Primal is a re-imagining of the dawn of man, as it struggles to get a start in an unrelenting and merciless world of dinosaurs, and various other hostile threats. We follow "Spear", a gruff Paleolithic man, as he eventually joins forces with "Fang", an adult female T-rex. Both are bonded (albeit, not right away) by shared hardships, and upon realization that survival is better attainable through teamwork, this unlikely duo is formed, and traverses the brutal world together.
The animation is absolutely mesmerizing. It is as fluid and ambitious as the storyline itself, and audiences can find themselves immersed rather quickly. Despite no verbal communication between the main characters (aside from grunts and roars), a relationship forms between them, creating fascinating new moments that can be surprisingly emotional, wildly intense, or even downright hilarious. Each episode exhibits new challenges for our protagonist pair, keeping the story constantly fresh and unpredictable.
Tartakovsky and the rest of the production company deserves much praise for creating this gem. Using the most ancestral image of our humanity, it is a fine representation of adversity endured, and overcome, for our species. And to share it with a completely different (and fun) species in a fantastical setting, it simply becomes pure joy to behold. I hope this series gets enough attention to go on for a while!
While viewers are encouraged to unleash their inner dino-loving child, one must also be advised that this show is NOT for children. The atmosphere and setting of the series is violent and bloody, and can easily be upsetting for kids, despite being animated.
Long live 2-D animation!
