Move over Steven Spielberg, there’s a new dinosaur movie in town that’s the perfect Jurassic Park replacement for people who like their prehistoric beasts with a lot more blood. Hitting Hulu on Apr. 4, this bizarre hidden gem takes everything we love about the Jurassic Park franchise and transports it to Vietnam for an action thriller you have to see to believe.
Starring Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), and Nick Wechsler (Revenge), the new dinosaur smash is set during the Vietnam War and follows a reconnaissance unit who carry out a rescue mission for a US Army Special Forces platoon, and are attacked by de-extinct dinosaurs.
Directed by Luke Sparke and based on the novel by Ethan Pettus, Primitive War received a limited theatrical release last year before coming to Hulu this past weekend. Since its arrival, the action thriller has quickly risen up the ranks to become a streaming hit, as it’s now the third most popular movie on the streaming service. It’s bested only by newcomers Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, and Pizza Movie.
‘Primitive War’ Is a Dinosaur Thriller Like No Other
By taking the horrors of Vietnam and adding dinosaurs into the mix, Primitive War delivers a unique action thriller like no other. It’s part Jurassic Park and part Apocalypse Now, yet at the same time, it feels wholly original. The action is fast and bloody, the practical effects are outstanding, and though it might be a low-budget indie movie, the Australian hit manages to do a lot with very little.
It shows in the results, too, as Primitive War has an outstanding audience score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s quite the accomplishment for an international creature feature. “I haven’t seen a dinosaur movie this good since the very first Jurassic Park,” said one viewer in their review, while another added:
“This movie is absolutely fantastic! Great acting, great special effects, great writing, all on a fraction of the budget of a major Hollywood film. I am personally very impressed with how the movie stayed at least 90 percent faithful to the book and all the changes they did make actually made sense. I highly recommend this film to any dinosaur or war movie aficionados out there.”
‘Primitive War 2’ Is On the Way
For those who can’t get enough dinosaur action, you can take comfort in knowing that a sequel to Primitive War is officially on the way. Primitive War 2 was confirmed to be in development earlier this year, and though a specific release date has yet to be set, Sparke is eyeballing a 2027 release date for the project, which he says will be ever more exciting than the first film.
Plot details are being kept under wraps for now, so we’ll have more news on the sequel as it develops. In the meantime, be sure to check out Primitive War streaming now on Hulu.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
