Primeval, Volume One - DVD Review

By June L. Nov 4, 2008, 15:49 GMT

There\'s a new link in the food chain... and we\'re it! When evolutionary zoologist Nick Cutter discovers prehistoric creatures alive and well in the present-day, the natural world is turned on its head, and humanity faces a threat to its very existence. Unexplained anomalies are ripping holes in the fabric of time, allowing creatures from the very earliest stages of Earth\'s development to roam the modern world. Whether it\'s prehistoric ...more

“You spend your entire career planning for just about every crisis imaginable, up to and including alien invasion, then this happens.  So much for thinking outside the bloody box!”  - Sir James Peregrine Lester, Home Office official

For the last eight years there have been reports of something strange appearing in the Forest of Dean in England.  Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) has already lost his wife to the mystery.  She disappeared investigating one of these anomalies.

Now recent sightings bring together Professor Cutter, Connor Temple (Andrew-Lee-Potts) a graduate student and dinosaur geek, Stephen Hart (James Murray) Cutter’s lab technician, and Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt) a zoologist and lizard expert to work with the Home Office response team to try and collect some answers to these mysteries.  What they find will generate even more questions, and open the door to endless possibilities.

Oh shades of Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burrows, H. Ryder Haggard and all of the other epic adventure writers whose stories have shaped our perceptions of journeys into the unknown! 

Primeval is a satisfying trip, combining all the elements audiences love into stories that have an impact far beyond the monster of the week pattern we have come to expect as the norm for such series.  Not sure what I was about to see, I approached Primeval as a typical creature/horror series, and was so greatly and pleasantly surprised to find it much more substantial viewing. 

There are creatures, but they are not all horrible, and even the worst maintains a bit of nobility or dignity not usually a part of the kill it before it kills you fare viewers are so often given.  I almost hate to talk about the plot, because if you haven’t seen the series yet, I don’t want to give away any of the unique twists or ideas, and spoil your fun of discovery. 

Suffice it to say that creative writing is paired with an excellent cast (who make their characters very real) to give this series complexity and depth, as well as wonderful moments of humor and pathos.  Serious attention has been given to all aspects of creature creation and behavior…more than that I cannot say, it would be telling! 
Primeval Volume One is presented on four discs packaged in a nice fold out box, illustrated with scenes from the series.  Special features are included, such as a Behind the Scenes featurette on disc two, that will increase your appreciation of the amount of time and effort co-creators Tim Haines and Adrian Hodges have put into this production. 

Haines was the mastermind behind the 1990’s “Walking With Dinosaurs, Cavemen, Prehistoric Creatures etc. series.  This took audiences into the world of the past, and much of what he learned has been useful in creating the world of Primeval. 

Interviews with cast and crew members help to round out viewer’s understanding of Haines and Hodges vision for the series.  There is a second featurette hosted by Andrew Lee Potts called Through the Anomaly, which expands the viewer’s knowledge of filming and producing Primeval.  There are audio commentaries for selected episodes. 

Primeval, Volume One is an adventure that you won’t want to miss seeing and owning.

Primeval, Volume One is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.