Primeval (2007)

A news team is sent to Burundi to capture and bring home a legendary 25-foot crocodile. Their difficult task turns potentially deadly when a warlord targets them for death.

Director:

Michael Katleman

Writers:

John Brancato, Michael Ferris

Stars:

Dominic Purcell, Orlando Jones, Brooke Langton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dominic Purcell	...	Tim Manfrey
Brooke Langton	...	Aviva Masters
Orlando Jones	...	Steven Johnson
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Jacob Krieg
Gideon Emery	...	Matt Collins
Gabriel Malema	...	Jojo
Linda Mpondo	...	Gold Tooth
Lehlohonolo Makoko	...	Beanpole
Dumisani Mbebe	...	Harry
Eddy 'Big Eddy' Bekombo	...	Ato
Chris April	...	Captain
Ernest Ndlovu	...	Shaman (as Ernest Ndhlovu)
Erica Wessels	...	Dr. Cathy Andrews
Vivian Moodley	...	Indian UN Officer
Lika Berning	...	Rachel (as Lika van den Bergh)

Storyline

TV show star reporter Tim Manfrey and his cameraman Steven Johnson travel to Burundi to get sensational footage of a giant crococilian monster which attacked a UN identification team and the Tutsi-Hutu tribal civil war carnage mass grave corpses it was digging up in a Great Lakes marsh area. But it turns out danger also lurks in the armed form of a local war lord.

---

Plot Keywords:

based on true story | natural horror | creature feature | burundi | monster | 

---

Taglines:

Inspired by the true story of the most prolific serial killer in history.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Horror | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic violence, brutality, terror and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

In real life, as seen in this film, an attempt to bait the crocodile failed. The team used a live goat as bait one night, and the team continued this for days. One day the goat disappeared. The camera failed the night before due to a storm, and then political issues in the area forced the team out of the country. Leaving them unable to know what happened that night.

---

Goofs

(at around 1h 4 mins) During the chasing scene in the swamps you can hear squealing tires although there is only sand and grass.

---

Quotes

Steven Johnson: [to Jojo] If I have to shove you up my ass to get you through customs, you are going to America.

---

Connections

References Pimp My Ride (2004)

---

Soundtracks

Ni Wakati
Written and Performed by Kalamashaka
Courtesy of Kalamashaka and World Music Network

User Reviews

OK, if there is a cover of a crocodile, I'm expecting the crocodile to make more than a 5 minute appearance

I have no idea why, but from the cover and short summary in back, I thought that Primevil might have been an entertaining horror film. I'm not really into crocodile stories, they usually don't work, but for some reason this one looked very promising. When I started watching it, I kept checking the cover just to make sure I was on track, but the story just seemed to get lost somewhere. Now I don't mind different stories, but the cover promised something else and I wasn't even really that entertained or moved by the story.

Basically there is a killer crocodile in Africa, apparently he is a big one to be very frightened of. So an American crew of reporters wish to capture the beast or get him on film so they can help these villages and become famous more so. But there is another major problem that takes the story to a completely different place, where there is a huge war going on and starts to terrorize these reporters and one by one they are killed off before the crocodile gets to them.

Primevil would have had good potential for a horror movie, but it just went in an intense turn where you had no idea where the film would take you. The script was also in some ways done in poor taste and wasn't well thought out, like I'm not offended easily usually when it comes to racial jokes, but Orlando going on about slavery in Africa went a little too far and was ridiculous. The acting is so so, not the worst I've seen, but the effects are not that impressive, a warning in advance. But if you would like to check out this film, please feel free, but I wouldn't really recommend it.

3/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Space [Canada]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Swahili Kirundi French

Release Date:

12 January 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gustave

Filming Locations:

Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,048,315, 14 January 2007

Gross USA:

$10,597,734

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,291,277

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures, Pariah, Sarah James Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1