthirsty serial killer has claimed over 300 victims, and is still at large to this day. The danger begins as producer Tim Freeman, cameraman Steven Johnson and their rag-tag team set out on a journey up-river in search of their subject. But the deeper they probe into the mystery of this elusive assassin, the deadlier their trip becomes.

Horror films and monster movies have a long history of tapping into astute social commentary. George Romero's early zombie films are a series of  examples as the blend blood and guts with some observations about the growing corporate culture that was emerging when they were made (and still stands true today). Despite its newsy premise, don't expect much commentary from Primeval. In fact, don't expect much at all except a couple of nifty effects shots towards the end of the film.

Primeval follows your basic Jaws premise except this time it's a crocodile name Gustave replacing the shark. And the beaches of Maine are switched out for the war-torn jungles of the east African nation of Burundi. Getting the news crew from the US is merely an excuse to have Gustave hunt people down and to provide a small bit of hope of catching him on tape.

It almost feels as though Primeval is torn between wanting to be a commercial horror film and a more astute look at the lack of media coverage happening in Africa right now. To that end the possibility of commentary is raised but it ultimately is glossed over with cliches and very little substance. The horror aspects win out but not without a bit of confusion.

Audio: How's it sound?
Ever wonder what a giant crocodile sounds like? You get it eventually, as well as dozens of screams, ringing in your ears with the excellent Dolby 5.1 Surround audio track. There's also a dubbed Spanish track.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• Director Michael Katleman and visual effects supervisor Paul Linden provide a commentary track that is largely based around the making of the film. However, they stick to only the most interesting details and are very personable in their conversation.
• How long do you think the powers that be took to affirm to title of the proverbial making-of documentary for the disc be called "Crocu-mentary: Bringing Bustave to Life"? Combining film clips, cast and crew interviews and computer shots, the roughly 10-minute featurette breaks down some of the most impressive parts of the film.
• Three deleted scenes with optional commentary from director Katleman and effects supervisor Linden.
• Previews for Ratatouille, Renaissance, The Lookout, Apocalypto and The Roger Corman Collection.
• French and Spanish subtitles.

Closing Thoughts
Filled with missed potential in the way of story and plot, Primeval is a disappointing film save for the solid and restrained effects. The DVD is solid with a lot of the basic elements in the way of extras.

Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com