In 2018 on the screens came the family film Albert HughesAlpha - one of the last projects to date about prehistoric times.
The plot focuses on the story of the friendship of a young man of the Upper Paleolithic period with a wolf, which will become an example for the modern viewer of how 20 thousand years ago ancient people domesticated animals.
Let me start with the positives. First of all, this is the visual component of the film. Moreover, it seems to me that the beautiful picture was rather an end in itself, and not a tool working for the benefit of perception. All these landscapes and colors are pleasing to the eye so that sometimes you feel as if you are watching another documentary from National Geographic. It was not without computer animation (and it is also good here). Given the fact that the film was originally sharpened for 3D and IMAX, some camera solutions (to show the eyes of bison, as they fly spears through the air) are clear. Although I watched it in regular 2D, I also enjoyed it.
Then comes the idea itself (albeit banal and even beaten at the expense of a huge number of films shot on the same topic). Well, it would seem, another “White Fang”, or “Life of Pi”, but already in the setting of the Ice Age. But for me, for a family viewing a movie like “Alpha” is very suitable. After all, if the main target audience is children and adolescents, then such a story of friendship between a young man and a wolf works very well for attention, forcing you to empathize with what is happening. In addition, it is also the story of overcoming the trials of a young man who will have to become a man and a brave warrior to survive in the wild. So it turned out to be such a morally instructive tale.
However, with all due respect to the creators of “Alpha” for the visual component and graceful theme, the film turned out not only very far from the story, but also stupid. Alas, but “immersion in history” is difficult to call it. Take at least the appearance of actors who looked too modern. Not that I share the indignation of those who called for a boycott of Alpha for the absence of members of the Negroid race, but they also did not resemble cavemen. This is clearly seen by neatly trimmed beards in men, clean well-groomed stylish hairstyles, white and even teeth, clothes (which look like a modern tan), tattoos. At the same time, one of the tribes generally on the head of the Iroquois, which makes him look more like an Indian than a Cro-Magnon. Unfortunately, such things often happen due to the fact that Americans, shooting stories from the past, bring them all kinds of modern agendas, making the film closer to the modern viewer. Why engage in authenticity and invite experts to explain how they lived 20,000 years ago? If we discard all this prehistoric entourage, we get a film about an urban major and a squirrel, who by his years (somewhere 15-17 in the film) does not know anything. And when a disaster happens on the hunt and the guy is literally left alone with the wildlife, believing he is dead, he is forced to grow up to return home aki hero Leonardo DiCaprio in The Survivor.
Another red thread in the film is the idea of humanism. I feel good about humanism itself. But to imagine that only an unwillingness to hurt an animal made the main character so, frankly, it is difficult for me. In those days, all the boys were trained to hunt, so that they became foragers. Without the slaughter of animals on the hunt, the tribe would be starving. And here we see almost a vegetarian, who is disgusted by the idea of harming a representative of fauna. Again, again, if this was a film about an urban major who ended up in the woods and was trying to get out of it, that kind of character arc would be appropriate. But for a plot from the primitive world, this would be simply unacceptable.
The title of the film is also strange. Of course, the working "Solutrean" would not be sonorous and not memorable. But there's an explanation here that -- again, doesn't fit the story. The first letter of the Greek alphabet (like the Greek alphabet itself) appeared much later. And according to the plot of the film, the main character gives this name to his new friend - the wolf.
In my opinion, the director’s move did not work very well to make the characters speak in a fictional primitive language. Still, without the use of sign language, this method of communication resembled modernity.
In general, “Alpha” is a good and naive film for children and unpretentious viewer, who will not care whether the picture corresponds to historical reality or not. Despite the presence of several actors in the film (whose names say little), Alpha became a benefit for only one - Cody Smith-McPhee, who played Ked. Although I can’t say that the work in “Alpha” was a breakthrough in the career of a young man (here more participation in the franchise “X-Men” was the finest hour for the actor than this). In any case, this is a good story of friendship and loyalty, which is not ashamed to watch (even to the story itself, as a science, the film has a very distant relation).
7 out of 10
"I don't believe it!" Right from the first shot. In general, even now there are places on the planet where people live almost a primitive way of life, eat through gathering and hunting. The national geography even has movies about them. Have the writers at least tried them out first? Stupidity and contrivance in every frame. The young men, and the son of the chief in particular, as if not all this time in this tribe lived having the opportunity to learn everything that demands from them harsh life, and the impression that came on vacation from the city. And hunting and blood and hardships were seen only in the movies.
So many questions to the absurdity of what is happening and so few answers. Why and why do hunters go so far? Don't hunters wander for food? The hunting scene is very strange, very strange. The behavior of the pack in relation to the wounded relative, well, I'm not a specialist, maybe they don't eat their own. The behavior of a wounded wolf, especially when it can already move, is again a question. Why doesn't the hero stock up on food as he progresses? Why don't we see him feeding a friend? Where did the lone hunter come from, why is he outside? Why the main character in the fierce cold does not care about keeping warm, but walks and sleeps, like a fashionable dude of winter New York, forever with his head uncovered and bare hands?
Of course, I understand that this is an art film, almost a fairy tale, and there is a place for fiction and speculation and other artistic and cinematic techniques. There is no room for one thing: common sense. But we are presented with that film in teasers, almost like a truss of stories from the life of ancient people. And the film is supposedly not about any abstraction or romantic story, the main story is about survival. And when they try to tell you the story of survival, the listener and the viewer begin to perceive the story more critically. And all sorts of artistic assumptions spoil and ruin the effect. Very mediocre in general. By force
Yes, we know many facts about the lives of people and animals. Immutable. For example, you cannot tame an adult wolf. Under no circumstances. No cure, no shelter, no food. No way! It's a fact. Of course, people who first learned or realized it, there will be a natural question about the second known fact: today's dogs are the direct descendants of those very wild & #39; untamed & #39; wolves. Then how? How were they tamed? A wolf will always consider himself a member of the pack in which he was born and which raised him. A wolf born in captivity will consider people as his pack, will consider himself... a man.
There are other facts that we know. But there are more facts about primitive life that we know nothing about. I don't think we'll ever know. And most of them will remain a mystery to modern man. Another important conclusion to watch is that it should not be viewed as an accurate reconstruction of the life of homosapians 20,000 years ago. And reproach the creators in the absence ' the truth of life'.
Well, right, funny. Their grenades have the wrong system, the costumes are not so sewn, the teeth are even, and the prey, on the contrary, would rot in a few days. And the language is made up from beginning to end. And the letter 'alpha' first appeared only in the ancient Sumerians, and this is a hundred years later. And that's not to mention the concept 'alpha' in psychology... And a lot more about historical and archaeological inaccuracies and blatant blunders. And, in general, everything here is fiction, a fairy tale, and so it was not, we know for sure, we can read and in Vicki everything about those times has been described for a long time.
