A delightfully bizarre Vietnam War film has hit theaters, pitting American soldiers against an unholy alliance of man and beast: dinosaurs. The 2025 adaptation of Ethan Pettus's novel 'Primitive War' is unapologetically loud and crass, reveling in its own irreverence as it thrusts viewers into a jungle war zone where the Green Berets are not just fighting for their country but also for their lives.
When one squad of US soldiers goes missing during a chaotic battle, Colonel Jericho assigns an elite task force to find out what happened. Led by Sgt Ryan Baker, a gruff and inexperienced leader, this motley crew must confront an unexpected enemy that threatens to upend the very fabric of modern warfare: an army of dinosaurs awakened by some sinister scientific experiment.
While the film's setting is ostensibly 1960s Vietnam, with its anti-war sentiment and social upheaval, it's clear that the filmmakers have other priorities. The action is non-stop, with a focus on explosive set pieces and cheesy one-liners that evoke the worst excesses of low-budget camp cinema. It's a strange, almost endearing, approach to storytelling.
The real star of the show, however, are the dinosaurs – gruesome and grotesque, yet strangely mesmerizing in their full-body motion capture sequences. Their presence injects a sense of unpredictability into the film, reminding us that even in the midst of war, the most basic rules no longer apply.
But beneath its surface-level excitement lies a surprisingly well-crafted narrative, with some genuinely tense moments that never quite let up on the adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, it's undermined by poor production values and over-reliance on grating music cues that can't save this chaotic mess from itself.
'Primitive War' is an audacious misfire – equal parts mesmerizing trainwreck and campy entertainment – a cinematic exercise in excess that will delight fans of B-movies and disaster films but leave more discerning viewers scratching their heads.
When one squad of US soldiers goes missing during a chaotic battle, Colonel Jericho assigns an elite task force to find out what happened. Led by Sgt Ryan Baker, a gruff and inexperienced leader, this motley crew must confront an unexpected enemy that threatens to upend the very fabric of modern warfare: an army of dinosaurs awakened by some sinister scientific experiment.
While the film's setting is ostensibly 1960s Vietnam, with its anti-war sentiment and social upheaval, it's clear that the filmmakers have other priorities. The action is non-stop, with a focus on explosive set pieces and cheesy one-liners that evoke the worst excesses of low-budget camp cinema. It's a strange, almost endearing, approach to storytelling.
The real star of the show, however, are the dinosaurs – gruesome and grotesque, yet strangely mesmerizing in their full-body motion capture sequences. Their presence injects a sense of unpredictability into the film, reminding us that even in the midst of war, the most basic rules no longer apply.
But beneath its surface-level excitement lies a surprisingly well-crafted narrative, with some genuinely tense moments that never quite let up on the adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, it's undermined by poor production values and over-reliance on grating music cues that can't save this chaotic mess from itself.
'Primitive War' is an audacious misfire – equal parts mesmerizing trainwreck and campy entertainment – a cinematic exercise in excess that will delight fans of B-movies and disaster films but leave more discerning viewers scratching their heads.
'Primitive War' is literally the most wild thing i've seen on screen its like a combination of action movie & dinosaur apocalypse...like what even is that?! 
the special effects are SO on point tho especially those dino scenes they're like WHOA 
the problem is, it's all a bit too much for my taste, the music is super cheesy and the plot is kinda predictable but i dunno, its still so entertainingly bad lol 
would def watch again tho just 2 see how crazy it gets
. These US soldiers are fighting dinosaurs in Vietnam?! I mean, what's next? Dinosaurs on Mars? 
It's insane! The special effects are crazy, especially with those full-body motion capture sequences 
. But, honestly, sometimes I felt like I was watching a bad B-movie from the 80s 
. The music cues were just cringeworthy 
. Can someone please explain how this got made? Is this some sort of joke? 
I mean, I kinda loved it at the same time, it's so over-the-top and ridiculous 
Like, I get what the filmmakers were going for - a crazy, over-the-top take on war movies - but sometimes less is more, right? 
.
The film's chaotic approach to storytelling might not be for everyone, but its unpredictability can still make for an entertaining ride! 
it's like something out of a crazy dream or a campy B-movie. And you know what? I kinda loved it? 
still, if you're in for a wild ride with some seriously cheesy fun, then 'Primitive War' might be right up your alley 
. The result is this gloriously over-the-top mess that's equal parts cringeworthy and awesome 
)! The problem is, from what I've seen, it's like they took all the energy and excitement and just... amplified it until it becomes a bit too much (
but for real tho, I feel like the movie could've been actually good if they didn't rely on all these low budget tropes. still gonna see it again though because why not?!
! i mean its loud and crass but kinda charming? the dinosaurs are so cool theyre like the real enemies not the americans lol also the action scenes are INSANE non-stop explosions everywhere 
maybe just a bit too much CGI? The music cues can be super annoying too. Still, I'd give it some points for originality and entertainment value – who doesn't love dinosaurs in Vietnam? 
. The action scenes are non-stop and it's like you're right there in the jungle with them, but at the same time, it feels super cheesy