Alpha (2018) – Film Review
Before we get started, I’d just like to say…stop taking trailers as gospel.
Tirade alert…
The movie industry has become so comfortable, it’s taking plays from the videogames industry; give us pre-edited content and a skippy track, and a trailer can be something totally different from the final product. No one does any research—most of the time, that includes myself—and so, y’all go in and pay the money before its even known what the flick’s really about.
No one reads film reviews. I’m not saying that we reviewers are right, all the time, but that’s why we see these things ahead-of-time—to give you guys that sense that, “Hey, maybe this isn’t what you thought it would be, and here’s why…”
…I’m not going to link to Alpha’s trailer—mainly because I don’t want to give the publishers that sense of smug satisfaction—but, if you don’t take my word for it and do look it up, you’ll find it’s framed as a family story, as “Mankind discovering Man’s Best Friend.” While it is (partially) that, and I can appreciate the storytelling and depth the piece goes to to get its sharp-as-speartips points across, it’s not as light and airy as one whom only watched the trailer(s) would think. And, dear God, don’t bring your kids! This is no Ice Age…
Okay, so…onto the actual review.
Alpha—which, the way I type, is a very difficult word for me to form—is a very artfully-presented…yes, film (because of the rating I have in mind for it, I was going to say “movie”, but it does so much more and tries so much harder to be genuine than a lot of the other corporate-stamped schlock we usually get, that I think it deserves that heightened title). I saw it in 3D—my dumb self didn’t notice the difference in showtimes at my own theatre—and…it wasn’t bad. Not made for or in 3D, like Avatar, Ready Player One, or any action-thriller, but it was alright. Some cool things definitely stood out in 3D that wouldn’t in a standard flat viewing, and, thus, made me and my movie-going buddy appreciate them a little more. Cool scenery—mostly on-location in Alberta, Canada—and expert digital matting (a term I also learned from aforementioned comrade) make for a remarkable visual feast. The CGI, too, is decent; for as much as we look at these sweeping vistas and get close to these animals, the time and effort that went into making them seem legit is clear. No cut corners, here.
As I said before, this is a good one to watch with people, but not necessarily younger kids. The film can get pretty brutal, at times. Very gritty. It’s made better with company that one can get through the rougher patches with, talk it through—but I’m not endorsing talking in the theatre! This was different, it was only the two of us in there. Wasn’t Mystery Science Theater or anything, but we were adding commentary. It was fun. In an all-show, next-to-no dialogue picture (if you don’t count subtitled caveman babble—for which there was a language consultant, surprisingly), we had to keep it lively, somehow…
Cool concepts are brought up. Love the immersion in Stone Age Europe, the violent wilderness antagonist, and showcasing Man’s endurance against adversity. For anyone who’s wondered how dogs first became domesticated, this is about as close to a live re-telling as any of us can hope for, right now; it’s cool to see an artistic representation of such a pivotal moment in both species’ histories, and I think it’s done very well. A tad too well, at times, where I feel things were glossed over or cut for time—even though the thing only runs for a little over 90 minutes. The score is beautiful and poignant, used as well as it should to heighten tense moments and drive home dramatic ones.
“Not a grandiose epic, but not insignificant,” would be a final word on it, if I had to pick. Alpha’s by no means Dances With Wolves—didn’t realize the pun until now…—but what it is is enough. It doesn’t need a climactic showdown, like The Grey, to feel complete. Plot-holes, aside, what we have is a great tale that is as imaginative and hopeful as it is grounded in harsh reality and fact. “We’re a hearty people,” I believe I said during one of the more difficult-to-watch scenes (though, nothing here is anything we haven’t seen before, as cinema-goers), and what our protagonist Keda goes through is entirely made possible by his furry companion. They endure together because they have to, and it made for a nice watch… I want to hug my dog now, succumb to all the licks.
Final ‘Risk Assessment: ****/*.
Next review(s): The Happytime Murders, A.X.L. (Aug. 24th)