But here it is, on the surface... it is a fairy tale! Yeah, it's a fairy tale. Fiction. But why do people make up stories? And is it so important in them historical authenticity, if the story is a lie? Or are they teaching us something else? More important than the exact date of the Battle of Borodino and was Tamerlane really lame? So, maybe the creators of the film wanted us through this most fictional fairy tale to convey something more valuable and important?
And if you try to throw away the hustle and languish of the idle mind, overloaded with the information flow, with which he has long been unable to cope, and hear one important phrase for understanding in the film: ' He leads not with a spear, but with his heart'? After all, no one will even think of reproaching Kipling for historical inaccuracies and outright lies in the fairy tale about a wild cat from a wild forest on the grounds that cats do not talk!
You just have to watch this movie with your heart. And to perceive it as a legend, as a simple but wise parable, giving to understand how the caveman became a man of reason. More precisely, a humane person who first realized the value of life as such. I am a wise parable about the value of friendship, mutual understanding and revenue, no matter who and in whatever circumstances you find yourself. The warmth of the hearth. The eternal story of the return of the prodigal son. You should never give up and give up. And that at the right moment there will always be someone who will support you and even save you. And he'll be saved. The Bible is about the same thing, the fabulous. And in this scenario, a film about the self-worth and beauty of life in all its manifestations deserves only praise.
Baddy Riggo, 03.05.2021
For some reason it so happens that in comparison with the Mesozoic, the later Cenozoic era does not enjoy comparable success in cinema. After the parody French "Million years BC" ("RRRrrr!") released in 2004, in the world box office was noted four years later "10 000 years BC" and, in fact, everything. For the next ten years, apart from the animated "Ice Ages", we have not seen anything similar. Alfa, fortunately, corrected the situation. How good is it?
This film is one of the most beautiful in the history of cinema in general. The panoramic views with which the director captivates us from the very first seconds are amazing. Mountains, snow, night sky, winter frost and – quite unexpectedly – scenes under water. This is really worth a special plus. In addition, the film is interesting because almost all the animals shown in it are created using computer graphics. Very spectacularly, though rarely, we see mammoths, hyenas and woolly rhinos. Here, however, obvious shortcomings begin. Although 10 years have passed, in the film 10,000 BCE, the special effects were almost at the same level. It is strange that the situation has progressed poorly.
But what about the plot? And the story, my friends, is one big mistake. Set 20,000 years ago, the protagonist turns out to be the son of a Cro-Magnon chief who goes through severe trials to find his way home and prove to everyone that he is capable of becoming a new leader. It's pathetic, dramatic and ... utterly unreliable. To imagine the life of Cro-Magnons, it is enough to look at how modern natives live in Africa and South America, and add to this the conditions of a long winter. When everyone’s thinking is about whether there’s enough food for the next two months, people don’t have enough time for romance and tears. When husbands left their wives saying, "We're going hunting and we may not come back," they didn't put any sad feelings into their speech. Take this farewell literally: “A tree may fall on me and I will not be able to help my companions sink the bison. But do not wait for me in vain - feed the children and continue our family! Dry, unromantic, but useful. All for survival.
The same goes for the behavior of the characters. Each is not like a Cro-Magnon man, but a man of the twenty-first century who has been transported to the past by a time machine and is trying to survive there for many years. In fact, if the story were like that, it would look like “hurrah.” But when they try to pass this off as authenticity, I want to say “I do not believe!”
However, the main disadvantage of "Alpha" is still a lack of entertainment. If you remember “10 000 years BC”, then there was a hunt for mammoths, and the battle with Forusrakos, and two chic scenes with Smilodon, not to mention the ancient pyramid. It may have looked too fantastic, but it was very interesting. In "Alpha" there is no shadow of such dynamics. The music that gets through the first seconds to goosebumps gradually begins to irritate. The buffalo hunt is excellent, but... it’s not enough. Why are there no mammoth hunts or woolly rhinos? Why are hyenas only shown from afar? Why is the saber-toothed cat (homoteria, apparently), which is perhaps the most interesting beast of the Pleistocene, always darkened? Probably, the director believed that this predator would seem scarier, but instead of fear, the viewer feels outraged: even the killed beast is not shown close-up. It's not a case. But here we have a tame wolf Alpha appears very often, and always in a band of bright light. I'm sorry, but you can see wolves in any reserve right now. Show me a cave bear, a cave lion, a pachycrocutu, a megaloceros, a giant hippopotamus, or at least a tarpan! And instead of the lyrical music you want to meditate on, turn on something majestic. A movie like this would be a great show. Alpha is more of a disappointment. Except for the beautiful panoramas:
When Alpha came out at the box office, I really wanted to go to the movies, but I couldn’t because there were some circumstances that prevented me. But even then in 2018, I added this film to the folder “I’ll watch” on “Kinopoisk” that’s the moment. Emotions are generally positive, but there are nuances. Let’s talk today about the Albert Hughes film “Alpha”.
We will evaluate the movie according to such criteria as plot, acting and soundtrack. Let’s start with a detailed analysis.
Plot: We are thrown back 20,000 years to Europe, where after one unsuccessful hunt for bison, yaks or buffalo, the son of a tribal leader is seriously injured. He is abandoned, thinking that he is dead, but he survives and begins to survive, meeting the future faithful friend in the face of a wolf. In general, I liked the storyline, but I had some complaints. First, where did the Hyenas come from in Europe? I honestly kept asking myself that question. Second, 20,000 years ago, and humans are already living upright, as in some modern settlements. How did you learn to make such perfect jackets? Fourth, how can such a severe injury be so easily cured? And these questions arise simply immeasurable number. It doesn't spoil the story, but the perception is kind of intoxicating, because I don't think it was that good back then. As for the storyline itself, it is simply magnificent, since it provokes emotions very easily. The impact of the drama is felt throughout. But, even with such advantages minuses, the film did not bypass. I thought there was something missing. Such films, with such a plot, must go at least almost 3 hours to fully reveal the presence of the adventure genre in the description. Many interesting points were simply not added or forgotten, as while he survives could show the situation of the tribe, how in general they brought several carcasses of cattle for many kilometers to their tribe. Add a couple of sharp moments, the attack of rhinos, saber-toothed tigers, mammoths in the end, as much interesting animals were in those days. And that would add even more adventure and timekeeping to the storyline for at least another hour. It was as if the director lacked the will or the means to cut so many obvious scenes. That made me a little upset, because you don't feel the adventure itself. As for the ending, it is very unusual and interesting, even if just some fabulous, because there were no prerequisites for this. Overall, I liked this criterion as a whole, since the drama showed itself in full glory, but also did not like it a little, because it was the adventure that I did not feel much.
