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PRIMAL (Genndy Tartakovsky's animation masterpiece)

Started by The Mollusk, September 01, 2020, 12:15:23 AM

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The Mollusk

Let me just get this out of my lungs first: THIS SHOW IS FUCKING MINT

Long-time admirer of Genndy's creations Dexter's Laboratory and of course Samurai Jack, but for some reason this had completely passed me by until yesterday.

Primal heavily extends on Tarty's penchant for bold, vibrant colouring, hyper-cool battle sequences and extended periods where no dialogue is spoken, and is an absolute triumph of design in pretty much every sense possible. Spectacular sound design, dazzling use of colour, gripping action and, most thrilling of all, fucking insane levels of brutal violence. And all of this with not a single word spoken (unless you count grunting and roaring).

A prehistoric man and a mother Tyrannosaur form an unlikely bond when both of their families are slaughtered and they find themselves alone. Everything else from there is just survival tales, the pair growing stronger together as they come across all manner of dinosaurs and other fantastical beasts like enormous bats and gladiatorial apes all trying to fuck them up.

This really isn't the sort of thing I'd typically go in for, but this dude is a master of the craft and Primal is honestly stunning. In terms of overall achievement, surely this is his finest work to date. I just couldn't take my eyes off it, and it has to be some of the most unflinchingly gory animation I've ever seen.

It's out on Adult Swim, and the first 5 episodes are available to watch on All 4. The latter half of the season comes out this October, and it's been renewed for a second season as well!



FUCKIN HAVE IT YOU APES






Been on the list for a while, decided to crack on today.

Yes. This is good.

magval

If you're into comics Nags you should check out the CAGE! 4-issue series he did for Marvel a few years ago, captures a lot of that Dexter's Lab energy into still-image form. Can't remember a thing about the story but the artwork has lingered in my minds ever since.

Dex Sawash


Episode 6, not yet on All 4,
Spoiler alert
appears to be a 28 Days Later crossover.
[close]

spaghetamine

Saw this for the first time whilst on mushrooms, damn near blew my gourd

bgmnts

Not really into Dexter's Lab and never saw Samurai Jack but the premise explained here and the gifs definitely got me excited to watch whatever the fuck this is.

The Mollusk

Quote from: magval on September 01, 2020, 01:02:05 PM
If you're into comics Nags you should check out the CAGE! 4-issue series he did for Marvel a few years ago, captures a lot of that Dexter's Lab energy into still-image form. Can't remember a thing about the story but the artwork has lingered in my minds ever since.

Thanks for this shout, it looks great!

Quote from: A Hat Like That on September 01, 2020, 10:52:28 PM
Episode 6, not yet on All 4,
Spoiler alert
appears to be a 28 Days Later crossover.
[close]

Any tips on where I can watch this please? Hankering for more of this.

Mister Six


Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I had no idea there was a sixth episode. I watched the first five in one evening back in the winter and it seemed to come to a fairly definitive conclusion.

On a technical level it is typically masterful work from Tartakovsky and co. At the risk of sounding like an old fart, however, I wish more mature animation was actually mature. It can't all be ultraviolent edgelordery and ribald sitcoms. Also, not wishing to denigrate the show, but wordless storytelling isn't that impressive when the story being told is so simple (and somewhat repetitive).

I cant find it now, but I watched an interesting youtube thing a while back about the Hotel Transylvania films. Tartakovsky uses techniques from 2D animation to enhance the expressiveness of the characters, e.g. including single unblurred frames in the middle of fast motion to add clarity while maintaining the sense of speed.

Mister Six

Looks like the sixth episode might be an out-of-continuity (or at least set somewhere in the first season) episode, based on a quick look at wiki. I was curious because HBO Max only has the first five episodes.

The Mollusk

Quote from: Mister Six on September 03, 2020, 05:39:14 PM
Looks like the sixth episode might be an out-of-continuity (or at least set somewhere in the first season) episode, based on a quick look at wiki. I was curious because HBO Max only has the first five episodes.

Would be weird if it was, unless it was just serving as a warm-up precursor for the second half of the season.

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on September 03, 2020, 05:06:16 PM
I had no idea there was a sixth episode. I watched the first five in one evening back in the winter and it seemed to come to a fairly definitive conclusion.

As mentioned above, that was only the first half of the season, and it has been renewed for a second 10-episode season as well.

QuoteOn a technical level it is typically masterful work from Tartakovsky and co. At the risk of sounding like an old fart, however, I wish more mature animation was actually mature. It can't all be ultraviolent edgelordery and ribald sitcoms. Also, not wishing to denigrate the show, but wordless storytelling isn't that impressive when the story being told is so simple (and somewhat repetitive).

I get where you're coming from but I personally really enjoy those aspects of it. It's kind of like a fireworks display in that it's incredibly dazzling and cool, and although I would never really want to rewatch that particular display, I would certainly go out of my way to watch another fireworks display in future, even if a lot of fireworks are really samey. They go off in different sequences, and that's enough to hold my interest.

I dig the fact that it has moments of comedy, too. Aside from the self-awareness angle and the fact that Tartakovsky's been using humour throughout his entire career, it also makes the show sufficiently endearing for me. I don't think I'd be quite as arsed about the relationship between the two leads if it didn't have a few light chuckles thrown into the mix.

That being said, I do wonder exactly how much potential this show has for another 10 episodes (not counting the other 5 we've not seen yet). I mean how much can you do with this format really?

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Well there are plenty of species for them to fight a giant version of. Maybe they'll kick the shit out of a massive gnat.

The real episode 6 was released over the weekend and follows on quite nicely from the Rage of the Ape-Men one.

The one I mentioned before appears to be Episode 7 (Plague of Madness).

I like it. Warmth and humour (there's one properly slapstick bit in the bat episode) and enough of a sidestep in other places (the one with the mammoths). The first 10 odd minutes of the ape-men episode, when they're just relaxing in the pool makes the remaining episode so much more involving. Short, to-the-point episodes help.

Mister Six

Watched the first one and appreciated the skillful direction and fantastic score but ultimately it was just a bit thin for me. Glad you guys are enjoying it but I've got plenty else to get through (including Joe Pera Talks With You, which I've only just discovered) and this isn't rewarding me in the same way I it's rewarding you. Glad it exists and is doing well though.

Episode 8 - very different and a lovely ending scene.

Also,
Spoiler alert
cute baby T-rexes
[close]
.

All ten on More 4 now. Episode 9 is a bit meh, some good art and some lovely animation but left a lot of questions unanswered. Episode 10 suggests a wider world and ends on a bit of a cliff hanger.

bakabaka

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on September 03, 2020, 10:58:09 PM
Well there are plenty of species for them to fight a giant version of. Maybe they'll kick the shit out of a massive gnat.
That's been done before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uLWbuButIE

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I've just been catching up with this. It's mostly more of the same quiet walking, punctuated with roaring and bloodshed. Episode 10 gives things a good shaking up though, which left me more interested to see the continuation. I just wish it could have got there a bit more quickly.

Episodes from Season 2 now on All4.

First one has some really striking quiet scenes which makes the fight
Spoiler alert
with a megalodon in the middle of a hurricane
[close]
all the more striking.

Second one ... well ... that's clearly Skara Brae.

backdrifter

Season 2 has now finished. Really good stuff.

Far more people here should have seen this

PlanktonSideburns

Watched the first couple of these and then drifted off, thought it was going to be more of the same, but shit - it keeps on ramping up the fun! Absolutely gorgeous, and quite moving so far, looking forward to where its going