Primal - Pure Storytelling

       Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal is a work of art - storytelling in its purest form.

    And that’s not just hyperbole – with no dialogue to speak of, the story unfolds purely through visuals, motion and sound design. Anybody familiar with Tartakovsky’s signature style (the original animated Star Wars: Clone Wars series, The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack) will find the same thick lines and expressionistic body proportions here, but the subtle facial animations, bombastic orchestral score and kinetic action all convey absolutely everything you need to know.

      The story centres on a lone prehistoric man and his unlikely relationship with a small T-rex as they both wander the land just trying to survive, with each episode seeing them confronted by some form of creature or environmental hazard that threatens their existence. It’s a harsh and cruel world and death lurks around every corner: from man-eating dinosaurs, to a literal river of snakes and a horde of violent ape-men just to name a few.

Though animated and certainly stylised, this show is most certainly not for young kids – the violence is brutal and visceral, often uncompromising in its stark depiction of the indifference of nature and survival of the fittest.

      Those idiots who might be complaining with: ‘well this isn’t realistic as cavemen and dinosaurs didn’t exist at the same time as each other’ are missing the point. The setting is a fantastical one rather than striving for historical accuracy (Episode 5’s gorillas who drink mystical potions to ‘hulk out’ will certainly attest to that) and instead of realism the focus is more on the dramatic action sequences and conveyance of the central character's emotion, be it fear, sadness, rage or determination. And these are all successfully conveyed – without a single word of dialogue spoken throughout. It's truly impressive and the best animated series I have seen so far this year.

      Currently only 6 episodes have been released, with 4 more slated for release. Each episode is only 20 minutes long and does not overstay its welcome. Primal comes highly recommended.

1^st May 2020