Read Mixed User Reviews for Alpha (2018)

6

amehannaNov 20, 2018

There have been many films that visualized the dawn of man, and yet somehow the story of how man domesticated wolf seemed to have slipped past filmmakers – until today.

An epic adventure set in the last Ice Age, ALPHA tells a visuallyThere have been many films that visualized the dawn of man, and yet somehow the story of how man domesticated wolf seemed to have slipped past filmmakers – until today.

An epic adventure set in the last Ice Age, ALPHA tells a visually stunning story that shines a light on the origins of man’s best friend.

What could have been a memorable hear-warming tale, however, becomes a film that solely relies on its visual elements – namely its mise-en-scene and cinematography – instead of first ensuring that it has a powerful narrative.

The story follows young Keda, played beautifully by Kodi-Smit McPhee, as he tries to find his way back home after an accident occurs during a hunt that causes his tribe to mistakenly believe that he is dead.

At his most vulnerable, Keda is attacked by a pack of wolves. In his defense, he seriously wounds the Alpha wolf, which the distraught pack abandons, however, instead of killing it, Keda carries the wolf to a cave where they take shelter. He cautiously heals the wolf’s wound, and in his isolation comes to depend on the creature’s risky, unpredictable companionship.

The narrative’s biggest weakness strangely enough lies with the heavy dialogue which is spoken in a Cro-Magnon type language.

Most films utilize dialogue between characters to push the story forward, in ALPHA’s case, however, the writers should have taken the dialogue out all together and relied on their body language and behaviors in order to build on the narrative.

Young Austrian cinematographer, Martin Gschlacht, is able to make nature a third character in the movie and broadened his cinematographic palette farther.

The film definitely has some of the most breathtaking shots for a film of its kind and both the director and cinematographer take full advantage of the landscape before them.

Although most of the film is practically filmed, there are many VFX (visual effects) shots used from weather to color grading and even some CGI animals.

The animals are very noticeable which is only due to the fact that the frail narrative allows the audience to focus on those minimal details.

Looking past the CGI, ALPHA does have some great practical details like the tribal costumes, tents, and all things relating to the era the narrative is set in is beyond grounded in reality.

The natural elements within the film, from the skies to the changing seasons, all symbolic in their own right, do more than just tell the story, they also layer the film with themes of the unity between man and nature.

ALPHA at its core is an escapist film, like the old campfire stories. The great storytellers told stories around a campfire, and it was a communal experience. That’s why people go to the movies: to laugh together, and cry together, and experience the same thing with strangers in the same room.

To conclude, the film stays real to what could have happened, and at the end there’s this incredible bond between the two characters, man and wolf, which leads to the creation of this relationship we now value more than life itself. If anything, ALPHA is a great tribute to that story and how it may have happened.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

TVJerryAug 20, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the original story of a boy and his dog. It's set 20,000 years ago, when members of a tribe set off to hunt for food. Thru an unfortunate but spectacular accident, the chief's son finds himself alone…until he helps a wounded wolf and they bond on the perilous trek thru the unrelenting wilds. While there are giant leaps in logic and time (such quick healing!), there's an affecting charm to the story. It's made more effective by Albert Hughes' striking directorial touches and the impressive scenery. Unlike the event itself, this isn't a breakthru movie, but it tells the origin story of dog/man companionship with affection and epic beauty.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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6

moviecritic68Aug 22, 2018

Being an animal lover helped me elevate the rating to score a higher mark for some emotional scenes but overall the story was very lackluster and drawn out. Recommend waiting for a release & watch on DVD.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

JLuis_001Aug 29, 2018

It is a bit strange to see a film with this kind of structure and cinematographic quality considering that in the end it's simply a story about domesticated wolves and therefore what would eventually become the domesticated dog. It seems likeIt is a bit strange to see a film with this kind of structure and cinematographic quality considering that in the end it's simply a story about domesticated wolves and therefore what would eventually become the domesticated dog. It seems like too much trouble for such a thin storyline.

Kodi Smit-McPhee delivers a solid interpretation but as I said the story is not the strong element of this film because in the end it's just a story of survival spliced with the bond between a young man and an animal. The interesting thing is in the time in which the story takes place.

The cinematography is excellent although there are times when you notice the CGI and it's bad but most of its running time it looks pretty good.

I can say that I do recommend it, although I must emphasize that you should not expect something remarkable.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

bataguilaFeb 10, 2019

Esta entretenida, rapida, las imágenes digitalizadas de los paisajes son muy buenos, pero la historia es media fumada.