Actors are not particularly distinguished, since in those days people were copies of each other. Despite this, I have highlighted a couple of positive things for myself. For example, I really liked how the supporting characters were worked out, which were like the first, but more than the second. Even though they weren’t revealed, somehow I saw them as characters with a story or personalities, in other words. I don't know what this has to do with, but it's worth giving credit for. The second moment was Cody Smith-McPhee, who played the role of Ked the son of the chief, who was kicked ass by the leader of buffaloes, yaks or bison. I didn’t like the fact that at the beginning of this character it is shown as some kind of coward. This is ridiculous, because in those days, people didn't know exactly what retribution or compassion was. On the other hand, if he had been made a typical representative of that society, there would not have been such an interesting story of friendship with the wolf, there would not have been this development of the character in the course of the story narrative. The fact that the hero changed during the plot is a huge plus. But here again these changes did not show much, because little timekeeping was given. Why such an interesting development as the character from “Life of Pi” or “Rogue” did not work out, but it was, which means not little. Overall, I also liked this criterion, but there are some nuances.
Soundtrack: The musical accompaniment of the film deserves special praise. It was so typical of adventure drama music, more of a melody. Musical accompaniment with its task coped perfectly, as it is where you need to pump, where you need to relax, where you need a little scare. There was even a moment near the end that because of one scene and the melody accompanying it, I had a lump in my throat, so I got into the main character and the wolf. I really liked it, the music was done well.
So I liked the family adventure drama Alpha. This film clearly lacks timekeeping that would reveal it in full glory. “Alpha” is a good movie, even in places very interesting, with very good acting. But he lacks a lot of little things to make something great. That feeling of not having a grip on anything else followed me to the very end. It was too short. There is even a message so deep and positive that friendship will always save you in a difficult moment and no matter who it is a friendship with, the main thing is that it should be. Many claims of negative reviewers are associated with the fact that there are many inaccuracies with historical facts, others say that the film is too pretentious, others say that there is a lack of timekeeping. But none of them say anything bad about the story as a whole, as it is here. And it's made very worthy of the drama Do I recommend watching? Of course I do. The presence of the family genre fully justifies itself, this film will not teach your children a bad thing. I hope my review was helpful. Thank you very much.
The film by Albert Hughes can be watched quite calmly by impressionable, sentimental, young, pregnant and mentally ill people.
The story is built around a chance meeting and an unexpectedly strong friendship between an unfortunate primitive boy and a wounded wolf.
The story is quite simple and almost the whole plot takes a long and difficult way back to the community settlement, the fight against hunger, cold and not yet tamed animals.
The whole film is quite idealized, and therefore resembles a bright and interesting children's fairy tale with cute, kind wolves, bringing a wand and ready to eat from a person's hand without any tameness; hungry vultures, which can be frightened away by sluggish waving of the hand; and Europe, striking the viewer with the beauty of its mountains, rocks, volcanoes, steppes and northern lights (all within walking distance).
Many logical inconsistencies make the film even more like a fairy tale, but the fairy tale is so beautiful and high-quality that from the beginning to the very end, viewers are inseparably looking at the screen, without being distracted by anything.
Amazingly done 3d gives a feeling of complete immersion and makes even the most sophisticated viewer deviate from the bison flying from the screen, unwittingly hold his breath at ' failure' under the ice or feel endless happiness at the sight of the sky, full of stars.
Carefully worked out graphics allow the viewer not only to enjoy beautiful landscape plans, but also to see animals, which today we can read only in textbooks: mammoths, woolly rhinos, saber-toothed tigers and cave lions - all of them are made very real and do not cause a feeling of cartoonism.
As a result, the film must acquire a very wide range of fans, it is almost nothing to scold, it is simple in the plot, but not delayed, during the film you barely have time to enjoy a beautiful picture, when there to get bored?! Anyone who decides to watch this movie, I sincerely advise you to watch in 3D, get an indescribable pleasure. I speak as a person with a weak vestibule and therefore a rather ardent opponent of 3d in films, on ' Alpha' you do not get bored and the picture does not double, look boldly, it is beautiful.
There will be a little spoilers, but if you are familiar with the genre of the classic fairy tale, they will not become spoilers for you, and so everything is obvious.
At first, the film is very repulsive because you don’t understand what you’re watching.
But gradually, through the association with the comic, you realize that actually it was supposed to be a classic Disney cartoon. Therefore, you can not be surprised why the boy, who was taken on a big hunt, it turns out, no one in his life killed, why the hunting grounds are horribly far away, why people have such a rich vocabulary, about the Greek alphabet here too talked a lot (although in the original words “alpha”, by the way, the characters do not pronounce), etc. and so on. These are quite common assumptions for any cartoon. But as we watch the movie, at first we have questions.
But most importantly, you should understand before watching that Alpha is the most classic tale of initiation. Here there are all the signs of the genre: the boy is taken on a big hunt, the hunt is so far away that it seems to be in another world, the boy descends into the world of death, finds there a spirit guide who helps him return home as a man (hello antennae). Not only does he return, but he brings something new to his community.
Unfortunately, the movie doesn't immediately lead to that thought, and at the beginning you wonder what it is. Hence a lot of negative reviews. But if you like classic fairy tales, you know how they are built, then you will enjoy how it was with me.
A separate plus for animal facial expressions - it is inimitable!
8 out of 10
'We've been walking together for so long, I can't lose you. -
Albert Hughes is best known to the viewer for his joint work with his twin brother Allen: together they shot quite successful films ' Threat to Society' (1993), 'From Hell' (2001) and 'The Book of Eli' (2009). But Allen Hughes has already made attempts to shoot without his brother: examples are the almanac ' New York, I Love You' (2008) and the political drama ' City of Vice' (2012). But Albert Hughes since the days ' Books of Eli' did not show new films for ten years - and this is a long time, so the viewer could forget about him (also Albert is not Terrence Malik), although in the near-cinematic media there were rumors that Albert Hughes was working hard on the development of his first separate picture called ' Alpha' Finally, in the summer of 2018, he presented it to the public for discussion.
The action takes place in prehistoric times around a young man named Keda (Cody Smith-McPhee). In order for the tribe to accept him as an adult man, he needs to go hunting for the first time, which before the onset of cold directly affects the further survival of the tribe, since without supplies they can simply disappear. For Keda, this is the first hunt and the mother is very nervous about it, believing that the son is not yet ready for such trials. The father, who is also the leader of the tribe, on the contrary, thinks that it is time for Kedeh to go in search of food with the rest of the men. And during the hunt, misfortune occurs, and many have hastened to count the young man among the dead. But this is not at all true, the young body endures the consequences of an accident and Ked, despite injuries and a strong cold snap, is going on a journey towards home. At the same time, a lone wolf is killed. Man and predator must help each other survive. . .
Of course, this is a touching story, but it is radically different from the world-famous adventure story of Jack London & #39; White Fang & #39; so that sentimental people do not have to keep a handkerchief near them to sneak away tears from tenderness and keen sympathy for a smart, affectionate, brave and faithful animal. Of course, in ' Alpha' the wolf appears in a similar form, but still for the most part ' Alpha' is a film about survival in harsh conditions, where death can come from either side. Something ' Alpha' even more reminiscent of ' Apocalypse' Mel Gibson. Naturally, there are no savages distraught from thirst for blood, but also full-scale surveys of glaciers make them shrink, subconsciously feeling the piercing cold of the snowy plains. And here it is ' Alpha' to find your delight: to give the picture special colors, which in essence should shake the viewer, but no - it turned out to be too academic and somehow ordinary, as if the main characters do not go through the icy desert for several days, but cross the country road from the village to the nearest store.
