"Primeval" Episode #1.3 (2007)

Director:

Cilla Ware

Writers:

Tim Haines (creator) &
Adrian Hodges (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Primeval" (2007)

Original Air Date:

24 February 2007 (Season 1, Episode 3)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A prehistoric aquatic creature like a huge crocodile appears in a London swimming pool, eats a life guard...

Plot Keywords:

Rope | Swimming Pool | Kayak | Platform Diving | Eaten By Animal

Cast

Douglas Henshall	...	Nick Cutter
James Murray	...	Stephen Hart
Andrew Lee Potts	...	Connor Temple (as Andrew-Lee Potts)
Lucy Brown	...	Claudia Brown
Hannah Spearritt	...	Abby Maitland
Juliet Aubrey	...	Helen Cutter
Ben Miller	...	Sir James Lester
Abigail Aston	...	Diane Johnson
Andrew French	...	Detective Inspector
Mark Wakeling	...	Capt. Tom Ryan
Pascale Burgess	...	Jane Dexter
Jake Curran	...	Tom
James Bradshaw	...	Duncan
Aled Pugh	...	Plumber

Runtime:

Germany:46 min

Country:

UK | Germany | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:6

Company:

ITV Productions

Quotes:

Detective Inspector: Pretty obvious she killed her boyfriend but we don't know what she did with the body. Just keeps babbling on about monsters and sea serpents.
Professor Nick Cutter: Would you like me to talk to her?
Detective Inspector: What about? Monsters? I'm conducting a serious murder investigation here ...
Professor Nick Cutter: It wasn't a murder. Anthony Barton was killed by an ancient marine predator which then returned to its home millions of years in the past.
Detective Inspector: Who are you people?
Claudia Brown: I'm sorry; thanks for your time, Inspector. Cutter! Wait...
Professor Nick Cutter: The girl's innocent.
Claudia Brown: I know.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (2000)

"If you get killed can I have your iPod?" Dull third episode.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Primeval #1.3 starts at a London swimming pool where a life guard is eaten by a huge crocodile type reptilian Dinosaur that came through an anomaly in time, Home Office official Claudia Brown (Lucy Brown) is alerted & calls in Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) along with the rest of the team. They quickly learn of the guys digested remains being found at a inner city reservoir where another anomaly has opened, can the team make the waters of London safe once more?

Episode 3 from season 1 of this made-for-British TV sci-fi adventure series was directed by Cilla Ward & is probably the weakest episode so far in my opinion. The script by Adrain Hodges like the previous episode basically steals it's central premise from a Hollywood horror film this time obviously being Jaws (1975) with nasty things that lurk below the surface, OK it's not a shark but the basic principal of a man eating threat underwater is there for all to see. I also must admit the character's are really starting to get on my nerves here, I'm really tired of the whole Professor Cutter's wife sub plot which takes up an annoying amount of this episode as the fun stuff like the huge man eating crocodiles take a back seat & seem almost inconsequential. Some of the film geek dialogue is quite amusing at times I suppose & at only 45 minutes it doesn't last that long, it's worth a watch if your following the series but as a stand alone episode this isn't great by any stretch of the imagination.

Again there are some very impressive CGI special effects on show here, the giant crocodile things really do look the business & that opening scene when the life guard jumps off a diving board straight into the mouth & down the throat of one is probably my single favourite scene from the series so far, it's a shame they don't really get to do much else after. The other monster in this episode is a bird which looks like a stupid cross between a chicken, duck & pelican if you can picture that. This one doesn't even try to be scary or exciting, or so it seemed to me anyway. It's well made I suppose & the acting is OK although I think Lucy brown who plays the Home Office whatever she's supposed to be is absolutely awful.

Primeval episode 3 isn't anything special, if your a fan of the show then it's a must obviously but if your not then your not missing much if you haven't seen it apart from some cool giant crocodiles.