Movie · 2025 · Action, Horror, War, Science Fiction · 2h 13m · NR · English
Curator score: 1.3/10 (25.8K ratings)
This ain't no walk in the park.
Overview
During the Vietnam War, a recon unit ventures to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing platoon. They soon find themselves in a fight for their lives against an unexpected enemy — prehistoric dinosaurs.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.3/10
IMDb: 5.3/10
Letterboxd: 2.73/5
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Luke Sparke
Production
Sparke Films
Cast
Jeremy Piven, Tricia Helfer, Ryan Kwanten, Nick Wechsler, Anthony Ingruber, Aaron Glenane, Albert Mwangi, Carlos Sanson Jr., Ana Thu Nguyen, Adolphus Waylee, Marcus Johnson, Jake Ryan, M.J. Kokolis, Henry Nixon, Ryan Panizza, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Kawakawa Fox-Reo, Lincoln Lewis, Adam Fraser
Where to watch
Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict
A scrappy, high-concept B-movie that mostly delivers on its promise of Vietnam War chaos plus dinosaur carnage. The action, creature work, and grindhouse energy seem to be the main draw, while the writing, performances, and pacing are uneven enough that enjoyment will depend on how much you value spectacle over polish.
Best for
fans of pulpy creature features
viewers who enjoy war movies with a ridiculous premise
dinosaurs-on-a-budget curiosity seekers
people who like practical-effects-minded monster mayhem even when the script is thin
Skip if
you want strong character drama or emotional depth
you’re tired of dinosaur movies
you need polished dialogue and top-tier acting
you dislike schlocky, knowingly goofy genre mashups
Overview
Primitive War is exactly the kind of premise that can live or die on execution: Vietnam War recon unit, isolated jungle valley, dinosaurs. The good news is that the movie appears to understand the assignment on the spectacle side, leaning into bloody creature attacks, military chaos, and a pulpy survival-movie rhythm that gives it a strong late-night drive-in appeal.
Worth noting
The tradeoff is that the film’s ambitions are bigger than its polish. Reviews suggest the acting and writing can be rough, and the pacing may sag between the set pieces. Still, there’s a real sense of resourceful filmmaking here, with the dinosaur action often punching above its budget and generating the kind of “how is this working?” energy that genre fans love.
Bottom line
If you’re in the mood for a shamelessly high-concept B-movie that wants to be loud, violent, and entertaining more than elegant, this has a decent shot at landing. If you need credibility, nuance, or a genuinely moving war story, it’s probably not the right jungle mission.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Brian (4★) · 709 likes
These Vietnam vets will be suffering later from PTSD...Prehistoric Traumatic Stress Disorder. 😂
I'll see myself out...
tkthetank (2★) · 526 likes
“I’ve been shot man, in dinosaur Vietnam!”
The sound design on the T-Rex chomp SENT ME
arossberg (4★) · 495 likes
Legitimately more enjoyable than like the last three Jurassic World movies. Shocked at how good some of these dinos look considering the budget. It’s hard to believe this is an indie Aussie movie at times but Sparke pulls off a lot of magic tricks to make this thing punch way above its weight class. My only complaint would be that it could use some tightening and there are some… questionable… accents, but when the dino action hits it hits hard and this movie enters Dino Crisis territory in the best way.
frejaoneill (3.5★) · 287 likes
if warfare and jurassic world had a baby
Horror Syndrome (3.5★) · 245 likes
An R-Rated Jurassic World with lots of pew pew and dinosaurs viciously eating humans. Hell yes I liked this.