Another problem is the lack of drama. Only a few scenes cause violent emotions, everything else looks too long and the same type. In general, the work of the Austrian operator Martin Gschlacht can be made a lot of claims, it is noticeable that the long-term construction of Albert Hughes instead of a triumphant return received several weighty points due to operator errors. The efforts of Cody Smith-McPhee attract attention, but still he looked kind of tenacious and imagine that he was able to survive after almost fatal injuries, and then after a long, exhausting journey is quite difficult. But again, he didn’t play so badly, at least he tried. But the best segment 'Alpha' is the relationship between man and wolf. The way the young man showed that he was in charge, the way he cared for the wounded animal, the way the animal felt a friend in him - this is understandably accepted on an enthusiastic level. The meaningful burden of caring for our smaller brothers should touch people.
In general, I expected much more from the return of Albert Hughes to the big movie. For ten years he was preparing for it, for some reason it turned out to be a rather average film, where shortcomings are striking that can not be hidden by the beautiful friendship of a man and a wolf. But in any case, I would not like Albert Hughes to go into seclusion again, something still suggests that he can still shoot something like ' From Hell'. At least I hope so.
I learned about the film “Alpha” from the commercial, but I managed to see it only a year after the release of the picture. There were mostly positive reviews. I have always liked films about primitive people: 10,000 years ago, Rapa Nui, Neanderthal Man and Cave Bear Clan are examples of successful films.
The film "Alpha" tells the story of a young hunter named Keda, who got into trouble during a bison hunt abandoned by his tribe and his return to his native clan. Keda meets a wolf, or rather a wolf, and they become friends. The plot is somewhat similar to the plot of the film “Dancing with Wolves” with Kevin Costner. The script is not bad, it is clear and understandable. To show, on the one hand, how a young man is weak and inexperienced, overcoming obstacles on the way becomes strong and returns to his camp, on the other hand, the history of friendship between man and wolf.
Impressed landscapes, the work of the operator, the view of the plains and mountains from a bird's eye view and shooting from the back of a flying hawk. The cameraman tried to fame, it was especially beautiful to look at fireflies in the night.
Special effects turned out to be good, especially scenes of wild animals.
Actors unknown to me, played well, the main character of Keda is an ordinary young man,
What I didn’t like was hunting bison (or bison) – it’s stupid, bison aren’t dumb animals to get scared of a small group of hunters and “obstacles” in the form of stuck copies. I think these animals would break through the barrier and scatter all humans.
I really liked the scenes of treatment and courtship of a wounded wolf, touching moments of relationship, joint hunting and survival of a man and a wolf.
I didn't understand why, after Ked woke up on a narrow ledge, he flew off him as if he hadn't seen the edge. Then he hung over the abyss is not clear how long, fell off and survived, although he dislocated from a great height into the water.
Then, it is not clear how Keda was able to wet (surface from the ice) and without firewood to light a fire? That's not clear at all. In such cases, a person will definitely freeze, because the rigored hands will not be able to get fire with tinder and string.
This fragment echoes a scene from the movie "Survivor". There are many similarities to the painting “Survivor”.
The music perfectly complemented what happened in the frame, the soundtrack is good.
In general, good work, adventure historical cinema, drama. Expected more from him. There are some historical and archaeological inconsistencies. Given that this genre of films is not so much (quality even less), then more positive impressions.
Do you like dogs - furry good-natured big men? And colorful views of virgin nature from a bird's eye view - breathtaking? If yes, then I will tell you about my impressions in full form.
Alpha is an adventure movie with a dramatic accent. Director Albert Hughes wrapped a story about friendship and survival in chic locations from National Geographic. The latter are particularly impressive on the big screen. And the dirty brown gamut of pictures is immediately set up for the upcoming severe test of the leader's son - Ked. Actor Cody Smith-McPhee in this role has already gone one terrible way in the film “The Road”. Here he had to embody the “teenage image” of the hero DiCaprio from “Survivor”. And this actor managed, but not without the help of a four-partner. The authors skillfully shift attention from a boy who becomes a man to a wolf who begins to see in a person not only dinner. And when the picky viewer wants to say “I do not believe!”, a toothy cute girl appears in the frame, and the tongue does not turn to scold the actor. It is possible that after the show there will be many people who want to get such a pet. But be careful, this is not a toy.
Attentive film maniacs noticed that at first the advertising campaign presented the film as a tough drama with bloody scenes, and at the last moment presented the audience with an almost family trailer about the strong spirit of the teenager. Perhaps the producers were frightened by misunderstandings or influenced by PETA's complaints about inhumane treatment of animals. In any case, the film is quite shocking moments of collision with predators and with the harsh “mother” nature. True survivability of the main character, the authors blamed on the amazing luck and good health of our ancestors. The apogee of emotions for you will be a journey of heroes through the icy desert. But you will be rewarded with a very touching scene at the end of the tape.
In the end, Hughes managed to create a worthwhile picture without his brother. And let the historical authenticity is very lame, and computer graphics in places catch the eye. The film turned out to be tough and touching at the same time, which is worth evaluating on large screens.
7 out of 10
Having tasted the delight and tears of inspiration born of this film masterpiece, there is a certain aftertaste that leads the patient moviegoer to the conclusion: the director did not set the task to reflect the real events of the pre-Christian past and the picture is more romantic than realistic. This can be seen in the costumes and characters of the characters. And is it reasonable and possible to tame an adult wild beast when it is possible to tame it as a baby? But logic is powerless when all the fault is Mrs. Chance. Well, that's one version and it has a right to be. For a hundred wolves there is the most malleable beast. And apparently, the picture reflects just the same case. It was the beginning of friendship between humans and animals. Man once discovered that the beast can be used not only as meat, but also as a hunter, as a helper, that the beast can be not only an enemy, but also a friend. And that's beautiful. So I don’t see anything seditious in the picture, it has different goals than documentary. And the views of nature are amazing. A solid ten.
Over the past few years, it is rare to see a picture about a man’s friendship with his smaller brothers, shot for viewers over 7 years old. In addition to this amazing fact, the film attracted a lot of public attention and the fact that four bison were killed on the set of the film, which ensured the picture of fans such as PETA and Greenpeace in the front rows even before the official release. At the helm of the film was the director ' Books Eli' Albert Hughes, who also wrote the script ' Alpha' with a couple of producers on the pick.
The plot of the film takes the viewer to several tens of thousands of years ago in prehistoric times. The main character - the son of the tribal leader fights off the group during the hunt. Now the young man has a hard way home with a new friend on the way.
