Alpha

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, Marcin Kowalczyk, Jens Hulten, Natassia Malthe, Spencer Bogeart
Directed by: Albert Hughes
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: 20,000 years ago, a boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is separated from his family and presumed dead. He embarks on a perilous journey home with only a wolf as a companion.

Review:

Tim: I'm fairly surprised how much I enjoyed Alpha. It looked like any number of generic adventure movies, and movies about cavemen typically don't work well (see 10,000 B.C. as an example). However, I have to give Albert Hughes credit. He crafts a thrilling, entertaining survival story that exceeds all expectations. The film might take a few minutes to hit its stride, but it ends up being a thoroughly engrossing film.

I have to admit, I struggled a bit at the beginning. The early scenes set the stage, but it takes some getting used to. We're introduced to this small tribe and we start learning their customs. The whole film features only an invented language, with subtitles. I was impressed by how much work went into crafting a believable world here. I remember the first couple of minutes before anyone spoke and I silently mouthing to myself, "Please don't speak English, please don't speak English." It would have ruined the effect and set the movie up for failure. Hughes is smart enough to choose a better path. Still, it's a lot to take in early on and I wasn't convinced ten or fifteen minutes into the film. It starts out with a fairly stunning action sequence, but it immediately jumps back in time. Then, it feels like it takes a while to fill in the blank and catch back up to the scene we already saw. That felt a little disruptive so early on, as have to backtrack so quickly.

Once the big adventure starts, things pick up significantly. It's not just the gorgeous landscape that speaks to this prehistoric world, filled with dangers and sights nearly unimaginable. You start to realize that the movie, obviously a coming-of-age adventure drama, is more subtle and powerful than expected. The lessons the chief tries to teach his son make sense, but seem challenging. You start to understand how essential learning these lessons were- not just to the young men's development, but for their very survival. It's a story where these lessons become critically important when it shifts focus to a survival story. I loved how the movie blended this survival story with a story about the domestication of wolves by early mankind. It was this kind of brilliant juxtaposition. This felt first and foremost an adventure, survival tale. However, it was also a fairly thought provoking look at how humans likely domesticated wolves, which would eventually become the dogs our society so loves. It feels like these were two different focuses, but they are blended seamlessly together here.

I do need to comment on the visuals. They are terrific. The opening sequence features a stunning slow motion moment, but that's really the only such moment in the film. We get a ton of incredible landscape shots and some beautifully rendered night sky moments. One is a depiction of what the galaxy might have looked like with zero light pollution and another is a nice view of the aurora borealis. Really, the cinematography here was quite impressive. The visual effects were great, too. On occasion they become obvious, but they never detract from the story. They really just add to the experience.

I thought Kodi Smit-McPhee did a great job in the lead role. I am a little embarrassed to admit I had no idea it was him. When the credits rolled, I was stunned. He's obviously changed a bit as he's moved away from being a childhood star. He really is a strong actor for someone so young and he gave a physical performance that was marked by his kindness and his fragility as much as his strength. Truly, the vast majority of the movie rests on his shoulders (which is a big responsibility for a still-young actor) and he lives up to that challenge. I've been impressed with Smit-McPhee in the past, but this film took my appreciation of him to a whole new level. The rest of the cast doesn't get to make much of an impression, besides Johannes Haukur Johannesson, who was stunning in a supporting role. I loved his quiet performance so much. It's actually shocking the impact he makes on the overall film with such a small amount of screen time. I do wish we had more time with him, although I acknowledge the story didn't support that.

Alpha could easily have been a generic, forgettable film. It never is. It's an exciting, entertaining look at what survival looked like tens of thousands of years ago. It's a memorable, well crafted film and a movie I enjoyed much more than I expected I would.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: 10,000 B.C., The Grey