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5

TyranianFeb 17, 2020

This world's first pet story has some strong visuals but is short on brains and believability.

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6

Compi24Mar 21, 2020

"Alpha" was a movie I avoided almost entirely in an effort to escape the bad taste that Roland Emmerich's "10,000 B.C." left in my mouth all the way back in 2008. Preconceived notions about the relative period aside, this really did work for"Alpha" was a movie I avoided almost entirely in an effort to escape the bad taste that Roland Emmerich's "10,000 B.C." left in my mouth all the way back in 2008. Preconceived notions about the relative period aside, this really did work for the most part. It's a generally effective survival narrative that's a bit slow on the draw, focusing too much on the father-son relationship early on and nowhere near enough (you can never have enough) upon the man-dog/wolf connection that the marketing went so hard in the paint with. Once we're thrust into that portion of the narrative, though, it's decent entertainment. I also really appreciated the commitment to having this entire movie spoken in a pre-historic language. This really helped bolster a sense of historical authenticity that the visuals seemed to waver in and out of.… Expand

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4

PipeCNov 14, 2018

Albert Hughes' conventional enemy-become-ally survival tale is one of the most disappointing movies of 2018. Sold as the origin of the relationship that changed humanity forever, Sony Pictures' and Studio 8's pic is an atypical drama hybridAlbert Hughes' conventional enemy-become-ally survival tale is one of the most disappointing movies of 2018. Sold as the origin of the relationship that changed humanity forever, Sony Pictures' and Studio 8's pic is an atypical drama hybrid that never takes off or defines itself because of some downy editing techniques, the overly light, straightforward underpinning and a monumental deception on the making of iconic pictures that blame blatant artificiality jam-packed with ostensible visual effects.

More in the vein of Lasse Hallström's tearjerker "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" and the most common American adventure/survival films, this pic uses up its striking possibilities in no time, by opting to insert inorganically moments of dramatic construction in the midst of the protagonist's ceaseless nightmarish experiences. Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt's script is uneven and whimsical, laying bare its only hook: its arty will that uses Ice Age ferocities to shine. It inaccurately depicts hostility and dangerousness from nomadism only through visual devices, forgetting the key role a good introductory storytelling plays, which, by the way, is abrupt and synthetic kicking off right in a pivotal moment. What's next is a snappish, out-of-place, hurtful timeline switch to end in the starting point once again, which it solves with a fragmented sequence in a disturbing and shameful way that trashes the small narrative construction. From then on, Keda, the main character, will trace his way for survival; and the rest is history.

Even so, the father-son relationship is the heartbeat of the first act, the empathy thread that involves the viewer in the journey, which helps to appreciate a good character design and a couple of great performances. It's hard to imagine the transition from ferocious predator to friendly ally in the context the film navigates, therefore the wolf-human relationship must be a slow, naturally layered progression, no catalysts breaking that process. Although the script tries its best, loses focus when it clumsily inserts either some action sequences or unfunny moment. At the end of the day, one would expect such a relationship to be stronger, more real and much more credible to do justice to the kind of ancestral tale and demographics it's dealing with, sadly, the only thing the film's cliche close achieves is to become a huge missed opportunity.

Why isn't it a silent film? A bit of a let-down it feels to hear the very first quote, as one would imagine the film is about to attack with all its originality. "A Quiet Place" has revived somewhat silent film in its own way, then, why not? You're right, Krasinski's thriller is a heart-stopping, clever monster movie, whereas Hughes' pic is a manipulative drama, which certainly makes harder its purpose; even so, idealizing this offering, balancing the modern and the traditional, we would be in front of a unique work.

You're in a fine mess, firstly, if you put the best of all your movie into a two-minute-plus trailer with better edition than the whole film, and, secondly, if your distribution company delays release date nearly six months in search of a more appropriate, strategic opening weekend. The first time I saw its official trailer was just before seeing a Sony Pictures film, and oh man, that was a great ride, being fully absorbed by the magnificence and grandeur of Martin Gschlacht's images. Some seconds after, I was wowed and excited about what, at least visually, the film would be. Don't expect more than some specific stunning landscapes and one or two gorgeously designed frames, the "guaranteed" top-notch visuals are severely affected by digital effects you see with half an eye, it's outrageous to know the only real thing on screen is the actor. Many of the pictures with chances for memorability were degraded by an incisive, painful artificiality. Atmosphere, in this kind of film, is a key feature, even if C.G.I. is constantly all over the place, for this reason, the feeling of defenselessness and latent danger in the first half of the film is sensitive regardless of veracity, immersing the viewer in the experience thanks to beautiful lighting and some tremendous computer-generated imagery. Its action set pieces aren't particularly unforgettable or originally powerful, with the exception of a couple of arresting, sincerely symbolic sequences at the start and end of the film.