The new painting by Albert Hughes is rich in both historical inaccuracies and breathtaking beauty setting, revealing to the viewer the full potential of CGI. The incredible beauty of the world of this picture pleases the eye and is the perfect scenery for telling the story of the friendship of man and animal and witnessing the possible first experience of domestication of wild animals. It sounds, of course, somewhat trivial and implausible - which became the basis for criticism of this picture, in addition to the slaughter of cattle. But, we must pay tribute to Hughes - he managed to shoot a beautiful and touching tape that stands out against the background of modern cinematic content. In ' Alpha' there is everything you need: measured dynamics, excellent visual component, adventure and a pinch of drama. Everything is verified by the clearest proportions and, although the interaction of man and animal has already been filmed more than one hundred times, ' Alpha' it manages to be, perhaps, not the most original, but in its original and charismatic picture.
The film is a collection of myths and stupid transferences of the realities of the modern Western world during the Stone Age.
What are the leaders of hunters and gatherers?
What are the European white-skinned inhabitants of an unknown country, where different landscapes are mixed?
What kind of high-age bolt is shown to us as the main character? What kind of initiation at his age? His real weather already families and children had to acquire. They may have already initiated their children.
The very procedure of initiation with the manufacture and discarding of unsuccessful flint tools deserves a prize for stupidity. The flint thing is valuable and does not lie under your feet at every step. To throw out allegedly unsuccessful samples of the height of wastefulness, not characteristic of ancient people.
And the stupid beating of its participants with tears turned away & #39; the leader' this is a separate award for delusions. The tribe is not a juvenile colony. It's family. It is either by tradition or by strangers. If this is a tradition (very strange by the way, because it is again very wasteful nonsense to mutilate future breadwinners), then the leader should lead it, and not weep in the sidelines. He is the leader and he is the leader in everything.
A separate story is the skills of hunting and survival of the main character? How did he survive to his age?
The houses of these pseudo-Cro-Magnons were very amused. Settlement on a mountain with a palisade... 20,000 years ago... Who are they fenced off from? Aren't they going to the river?
And what are these epic hikes ' like bison hunting'? How did they drag the carcasses back? Is it too tiring?
Cenotaphs and verst poles, absolute indifference to the creeping predator, movement in the forest with spears on preponderance, insane behavior of wolves, rabbits, bison and wild boars. . .
Amazing semi-desert with geysers and a bunch of herbivores with almost no grass.
In short, a complete mockery of logic and common sense. Recommended for viewing can only be in the form of a joke. It's not even a fairy tale. There's logic in a fairy tale. She's not here. Just snot and nonsense.
The authors urgently go and study biology, geography, ethnography, logic, medicine (especially traumatology), psychology and many other disciplines.
August is by far the weakest month of the entire summer season. Bright premieres are not enough, which allows not the best films to become in the first place of the American chart. 'MEG: A monster of depth' I'm talking about you. This makes it much nicer to see such films as 'Alpha' in the list of August releases. Although, when I looked at the fees for the first week, I was a little horrified. ' Alpha' claims the title of the most beautiful film of the year, and the audience brings for the first three days only 10.5 million dollars. At this rate, the final fees in America will not even be enough to beat the budget. We can only hope for China and Europe.
What surprised me so much about the film? The budget of the picture was meager for a project of this scale 51 million dollars. However, the film is simply incredibly beautiful. The tape fascinates with each of its frames, while not full of bright colors. The second reason to go to this film I can call his touch. If you are good with the genre 'boy and his dog (or some other creature'), then in this tape you will definitely not be disappointed. I will even dare to state that 'Alpha' is in no way inferior to genre icons such as 'Alien' Spielberg and Dilogy 'How to Train Your Dragon' from Dreamworks. Although the friendship of a wolf and a boy from a tribe of primitive people often follows the typical templates for the genre, it is not without unexpected exciting moments. And in general, the picture skillfully plays on human emotions. Where you need to cause a smile, where you need to make you sad and think about something. I promise you that when you watch, you will experience the full range of emotions, from admiring the landscapes of ancient Europe to the oppressive atmosphere. I can also give credit to the operator. As for acting, I personally have no complaints. I also want to note the correct advertising campaign that did not open all the trump cards of the tape.
To sum up, 'Alpha' - a breath of fresh air for people who are tired of clichéd action movies and fierce multimillion-dollar thrash ('MEG: Monster of Depth' this I tell you). Do not ignore the picture under any circumstances! Trust me, she's worth it. The picture will not leave you indifferent and, perhaps, will make you think. That's what I'm not going to talk about. Everyone's different. Someone will touch the topic of family, someone will touch the topic of friendship between people and animals, and someone will be interested in the topic of primitive tribes.
8.5 out of 10
How rarely do they make films dedicated to the prehistoric era. But here you can come up with a lot of interesting things. The story of the domestication of the first wild beast is just such. And before I tried to show this on the screen, I don't remember any. Maybe because they didn't exist. If they were, the idea wasn't fresh yet. Probably not everyone would be interested in this topic, but it would be worth the risk.
I liked the movie. I knew the main plot and how it will end and it did not affect my feelings. A very useful picture, a drama about survival, there are not enough stars from the sky, as they say, but it is interesting to watch. Of course, she takes her picture first. Landscapes, nature, in its various manifestations look simply fascinating. It's like turning on the Discovery Channel. It's a pleasure to watch. Even if it is computer graphics, made on conscience.
I knew the pace of the story would be slow and I was ready for it. It turns out. But in the process of viewing there was no hint of boredom, in many ways it is the merit of the atmosphere, which is saturated with the tape. There was also little dialogue. I thought the movie was going to be dumb. Or the primitive speech of the primitives will be expressed through subtitles. The demonstrated tribe of people is not as wild as the creators could imagine. For primitives, they look too civilized. Well-groomed, clean, in good clothes, they are not at all like the semi-wild ancestors of modern Homo sapiens. The history of domestication also looks not very plausible and too fabulous. It seems to me that the domestication of wild animals began with their young. It's much easier to tame them. They are small, do not pose a threat, easily absorb information from the environment. The same applies to young children. They are also much easier to learn than adults.
But I’m not going to focus on the obvious blunders and look for the flaws of the script, which are many, there is no desire. It is clear that in the film a lot is invented and embellished, but I perceive the movie with feelings in the first place, and common sense in the second, this is normal.
Maybe the story of the friendship of man and beast is shown somewhat crumpled, because this seems to be the main idea in the tape, but the elements of the drama worked properly, at least for me. Perhaps if the duration of the film was longer, the main theme would be developed properly. I would love to see more ancient, extinct animals on the screen. But the film is a bit different, so I assumed my wish would not be granted. Mammoths and woolly rhinos are shown by common plans and from afar. The rest are even smaller.
Quite a nice, atmospheric, somewhere cute movie, especially if you know what to expect. Some people will not like a lot of assumptions and mistakes, but they deserve attention. Indeed, the film about that era almost do not make.
