Genndy Tartakovsky is a man of considerable talent. Animator, director, producer, screenwriter, storyboard artist, comic book writer and artist. His resume includes "The Powerpuff Girls", "Dexter's Laboratory", the first Clone Wars cartoon, "Hotel Transylvania", and most notably "Samurai Jack". Now, he returns to take us back to ancient times in the new miniseries "Primal". The story centers on Spear the caveman and Fang the T-rex. Both suffered tragedies in their lives and have found kinship within each other. Together, man and dinosaur work together to get by in a savage, unforgiving world where survival is the only rule.
Something Genndy is known for in previous works, especially "Samurai Jack", is having extended scenes where there is no dialogue and the visuals tell the story, though characters do get to speak when needed. For "Primal", dialogue is nonexistent as Spear, our one human connection, mainly grunts, growls, and shouts while the rest of the creatures make sounds of their own. Detailed facial expressions and body language help communicate what the characters are thinking and feeling, allowing for moments that range from intense to dramatic to occasionally light-hearted. This is especially apparent from the interactions between Spear and Fang as they learn from each other and deal with shortcomings/obstacles. A few flashbacks also help flesh out the primitive duo and how they relate to their present conditions. In fact, some scenes hit you right in the feels like in episodes 1, 3, and 5. Genndy also excels at action and this is no exception. This show is by far his most violent, featuring blood, gore, and sometimes a high body count with Spear and Fang having their own fighting styles that often work in unison against the most vicious and frightening foes this world has to offer from other dinosaurs to oversized variants of more familiar animals to malevolent tribes. The brutality here is no joke, though normally not too gratuitous, and there tends to be consequences to everyone's actions. I also gotta give credit to the art and animation; nearly every frame is a sight to behold with striking character designs, solid colors, lush jungles, and desolate places that breathe life of their own. It looks like an updated Hanna-Barbera cartoon like in "Jonny Quest" with higher quality animation.
Currently, there are 10 episodes for this season. Supposedly, a second season is said to be considered, but as of yet hasn't been released. Here's to more prehistoric fun with Spear and Fang.
Something Genndy is known for in previous works, especially "Samurai Jack", is having extended scenes where there is no dialogue and the visuals tell the story, though characters do get to speak when needed. For "Primal", dialogue is nonexistent as Spear, our one human connection, mainly grunts, growls, and shouts while the rest of the creatures make sounds of their own. Detailed facial expressions and body language help communicate what the characters are thinking and feeling, allowing for moments that range from intense to dramatic to occasionally light-hearted. This is especially apparent from the interactions between Spear and Fang as they learn from each other and deal with shortcomings/obstacles. A few flashbacks also help flesh out the primitive duo and how they relate to their present conditions. In fact, some scenes hit you right in the feels like in episodes 1, 3, and 5. Genndy also excels at action and this is no exception. This show is by far his most violent, featuring blood, gore, and sometimes a high body count with Spear and Fang having their own fighting styles that often work in unison against the most vicious and frightening foes this world has to offer from other dinosaurs to oversized variants of more familiar animals to malevolent tribes. The brutality here is no joke, though normally not too gratuitous, and there tends to be consequences to everyone's actions. I also gotta give credit to the art and animation; nearly every frame is a sight to behold with striking character designs, solid colors, lush jungles, and desolate places that breathe life of their own. It looks like an updated Hanna-Barbera cartoon like in "Jonny Quest" with higher quality animation.
Currently, there are 10 episodes for this season. Supposedly, a second season is said to be considered, but as of yet hasn't been released. Here's to more prehistoric fun with Spear and Fang.