'Alpha' – Movie Review

I wasn't supposed to see this film. I didn't have all that much anticipation going in. I thought the film constantly being delayed was a very bad thing. However, when early reviews surfaced, they were glowing! Everyone was saying that it was a spectacularly shot film with a great soundtrack and a fantastic lead performance. I just had to see it.

The Plot

Alpha, directed by Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli), takes place approximately 20,000 years ago in what is Europe today. The film follows Keda, a young man who is the son of the Chief of a tribe of early Humans. After an accident during the annual Buffalo hunt, Keda is stranded and left for dead. The young man gets up and has to make his way back home before the first snowfall of winter. Along the way, Keda finds a wounded Wolf, and decides to take the wolf with him. And so we see the domestication of dogs!

First Thoughts

I, as stated earlier, had no real anticipation for Alpha. I walked into the auditorium with an open yet concerned mind. When the lights went down, and the movie began, my jaw dropped. This is a great film! I couldn't wrap my head at how surprised I was sitting there. Before I go off the rails here, let's jump into...

The Good

Straight out of the gate, I have to talk about the cinematography. This stuff is Roger Deakins level, people. It's insane. So many wides and beautiful colors. Some shots are burned into my memory, and will be for quite some time. Bravo filmmakers! Another aspect that really stood out to me was the soundtrack. It may just be me, but that was what sucked me in. The music, especially in the opening, puts you on the edge of your seat and your stomach turn. It reminded me of Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs, which came out earlier this year. Lots of drumming and low tuned instruments. I was wanting to listen to it while writing this review, but it doesn't exist! Whatever, just gives me another excuse to see it again. The thing that most critics have at least mentioned is the performance by Kodi Smit-McPhee. He was the standout (and the only main actor for about an hour of the film) of the movie for sure. McPhee delivered a performance that puts audiences in the moment. All of these praises all come back to the directing and writing. Luckily, they are both outstanding! The screenplay was moving and intense, and the direction by Albert Hughes shoots you back 20,000 years ago. All the good sadly has to end, and this is that time. The CGI is very good, AT TIMES. This segues to...

The Bad

The CGI, every other time, looked pretty fake. Yes, some of the backgrounds and CG animals looked pretty good, but the rest looked unacceptable. After seeing the film I did a bit of research and the budget was only around 50 to 60 million dollars! That's insanely low for a large adventure film like this. I also thought the middle act wasn't really present. There's certainly a beginning, and there 100 percent is an ending, but the middle feels like an elongated version of the first. As a film buff I was kind of disappointing with that. However these gripes didn't bother me. I wasn't being sucked out of the film.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Alpha is a heartwarming close to the summer movie season with a great performance, stellar cinematography, and a whimsical soundtrack. Some of the CGI was a bit iffy, and there's no middle, but that's it! I highly suggest seeing Alpha on the biggest screen possible with the best audio possible.

I'm going to give Alpha an A-.