7 out of 10
It is quite common in our time, when pinning high hopes on a particular film, the viewer is deceived and extremely disappointed by the final material. A much rarer phenomenon is when, being initially skeptical about a particular tape, suddenly you find yourself in the position of a pleasantly surprised viewer. The latter I was able to experience while watching this tape director Albert Hughes.
The story takes place 20,000 years ago in the heart of Europe. Going with his father and tribe to hunt in distant lands, young Keda becomes the victim of a tragic incident. The tribe, believing Ked dead, abandons him and goes home. Wounded and frightened, and having found a companion in the face of the wolf Alpha, Keda decides to survive and return home.
The naked eye can see that when creating this tape, the film crew either intentionally or without knowing it ignored many documentary and historical facts about the life of Cro-Magnons and the Upper Paleolithic. If usually such an attitude to the chosen topic sets on not the most rosy way, when viewing this tape to experience this failed.
Fully aware of their shaky position, the creators of the tape perfectly compensated for the lack of high artisticity of their material. In fact, creating the impression of a real fairy tale, against which the theme of growing up is reflected. When only in a life-threatening situation, left alone with himself and his own fears, overcome them and fight for survival, Keda turns from a boy into a real man. It is on his example and teaching the audience that there are no hopeless situations and a person is capable of absolutely anything. One has only to want to rise after every blow of fate, do not give up and continue to fight until the very end.
Taking a break for a long 9 years after “The Book of Eli”, the director of this film Albert Hughes, in my opinion, very powerfully returned as a director. Putting on a really exciting and insanely interesting adventure film that I personally watched literally in one breath and one moment. In many ways, due to the divinely beautiful camera work of Martin Gshlacht, which literally turns the film into a real work of photographic art. Also, the film is pleased with the fact that being a fairy tale as such, the picture presents the audience with a much more mature and adult variation of the genre.
Cody Smith-McPhee in my opinion demonstrated a perfect hit in the image on the screen. In many ways, due to his unconventional and unusual appearance, which only complemented the image he created on the screen. However, the main star of the picture is definitely the wolf Alpha, who “steals” the entire film with each appearance on the screen. Willingly conveying all the notes of changing your character even as a trained animal rather than a professional actor. Separately, I would like to note the game of Jouhannes Höikyur Jouhannesson, who managed to embody on the screen an extremely interesting and non-trivial image of a strict and demanding, but at the same time loving and caring for his child father, who only wants him to become stronger and be able to survive in a harsh world.
8 out of 10
Alpha is one of the great surprises of the year for me. Albert Hughes managed to create on the screen a very integral, exciting, atmospheric and insanely interesting work that literally looks in one breath. In many ways, due to the divinely beautiful camera work and the picture itself, which willingly compensates for both historical and documentary discrepancies between the picture and reality, and some possible plot irregularities.
Did Cro-Magnons have such pretty women? Did Cro-Magnons have white teeth like that? Did Cro-Magnons have such clean nails and hair? Why is the outfit of Cro-Magnon reminiscent of old worn clothes purchased many years ago in the market? Yes, there are a lot of questions that are left to shrug. Admittedly, the artistic component 'Alpha' ate, chewed and spit out almost all the documentary, or, if you will, reliable aspects of it. Many people are very angry about this. Red reviews, criticism of historians, cynologists, doctors and all those who are related to the topics covered in this tape. For an inert viewer who doesn’t care what to watch, 'Alpha' will definitely appeal. For the sophisticated viewer, who cares what is happening on the other side of the screen, the project Albert Hughes also, in theory, should not become across the throat, although it is unlikely to be awarded to become part of the home collection due to the same plot mediocrity with gaping plot holes and logical gaps.
For a reasonable person, that is, for the same author of this work, and, of course, for you and me, the visual side of anything is undoubtedly a very important element, despite the hesitant attempts to challenge this judgment, that zigzagging from one close to another draws simple patterns on the expanses of the world wide web. Contrary to the deep idea and extraordinary message, the adventure drama ' Alpha' limps on all four legs, but does it so important that you notice it only if you look closely. Of course, disassembling the tape with a claim to historical authenticity, even an unenlightened viewer in matters of history will be able to make a whole list of inconsistencies, and individuals even write a book on this issue. Yeah, the movie doesn't smell documentary. Yes, there is a lot of Hollywood and not as much truth as we would like, but the beautiful visual series, presentation of material, an interesting idea and a special atmosphere of the tape carry something more than a passing leitmotif.
The charming story of a man and a wolf who face deadly danger, trying to survive, unite in a close alliance that eventually turns into a real friendship. Way home. It is this, someone will say, rubbed to holes, the plot core and served as ' Alpha' soulful filling. Not a spear, but a heart. Not kill, but spare. The authors focus on the origin of the very humanity that, having passed through the centuries, through transformation, managed to form in us the very thing that allows us to be called people. The film really can be thrown from head to toe with dirt, but closing your eyes to the notorious lack of reliability and the like I mentioned earlier, at the same time, you can more than enjoy it. The creators of the tape did not deceive the viewer with a trailer, as it is customary to do recently, giving an indescribably beautiful picture, for which a special thank you. If there is freedom of choice in the air, and you cannot decide whether to watch 'Alpha' or christen it pseudo-scientific game in advance, I advise you to still look and then say something.
The film immerses us in the prehistoric era, several tens of thousands of years BC, where man had to fight for survival against the forces of nature in the face of harsh climate and wild animals.
Despite the general idea of survival, which runs through the film, the topic of human-animal relationships is also raised, not only between rivals, but also friends.
Before us is a harsh world, where every autumn the tribe is forced to send strong men to hunt to prepare food for the long winter.
The beautiful nature is perhaps the best thing in this film. The rest, and most importantly, infantility, which is imbued with the characters of the prehistoric film, which, in fact, are in constant danger, is a little discouraging. Danger is supposed to temper a man, but something else happens on the screen.
Start with the main character. If they wanted to show us the story of the mama’s son’s maturation, who always does not succeed, and pass it off as a feat, I don’t know, it did not respond to me. A father, the head of a tribe who drools halfway through the movie and can’t pull himself together, that’s not natural either. I can't believe such a whiner could become a tribal leader. Even my mother’s tears are too heavy.
In general, during the film I did not leave the feeling that the creators, in addition to good landscapes, are trying hard to feed melodrama. But somehow the place and time was chosen unsuccessfully.
Heroes are static. The end of the story is puzzling. Suddenly, you don’t believe GG’s masculinity. It seems that he is just wildly and unreasonably lucky.
This, as well as other discouraging details (for example, survival in a multi-day blizzard, awkward stone tips - is it, Cro-Magnons or what?) do not allow to put the film rating higher than
All the footage in the film is of amazing quality. Landscapes and plans are selected with skillful eyes and hands. This kind of nature in the cinema, even discaveri showed us.
