Alpha (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Alpha' (made years ago, released in 2018, & directed by Albert Hughes) is a surprisingly-intense-for-young-children survival adventure about a pre-historic teen named Keda who forms the 1st human-canine bond with a wolf. 20,000 years ago in what is now referred to as France/Spain, 17 yr. old Cro-Magnon Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) goes on his 1st epic hunt with his stern Solutrean chieftain father (Johannes Haukur Johannesson); Solutreans were known for their tool-making capabilites, sewing prowess, bartering jewelry, & complex social hierarchies. Knowing that her sensitive son might struggle in the wilderness, Keda's mother (Natassia Malthe) is reluctant for him to go; but off he goes with his father, anyway.
After a terrible mishap forces the tribe to leave Keda {believing him to be dead from a harrowing bison attack}, the teen realizes he must make the long, treacherous journey back home alone. Soon enough - and dealing with a horrible ankle sprain - Keda is attacked by a wolf pack, but manages to scramble up a tree. Coming down the next day, he plans to put an injured, whimpering wolf left behind (Chuck the Czech wolf) out of its misery, but hesitates in killing it. He tends to the wolf's wounds, shares food, shelter; and forms a nerve-wracking alliance with the un-tamed animal. With "Alpha" at his side, Keda must overcome dangerous predators, violent storms & starvation in the harsh wilderness if the is to make it back to his family's homestead alive.
There's a lot to admire in 'Alpha'. The visuals are truly majestic. The acting is competent. The film's final image is masterful; with interesting implications. And it's a fairly absorbing, if simplistic survival tale with 2 main characters that are easy to root for. Director Albert Hughes uses extensive CGI to create a pre-historic setting that's familiar & unfamiliar, primal & other-worldly. Kodi Smit-McPhee is a very sympathetic young actor; you just like him & pull for him to succeed against the enormous odds stacked against him. As Keda, his bravery, perseverance & empathy is believable; we see how this sensitive Cro-Magnon teenager might have mercy on an ailing predator, then be open-minded to allying with it. He matures in both body & spirit during his journey. And we completely buy him speaking the film's invented language while overcoming the trials he & Alpha endure.
For all the film's strengths though, something holds me back from loving it. Maybe I'm a bit thrown off by the brutal nature of the proceedings. I call this: "The Revenant"-for-kids. In other words, we must watch Keda & the wolf endure misery after misery with little hope in sight (animal attacks, cliff falls, beatings, injuries, deprivation, sickness, etc.). And while some might ooh & ahh at the boy-and-his-dog antics, I felt that the emotional drama at the center of the story fell a little flat. I just worry about young viewers handling the intensity of the perils. And again, despite the beautiful filmmaking & solid acting at hand, I can't put my finger on exactly why I didn't love it. 'Alpha' feels like a good movie that missed an opportunity to be great.
After a terrible mishap forces the tribe to leave Keda {believing him to be dead from a harrowing bison attack}, the teen realizes he must make the long, treacherous journey back home alone. Soon enough - and dealing with a horrible ankle sprain - Keda is attacked by a wolf pack, but manages to scramble up a tree. Coming down the next day, he plans to put an injured, whimpering wolf left behind (Chuck the Czech wolf) out of its misery, but hesitates in killing it. He tends to the wolf's wounds, shares food, shelter; and forms a nerve-wracking alliance with the un-tamed animal. With "Alpha" at his side, Keda must overcome dangerous predators, violent storms & starvation in the harsh wilderness if the is to make it back to his family's homestead alive.
There's a lot to admire in 'Alpha'. The visuals are truly majestic. The acting is competent. The film's final image is masterful; with interesting implications. And it's a fairly absorbing, if simplistic survival tale with 2 main characters that are easy to root for. Director Albert Hughes uses extensive CGI to create a pre-historic setting that's familiar & unfamiliar, primal & other-worldly. Kodi Smit-McPhee is a very sympathetic young actor; you just like him & pull for him to succeed against the enormous odds stacked against him. As Keda, his bravery, perseverance & empathy is believable; we see how this sensitive Cro-Magnon teenager might have mercy on an ailing predator, then be open-minded to allying with it. He matures in both body & spirit during his journey. And we completely buy him speaking the film's invented language while overcoming the trials he & Alpha endure.
For all the film's strengths though, something holds me back from loving it. Maybe I'm a bit thrown off by the brutal nature of the proceedings. I call this: "The Revenant"-for-kids. In other words, we must watch Keda & the wolf endure misery after misery with little hope in sight (animal attacks, cliff falls, beatings, injuries, deprivation, sickness, etc.). And while some might ooh & ahh at the boy-and-his-dog antics, I felt that the emotional drama at the center of the story fell a little flat. I just worry about young viewers handling the intensity of the perils. And again, despite the beautiful filmmaking & solid acting at hand, I can't put my finger on exactly why I didn't love it. 'Alpha' feels like a good movie that missed an opportunity to be great.