"Alpha" by Albert Hughes — his solo feature directorial debut— got moviegoers' hopes up with the flood of marketing pledges, after seeing it, it's no more than a futile epic survival ride that relies heavily on a committed direction and a great performance by Kodi Smit-McPhee, a few visual shocks and the hook any film with a snout in its poster gets for free. A film that gradually gets stuck with fast-and-hollow entertainment, one that fails to break the spell flying over dog-centric drama films, one with no pedigree.… Expand

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5

amheretojudgeFeb 10, 2019

A Walk In A Park.

Alpha Hughes is utterly confident in his fantasy, he personifies nature in a character that has much more to say than our protagonist. There is a lot of Lee's Life Of Pie in it, but he makes sure he says beyond somethingA Walk In A Park.

Alpha

Hughes is utterly confident in his fantasy, he personifies nature in a character that has much more to say than our protagonist. There is a lot of Lee's Life Of Pie in it, but he makes sure he says beyond something than a brief encounter to the nature. He may not explore it thoroughly or dive deep into it, but he surely animates them to a larger scale. But no matter how sharp his vision grow or how skillful the method is, it is still a typical textbook of the genre. Familiar in its version and a theme with elements that we have all encountered before, there is a slow rhythm to it that makes you groove on your feet. The dance and romance between the nature and nurture aspect of those characters oozes and appeals power to us.

Visually, the film is beautifully, bright lit sky at night and single coloured theme on each frame attracts the viewer to these live locations despite of being short handed on visual effects. The rich cultural traditions and rituals along with smart tactics proves the amount of detailing that went through in this process. The screenplay may not be mature but also never loses its cannon of speech, there barely resides any verbal sparring, and it is that amiability of physical sequences that communicates with us the most.

The performance is admirable if not completely outstanding, the lead cast survives progressively and expressively for us and we can filter out the effort easily. The initial tough equation between our protagonist and the wolf is the best of all, afraid of each others skills and behavior, they find a mutual admiration that binds them forever. Alpha is not the lead of this group, it certainly is vital to it, an expected, promised and delivered product.… Expand

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4

jonslowDec 7, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good concept about Wolfe becoming human's friend but the film lack of strong reason to believe. It has the very poor story line.
- How the Wolfe join back the man's journey to home ? Why ? Even he was already with a pack.
- They killed the black panther. They had full of foods to survive but why they fall at the end ? Film should add this information.
- Wolfe have babies ? What the... It's really hard to be pregnant with that condition ( starving etc..) .

Life of Pie movie is the good example of how human and animal relationship are developed.… Expand

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6

InTrippyEntropyJun 19, 2019

7 months ago

If you like watching a timid semi heartthrob teenage boy learning to be a man in the wilderness, watch 2015's excellent "Slow West". In the 2018 film Alpha, the story is similar. But it is far less authentic and moving. KODI7 months ago

If you like watching a timid semi heartthrob teenage boy learning to be a man in the wilderness, watch 2015's excellent "Slow West". In the 2018 film Alpha, the story is similar. But it is far less authentic and moving. KODI SMIT-MCPHEE plays Keda, a prehistoric Hunter going for his first kill with his tribesmen. He gets lost and must learn to survive on his own. He meets an injured wolf and they hit it off and begin to help each other on the long grueling journey home. The best scenes are in the middle of the movie between the boy and the Wolf. It's the usual, you know, wolf is afraid of boy and vice versa, they slowly begin to trust each other, boy tries to chase the wolf away so that he can go back to his pack, Wolf refuses to leave, and follows at an adorable distance. Nothing new here, but entertaining and heartwarming. And teenage girls may enjoy looking at McPhee with his puppy dog appeal. Unfortunately, director Hughes doesn't get much in the way of acting from McPhee. Also, the CG backdrops and wolf expressions don't look very good. The rocks and cliffs look like they were formed out of concrete and painted. Somewhat enjoyable for adults, more so for tweens.… Expand

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