“You kill my cat, I’ll blow your head off.”

There’s a white jaguar loose on a big boat. Nic Cage is on board. What else do you need to know? If you are a fan of Cage, then you are going to love this spirited take on Under Seige.

Sometimes it's the on-the-nose introduction that seals the deal when it comes to appreciating a flick and its portrait of characters. Primal is one of those films as Nicolas Cage, playing a hunter and collector of rare and exotic animals, Frank Walsh, is introduced in a long take. From the dead carcass on the Brazillian jungle floor to the man smoking high in a tree. All you need to know about Walsh is there as he smokes his cigar, flips through a real estate magazine, and waits for the 400lb white jaguar to appear.

And appear it does as Frank friends himself from high in a tree to down in a pit struggling to get the upper hand as the hunter becomes the hunted. Don’t worry, neither are killed as Frank is able to subdue the animal so it can be shipped to the high-paying zoo awaiting its arrival. Now, the zoo is expecting a black jaguar, not a white one so Cage wants it to go to the highest bidder. Is it illegal? Hell, yes!

But Walsh doesn’t care. He has been on this hunt for 10-months and expects to get paid. Unfortunately, the container ship he books his shipment on is also being used to transport Richard Loffler (Kevin Durand), a notorious political assassin and ex-special forces operative. Among the US marshals accompanying the caged criminal are Paul Freed (Michael Imperioli), Dr. Ellen Taylor (Famke Janssen), and John Ringer (LaMonica Garrett), but all of their attention to the prisoner fails when Loffler fakes a seizure and escapes.

Now, the dangerous assassin is armed and dangerous and Walsh, protecting his own assets, isn’t going to stay off the hunt for him for too long, especially when he immediately lets the animals Walsh brought with him loose. As military connections between Loffler and Walsh are explored, the entire crew onboard the boat finds themselves a target. If it isn’t the animals, it’s Loffler who enjoys picking them off one at a time.

Primal is a fun flick with great action beats. It is endlessly suspenseful as there are venomous snakes at every corner and a white jaguar let loose, not to mention the skilled killer hunting them down. And thanks to a solid performance from Cage, who brings EVERYTHING to the table regardless of the budget, Primal doesn’t disappoint, living up to its name as Durant and Cage make good on the crazed hunt the premise promises.

Primal, directed by Nick Powell and written by Richard Leder, is now on 4K Ultra HD thanks to Lionsgate. Prepare for the hunt of a lifetime onboard a container ship whose destination just might be Hell itself.

4K Ultra HD + Digital

Home Video Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Available on Blu-ray - July 26, 2022
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc' Single disc
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

When Frank Walsh (Nicolas Cage), a hunter and collector of rare and exotic animals, bags a priceless white jaguar for a zoo, he figures it’ll be smooth sailing to a big payday. But the ship bearing Frank’s precious cargo has two predators caged in its hold: the cat, and a political assassin being extradited to the U.S. After the assassin breaks free – and then frees the jaguar – Frank feverishly stalks the ship’s cramped corridors in hot pursuit of his prey, right up until the thrilling, unpredictable climax.

VIDEO

Primal presented in AVC encoded 1.90.1 1080p anamorphic widescreen. As expected, the Image quality is very strong, with plenty of detail to be seen in pretty much every single frame of this action-thriller on board a boat. There is also a good amount of depth to the image as well, which brings to life the story in unexpected ways, especially the story of Frank Walsh. Black levels are crisp and deep, and colors are saturated. The color palette is naturally well balanced with warm and rich hues. Contrast is excellent, with solid and deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Flesh tones are naturally cast. The special effects and gore are quite rich and, especially when the kills start happening, the effects top notch.

AUDIO

A pulse-pounding English language 24-bit DTS-HD 5.1 track, which supports the dialogue and the soundscape well, is included and compliments the boat shenanigans quite well.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

There is a making-of featurette which doesn’t add much to the conversation.

• The Making of Primal

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: R for violence and language.
Runtime: 97 mins
Director: Nick Powell
Writer: Richard Leder
Cast: Nicolas Cage; Famke Janssen; Kevin Durand
Genre: Action | Thriller
Tagline: Survival gets wild.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Take it easy with my cat!"
Theatrical Distributor: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: November 8, 2019
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: July 26, 2022.
Synopsis: When Frank Walsh (Nicolas Cage), a hunter and collector of rare and exotic animals, bags a priceless white jaguar for a zoo, he figures it'll be smooth sailing to a big payday. But the ship bearing Frank's precious cargo has two predators caged in its hold: the cat, and a political assassin being extradited to the U.S. After the assassin breaks free – and then frees the jaguar – Frank feverishly stalks the ship's cramped corridors in hot pursuit of his prey, right up until the thrilling, unpredictable climax.