2. Excellent training of the animal in combination with camera work. Getting an animal to play is a big deal.
And now... KAMAZ with minuses:
1. Clothing?! Almost ancient man - 20,000 years ago wears jackets of excellent quality (tried to see lightning, failed). The main character, in general, leggings are simple. With that level of stitches, bend your leg once, and your pants split. Jackets - a separate moment, look like ordinary parks, with fur. Well, it's okay, it's always been the same. I’m looking at photos from Alaska, when Bolto and his owner are photographed after a legendary rescue mission, and his jacket is much worse than those on the heroes of Alpha.
2. Hunting. Now let's think about it. People go hunting for more than a few days. I counted three. Actually more. They scared the buffalo with their reeds, and they happily committed mass ritual suicide from the cliff. And one of the smartest buffalo, suddenly stopped thinking herds, and made two targeted turns in order to hit the guy hunter. In nature, animals usually run in one direction in a herd, and this is definitely not a cliff. Also, herd animals will never turn 180 degrees to take someone with them. They usually run along a straight vector, either with a herd or in a secluded place.
And now the main joke. A tribe of ~40 people (20 hunters), enough carcasses of five or six animals, then to drag them to the village for 10 kilometers and fall dead. We were not even shown how it happened, but they gave us the word ' load the carcasses ' apparently in the new Dodge Ram.
And finally, compare the facts: during the walk, hunters covered about 100 at least kilometers. Given the walking time and the stops. They went there for 3+ days. The time of rotting of meat and covering with buckles is 2-5 days. Attention question: How much meat do hunters bring to their tribe in 4-5 days? Answer: Not at all. It's just rotten. There is no need to adjust the temperature. When the hunters dragged the meat, it was still quite warm.
3. Fire.
Humans mastered fire a million+ years ago. Half a million years ago, they carved it out of everything. There were already clay burned discs on sticks (or pierced stones), which were rotated with a rope and made a fire in two minutes.
5. Medicine. The amazing medicine of the time. Repositioning the bones of the tibia with the help of stones, the construction of tires to support the ankle (this generally led to ridicule), magic dopes from pneumonia, a mixture of clay and magical herbs for the treatment of ligament rupture. In general, a fairy tale, and only.
I'll summarize.
The film is made by designers, photographers, DJs, Apple lovers (this is exactly how the main character looks, who is painfully peaceful and cowardly for his century). All the same, then there were more masculine people, you will agree, but anyone but people who graduated from school. This film is a masterpiece of the degradation of knowledge and the domination of cheap emotions.
I regret not being able to put the score in the negative. Shame on these films.
Stories about the courage and tameness of the beast are almost always touching.'Alpha' not one of those.
We are presented with the most severe narrative about the primitive era and abandoned by his own boy who could not cope with his first tribal hunt. And it feels like 'Survivor' (2015) for primary school-age children.
The plot here is very symbolic, it was clearly not a priority for Hughes, the author of the notorious ' Book of Eli' (2010). There is an interesting contrast between these two works. One showed a post-apocalyptic world with wild morals. In 'Alpha' we are shown a prehistoric world, where animal morals are a precursor, not a consequence.
This picture is for contemplation. The big screen is your way out. Literally every frame of this canvas can be screened and saved somewhere, it will look incredibly beautiful and juicy. And that's the whole movie. Complex and beautiful shots with a monomythic, ordinary history.
Watch only for visual enjoyment.
The archetypal story of a boy with a dog goes back several decades, and it seems that Alpha extends it even further back to 20,000 years ago. The stylish work from director Albert Hughes mostly satisfies the ambition of a good adventure and even captures, it seems, the very moment when a man found his best friend in the form of a dog. The spectacle, of course, is seductive, contains a real drama of the primitive spirit, composed of traditional images, but unity with nature cannot be achieved when viewing - at some point "Alpha" begins to abuse an exaggerated epic tone, which leads, in my opinion, to excessive bloating of this almost intimate topic.
20,000 years ago, a light and sensual young man, Keda, goes hunting with his father-chief and other warriors of the tribe. After an accident, the tribesmen abandon Ked to survive one-on-one with nature. Wounded, lonely and incredibly far from home, the young man is an easy prey for wolves. Keda rescues one of these animals, tames, calls Alpha, and an emotional bond begins to build between man and the beast.
It is this slowly generated connection that is the core of the film, which, damn well, draws into the world of heroes while watching. Interestingly, in the film, the moments of “spiritual” prevail over the moments of openly adventurous, turning “Alpha” into a psychodrama, taking the project away from some action / shameless adventure. Training, suppressing the killer’s instincts, the concept of friendship and other elements that fall into this concept are the film’s strengths, giving “Alpha” even some poeticness in its narrative.
However, let the moments are heartfelt and capture attention, it can not surprise Alpha, with all due respect to the creators. This is not the most noticeable project in terms of design, although it seems to be not bad here. The plot develops even a little predictable, because much here is built on emotions, not on a healthy structure. The relationship that gives life to the project is touching, but does not resonate in the context of the story itself, except for a few moments of life saving, which, albeit tense, are mundane for the plot.
Interestingly, in terms of detail, Alpha is a great movie. Because it is a little hurtful that sometimes the plot stalls and this most animal spark is buried under not the most elegant elements of history.
The stunning adventure includes great visuals and an original premise, but it also contains a heap of cinematic challenges. Calling “Alpha” a smart project language does not turn; mediative and spectacular – yes, but not serious. The tape extensively uses CGI to recreate the prehistoric setting, the actors are cute, the empathy is interesting, but all this is quite simple and justified, without any “double bottom”. Authenticity, despite the language invented specifically for the film, is not the key to the atmosphere; it is not enough, so the spirit of adventure in the unusual setting, well, at least conditional. People who can feel the aesthetic roots of Alpha, and, of course, dog lovers will not be disappointed, but there are simply no revelations here, which ultimately leaves only an unassuming adventure film.
6 out of 10
What do you want to see in this movie? And who? What do you expect? Spectacular? With the current fantasy bite or Hollywood glamour? I guess you'll be disappointed. The author tried to recreate a small sketch for prehistoric times. This is a primitive man. Historians say that rock painting in the Lascaux cave, France, dates back about 14,000 BC, the Upper Paleolithic is a primitive society. In this picture, an even earlier milestone is marked - 20,000. People say they don't moo. The language is quite decent, even if not ... English? (haha)
We are witnessing an unassuming action recreated by the creator of the XXI century who depicted the world without embellishment. Cruel. Harsh.
The older ones teach the younger ones. The father passes on secrets to his son. Instructing. Warning. Sharing experiences. The initial frames refer us to 'Apocalypse' Mel Gibson (at least I have this parallel in my head). Other realities are South America, here Europe. Everything else is similar. The tribe on the hunt, the division of prey in the meal, the community of people - links of unity.
And here's the tragedy, the accident. And the predetermined end is obvious. One on one with the wild world remains a very young man. It is already mourned and there is nowhere to wait for help. Despair embraces the mind, the heart is compressed by fear. And exhale with a cry of Father-Father! But he's not around. Now you can only try it yourself. Everything you learn, everything you learn, practice. There's no one to set the shoulder. Crying is not a helper in an open world. Opened by a dislocated leg, a hungry wolf pack, an earthworm in a meal - a struggle for existence. To survival. . .
