I am stuck at my daughter’s house in Wildwood, New Jersey until her new home is built. Wildwood is wonderful in the summer: beach, ocean, amusement rides, great boardwalk food…but…in the winter…it is a ghost town. There isn’t much to do except to watch Netflix, and that is how I stumbled onto this little gem of a film.
Primal
I can take or leave Nicolas Cage. I loved him in Moonstruck and Raising Arizona, and he was top of his game in Renfield, but I seem to place Cage in the same box as Schwarzenegger and Stallone films, which is loads of action without too much substance. These films are like eating popcorn or candy…lots of fun, but you can’t survive on junk food. Luckily for me, Primal was more of a mini meal. Primal was directed by Nick Powel and stars Nicolas Cage, Famke Janssen, Kevin Durand, LaMonica Garrett and Michael Imperioli.
Cage plays the part of Frank Walsh, a skilled big-game hunter, who captures rare and dangerous species to sell to zoos. He does this illegally, but at least he doesn’t sell these animals on the black market. He boards a container ship with several cages containing birds, monkeys, venomous snakes, and a rare white jaguar. The jaguar isn’t the only dangerous animal to board that ship. Walsh is none too happy when US Marshals, led by Paul Freed (Michael Imperioli) and a military doctor, come aboard with notorious international assassin, Richard Loffler (Kevin Durand). Dr. Ellen Taylor (Famke Janssen) is there to make sure the prisoner doesn’t have convulsions. As expected, the assassin and the jaguar escape their perspective cages and cause a whole lot of chaos.
Conclusion
I actually enjoyed the film because it was a fun action film, and like I said…I am stuck in Wildwood with no place to go. Nicolas Cage is really the same character in all his films. You know upfront what you are going to get…Cage is either the good guy or the bad guy. There is no in-between. But what made this film fun was the supporting cast and the animals. The film also reminds us that illegal wildlife trade is one of the most profitable transnational crimes, coming in fourth right after drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.
You can watch Primal on Netflix. I am recommending that you watch it cuddled up on the couch with a bag of popcorn or candy. Primal is surprisingly satisfying.
