GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY’S PRIMAL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON – A Blu-ray/DVD and Digital HD Review by John Strange

GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY’S PRIMAL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON – A Blu-ray/DVD and Digital HD Review by John Strange

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray^tm I reviewed in this Blog Post.  The opinions I share are my own.

First off, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete First Season is from Adult Swim.  The premise has a caveman and a dinosaur becoming companions and friends, brought together under tragic circumstances.

There is NO DIALOGUE.  None.  Tartakovsky and his team got the idea from their work on Samurai Jack (also for Adult Swim).  The episode with no dialogue went over well so they decided to do a series using this hook.

To make this work requires that the scripts and the art of the show be sophisticated and evocative enough to replace the crutch that dialogue can be.  In “Behind the Scenes: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” they talk about going for a look reminiscent of Frank Frazetta or Heavy Metal tone, more serious than many animated series currently on the air.

Did they succeed in this quest?  Pretty much.  The episodes flow well, the only dialogue from Spear are the grunts and groans voiced by voice actor Aaron LaPlante.  The visuals of the show are very well done by the artists and animators of Studio La Cachette in France.

The show’s basic theme is sci-fi with the occasional horror episode creeping in.  This mood is enhanced by the team of Tyler Bates and Joanne Higginbottom handling the music expertly.

“Behind the Scenes: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” gives us insights into the filmmaker’s thoughts, the premise behind the making of the series, and the people who made it happen.

This is a series that people who love anime and good animation are going to devour and then demand more!  For them, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete First Season is a 5-star effort!  I think most who watch it will take away different things according to their own tastes, whether it be the great artwork or the sci-fi or even the horror themes.  Whatever your takeaway, you will be hooked.

Created By:

• Genndy Tartakovsky

Cast:

• Aaron LaPlante

Episodes:

1. Spear and Fang
2. River of Snakes
3. A Cold Death
4. Terror Under the Blood Moon
5. Rage of the Ape-Men
6. Scent of Prey
7. Plague of Madness
8. Coven of the Damned
9. The Night Feeder
10. Slave of the Scorpion

Extras:

Blu-ray/DVD:

• Behind the Scenes: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal

Specifications:

Runtime:

Feature:

• 220 Minutes

Enhanced Content:

• 10 Minutes

Studio:

• Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.

Release Date:

• 06/01/2021

Region:

• A/1 (U.S. and Canada only)

Website:

• https://www.adultswim.com/videos/primal

MPAA Rating:

• TV-MA

Selig Rating:

Film Rating:

• 5 Stars

Bonus Features Rating:

• 5 Stars

Picture Quality Rating:

• 5 Stars

Audio Quality Rating:

• 5 Stars

Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars: Should add to your DVD collection at any cost

4 Stars: Worth owning, but try to catch it a sale

3 Stars: Plan to get it, but wait to buy it used

2 Stars: Worth taking a look at, but not owning

1 Star: Pick it up at a garage sale and use it for drinks

0 Stars: Makes a great Trap Shooting target