The action is still staggering. At various points, Zombie Spear takes on a tribe of marauders who either wear skull masks or just have skulls for heads (the show doesn't pause long enough to clarify), a pack of enormous lions, and a herd of hideous giant razorback-type creatures. Over and over, I found myself with my jaw on the floor and my fist pumping at the scale and ingenuity of the latest set piece.
Season 3 finds Spear, dead but not down, on a journey he doesn’t know the shape of, which only means more opportunity for this series’ already impressive animation and storytelling.
Genndy Tartakovsky and Primal are back, and they haven’t missed a beat. While Fang may be AWOL at the moment, Season 3’s re-tuning brings a new slant and some new life to the show.
Primal Season 2 is an absolutely magnificent addition to an already fantastic set of episodes. It’s one of Tartakovsky’s best by far, and he’s proven that this is a franchise that’s only going to get better with time. From top to bottom, it’s one of the best animated series going right now.
Narratively and compositionally, the proceedings are dynamic, balancing ferocity and tenderness, minimalism and sophistication with captivating flair. ... Primal is an adventure that’s as surprising as it is solemn, and as pulse-pounding as it is poignant. It’s a sterling example of form as content, and once again solidifies Tartakovsky’s status as modern commercial animation’s most daring and inventive voice.
For every bombastic and chaotic action sequence, Primal remains adept at balancing it with more reflective moments as well. If it is able to remain committed to striking that balance in the rest of the season, then there is no better animated show out there to take a journey with.
At 22 minutes, episodes occasionally strain the limits of its dialogue-free, roar-heavy approach to storytelling. As an event, though—as a dose of bracingly original animation from a master of the form—it’s hard to question its few missteps. After all, everybody’s gotta eat.
Epic yet intimate, Primal is awash in eye-popping imagery. ... Tartakovsky has long been a distinctive force in TV animation and this is another winner, a spare storytelling experiment that plays like nothing else in the current landscape.
Through the lens of two characters, a man and a dinosaur, “Primal” is a piece of elemental storytelling that finds some real emotional depth without either of its protagonists uttering a single word of dialogue.
The story of the caveman and T. rex’s survival, in Tartakovsky’s hands, is totally enthralling, as terrible as it is beautiful.
Gotta be my favorite of recent animation. Just watched the latest season finale and they really wrapped it up. No fat on this.
Great animation with a very minimalist story in a fun time period. But after a few episodes I found myself saying something that I thought I would never say. It's almost TOO violent. Like, every episode is just a few prehistoric creatures beating the living **** out of each other. That's it. I found myself struggling to start new episodes. So this is what critics like? Have a well animated show with ultra violence and throw in a couple long close ups up character's eyes. Anyone can do that really.
What a **** series! I thought every episode was incredible, the character and monster designs and the violence are insane.
Una obra de arte. Mucha calidad de animación y diseño y excelente desarrollo de personajes. La historia como tal no entra en juego hasta la segunda temporada; en la primera aparecen episodios más independientes donde se explora el fantástico universo de la serie. No le coloco un 10 porque hay partes puntuales que se hacen algo repetitivas.
I mean it's watchable, sometimes even entrataining, but mostly silly and dumb. The show starts with a good 2 episodes of worldbulding /characterbuilding and then devolves into an episodic television, no stakes, no change, no progress, no plot. You could watch the first 2 episodes and then skip to the last one (which tbh is just a setup for the next season) and lose nothing.
What a great show, amazing character development and story telling with our nearly a word spoken in the whole show.
"Primal," created by Genndy Tartakovsky, is a visually captivating and emotionally powerful narrative that relies on minimal dialogue to convey its story. Despite an initially unconventional animation style (my personal opinion), it quickly becomes a visual treat, effectively portraying complex emotions and action. The series tells a compelling story of an unlikely bond between a neanderthal and a dinosaur, exploring mature, dark, and often violent themes, adding depth to its emotionally charged narrative. "Primal" stands as a testament to Tartakovsky's storytelling prowess and is a must-watch for those who appreciate storytelling that transcends words.
It's remarkable how much emotion Tartakovsky (GT hereafter) is able to convey with virtually no words. "Primal" is a fitting title for this show because it plays to fundamental emotions like fear, love, and rage. GT has created a remarkably memorable character in Spear (the nameless Neanderthal protagonist). He's a veritable juggernaut who has learned how to survive in a very inhospitable world. He's such a likable character that you can't help but root for him even when he's being, uh, "unreasonable". The show plays fast and loose with time, which should be evident from the get-go since humans arrived on the scene millions of years after dinosaurs. But this becomes especially apparent when we see some things that didn't exist till just a few hundred years ago. That said, you'll enjoy it more if you just go with it -- it's a cartoon after all. And it's this playing with time that makes for some very interesting scenarios which truly test the mettle of Spear and his "pet" dinosaur Fang. Some of the events that occur are pure fantasy, i.e., they don't even try to be realistic, but, again, it's a cartoon, so just sit back and enjoy the craziness. It's a wild, engaging ride. I just finished season 2, and I was surprised by how emotional I got. GT really knows how to tug at those primal emotions. This show is absolutely worth the relatively small time investment. Check it out.
