'Primal: Tales Of Savagery (2019)' is a compilation of the first four episodes of Genndy Tartakovsky's 'Primal (2019-)', which essentially makes it an anthology of loosely connected short stories. It's set in the often-seen but entirely fictional period of pre-history in which man and dinosaur roam side by side, focusing on the unlikely bond formed between one member of each species. Because of its nature, it doesn't feel like a traditional film. Its arcs are limited to each segment and the overall narrative doesn't feel entirely complete (primarily because it isn't). Having said that, the 'episodes' themselves are typically rather entertaining. There isn't any spoken dialogue and the thing is actually really good at visual storytelling; it impressively manages to convey some relatively complex emotions and inner thoughts simply though action. There's a good mix between quiet character moments and brutal, chest-beating action, which keeps things feeling relatively fresh throughout. The set-pieces are exciting and the animation is minimalist but effective. It's a good in-the-moment experience, even if it doesn't amount to an entirely cohesive experience overall. It's probably not the best way to watch 'Primal (2019-)', which is clearly meant to be viewed in 22-minute chunks, but it's a decent time nevertheless. 7/10
Review of Primal: Tales of Savagery