The animation and the sound are so well done that it transmits the emotion without the need for words. It describes the essence of the human being, and the difference of the cultural clashes of the civilization and the primitive era (which we call barbarian) The philosophical thought is similar to the book of Robert E.Howard : Conan of Cimmeria. It is necessary to know the Nordic mythology to better understand the end. In short : Brutal, heartbreaking, tender and warm.
I was aware of Primal, but I didn't start watching it until after the last episode of season two. I thought it was an intresting concept, but I also felt as though the concept ran away from the writers far too fast. We start off in what appears to be an ancient domain, only to be shown that there's also demons, monsters, witches, dinosaurs, zombies and more. The series has a few plot hooks that feel rushed and I personally believe that's because they wasted time with what I'd consider "filler" episodes that don't really add to the other all story in any sort of meaningful way. Unfortunately, they didn't manage to stick their landing with the end. Spear ends up fighting an unstoppable paranormal force and ends up being badly burned as a result. As he lays dying on his bed, Mira has sex with him. The series ends with Mira and their child riding one of Fang's children. I understand what they were trying to go with this, I really do. But for me personally, the ending is far too real. The time spent in Primal is a real one, it's deadly and focuses on survival. All you keep doing is walking and hope that sometimes you'll find moments of happiness in between before you die. Genndy Tartakovsky talks about the lashback from the crappy ending of Samurai Jack. The hero spends their life trying to save the past and the future, only to have the love of his life ripped away at the end. How is that any different from Primal? Let me tell you something, I don't need a constant reminder of how much life ****, how difficult it is. I already know that, what I need is an escape from reality.
Started watching the series because I just wanted a dumb show about a cave man and a T-Rex fighting a bunch of prehistoric monsters, but I got so much more. Primal is a beautifully animated series with little to no dialogue aside from primal screaming, and the occasional bits of dialogue an English speaking audience won't understand. Yet the story is still perfectly conveyed through expressions and actions and it managed to have me on the edge of my seat or on the verge of tears on more than one occasion. I highly recommend it! There's only some small flaws, such as wounds not carrying over from shot to shot. Or Fang's size fluctuating. But it honestly doesn't take me out of the story or the action.
Find my review on Letterboxd and Twitter @BB_Reviews1 ---------------------
This is the best show I've seen in a long time. The visuals, the music and the ability to weave emotionally rich moments in the midst of carnage is impressive.
I decided to watch this probably like many people did because they like Samurai Jack and of course the guy who did that did Primal. First of all the animation that everyone is going nuts over in their reviews is so '90s and simplistic. People must look at shows like Arcane, Love and Death and Robots or Invincible, which are a lot better animation. Since the series is hand-drawn, you can tell that it reuses a ton of drawings from scene to scene. People also say what a fantastic story Primal has. First of all Primal has no dialogue to help explain or move the plot along which a lot of people see as a huge positive, but I do not. There are only 4 plot elements in the series Run Fight Eat and Sleep So for instance, 1 episode is basically Run Fight Eat Run Run Sleep and then every episode after that is just a variation on these elements. Oh well, I have stopped watching this series and will not pick it up in season 2.
Someone confused primitive with primal unfortunately. The very sobre Franco-Japanese style of animation (it seems half of the drawings were made by French) is completely wasted on an inane plot. Samurai Jack was so playful, tongue in cheek and didn't take itself half as seriously as this arrogant drivel.
Good and alternative. Fast paced, episodial cartoon, for mature viewers, that follow everiday strug to surival of a "peculiar" pack in an anacronistic (and with fantasy elements here and there) prehistoric era. There are almost no dialogues, just music, some **** lots of gore. Some episodes are better than other but it s a joy for the eyes and for the heart. I'll waith for season 2 for sure. It remind me of Apocalypto movie in some way
Started off well, but the second half is full of magic and story elements that destroy the world building having established this was set in or around the Precambrian era. At one point I really though they were just going to add in aliens and mechs, and cannot be sure they did not.
Very unique show for being a catoon, very cautivating. Not all episodes are that good, tho.
Tartakovsky animation are always top class in story telling this is no different. Each episode will have you by the edge of your seat and the bond of the characters to each other makes it all the better highly recommended. The first episode will hook you, by the 3rd you'll love it
cArToOnS aRe fOr kIdS... This series is one if not the best western animated series that I have ever seen. I say western cause, you know... Anime exists. As someone who grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Avatar, Teen Titans, and Samurai Jack (this series is by the same director as Samurai Jack) I was blown away by the quality and level of storytelling, even without dialogue. An absolute masterclass on western animation!
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