The film harmoniously falls on the soul if you do not look at the visualized action from the position of arrogant critic ready to briskly peck, along the way spitting-ohaying what is happening. It is somewhat reminiscent of the work of Roni, Joseph (senior), who worked for ' Youth'. How not to remember 'Fight for fire' or 'Cave Lion' Perhaps the director was too passionate about this topic as a child and today pays tribute to his memory.
The tribe of bison - a pack of wolves - packs of hyenas - the range of man - mini islets of biological life clinging to each other, hiding one another for the sake of instinct laid mother nature. Survive.
So what's the movie about? Who is he talking about?
You and me. On the evolutionary path passed by man. About the gene code recorded in us through science from our forefathers - life in struggle. Adjust or die. Growing up step by step. Stages of growth: manufacture of weapons, obtaining fire, domestication of animals, hunting with a pen ... Well, etc. on the list.
I don’t remember a movie like this, about how a dog was tamed. Life of Pi is a slightly different contours. The trailer was promising. Personally, I know the director Albert Hughes from the posh post-apocalyptic film The Book of Eli with his twin brother. They also made a good film about the American ghetto "Threat to society" and atmospheric "From Hell" with Johnny Depp. Therefore, there was no concern about the quality of this picture. This is an interesting story.
The action 'Alpha' takes place 20,000 years ago, so Cro-Magnons with their way of life and lifestyle appear before the viewer. In clothes made of animal skins and skins, with their speech, with pointed stones instead of tips and in tents of skins. In the film, one person speaks behind all the voiceovers. The original Morgan Freeman. I think this is done to make it more realistic. That's basically right. They could not speak English, and even with accents. It's worked out very well. Clothing, shoes, leather water bottles, lit a fire from rubbing a stick. And it's all shown beautifully.
The first half of the film is a tribe hunt. The further narrative – the survival of the young man in this primitive and harsh world and the domestication of the wolf – is actually the meaning of the entire narrative. He did not kill Ked, who tried to eat his wolf, but went out. Gradually feeding and caring for him, he earned his trust a little, although the grin remained. They don't really know how to bark. For now. The survival of the wolf and the young man is a worthy sight. In the mud, in the cold, wet, torn - they go through all this and get used to each other. Perhaps this is how man’s best friend came to be. Although there is a version that wolves who lived near the villages, themselves got used to man, eating his remains and thus domesticated. Although it's essentially the same thing. This is the first pet to live with a human.
'Alpha' does not last long, and there may not be enough timekeeping to show the taming more carefully. It happened pretty quickly. Nevertheless, it is shot perfectly, every frame is verified. Beautiful scenery. Infinite sky, rocky mountains and hills, harsh steppes. It was filmed, as far as I know, in Canada and a little bit in Iceland. Editing the painting at a high level. Footage replace each other in all sorts of transfusions and dissolution. The main role was played by another Australian Cody Smith-McPhee from the young "X-Men" and an excellent thriller "Let me in." Saga". He also played a boy in the post-apocalyptic "The Road" with Viggo Mortensen. A good actor, and this film is a chance to show his talent. Separately, I would like to mention Jouhannes Höykür Jouhannesson (I copied the name of course). He played the role of father and leader of the tribe. Very believable. A talented actor. What a great movie, The Wolf is beautiful. Thank you to the trainers.
The plot is simple, events occur at an accelerated pace. But the picture is good. It's beautiful and realistic. The last frame 'Alpha' is so fucking cool!
It turns out that our ancestors were not alien to the taste of style, the concept fashion and devoted their appearance time apparently more than hunting. Shaving whiskey was fashionable already 20 thousand years ago, sewing fashionable leather jackets with perfect seams and hoods with fur frills was also able to twenty thousand years ago. Seriously?! Suits ALLO!!! Ancient people were dressed as if they had just returned from the fashion show Autumn Spring 18,000 BC. Against this background, ideally smooth nails are lost, neatly trimmed beards and clean hair, apparently shampoo was also invented 20 thousand years ago.
The ancient predator behaves like a feral dog, well, seriously very similar to the behavior of street dogs from my childhood, well, a formidable predator is not visible in this wolf.
The main character indistinct and undisclosed he just goes the whole movie, just not a single character of this film is not revealed even halfway. The game of the main character also leaves much to be desired, more than one muscle does not tremble on the face when he runs with a broken leg. I don't believe it!
Medicine 20 thousand years ago was also at the highest level of a guy who apparently for a long time suffered from tuberculosis or simply pneumonia.
Animals had perfectly clean hair 20,000 years ago. Wolves give birth in the winter. This, by the way, finished me completely, I understand everything It is difficult to make actors go not in fashionable jackets and with crooked nails, with a dirty head, but damn biological cycles then you can observe the birth of cubs Winter!! Yes, and immediately opened eyes are also fun that they give birth to blind authors of the film also did not know, well, they did not pass biology in school.
Can the film take history? I didn’t see her there either, just the boy goes home with his dog sometimes trying to hunt, but what they ate for more than half of the movie and remains a mystery.
This is a very mysterious film in it mysteriously everything that the authors of this film wanted to show? What did the costumers do? Where's the plot? There's absolutely nothing in it. Except for the friendship of a boy and a wild dog. The story may not be bad for children aged 10-12, but if I had a younger brother, he might have liked it. But for any drama or just a beautiful story, this film does not pull absolutely.
The only thing I liked about this film was the drawing of animals, it was not very perfect, but compared to all the other moments of the film, it just stood out for the better.
As a result, absolutely raw and ill-conceived picture, for which there was a pity spent money and time.
3 out of 10
20,000 years ago, only the strongest, most agile and best hunter survived. Yeah, before you kill the prey, the animal will trample you. Keda is a young hunter whose first hunt begins. Keda is the heir of the leader and shyness is visible in his eyes before hunting. As his mother says, “He is not led by a gun, he is led by his heart.” Keda's heart is really kind in those difficult times. 20,000 years ago, death awaited man at every turn.
The beauty of the wolf Alpha is striking, and how it gradually lends itself to training. An Alpha is a she-wolf who chooses a human master because she is guided by her heart. Chicly conveys the camera as Alpha is slowly being trained, and as Keda gets used to the wolf. Survives the strongest: if you combine the human mind and instincts, the smell of the wolf, you get a mixture that will change the evolutionary chain of mankind.
The relationship between man and wolf is revealed in the film. This is the real magic of the camera, showing the domestication of the wolf. There are always movies about human-animal relationships in cinemas about once a month. It is interesting to watch both adults and teenagers. The film shows the evolution of not only a wild wolf, but also the evolution of the young Keda into a courageous hunter.
The film shows chic species of prehistoric civilization, those endless landscapes, snow blizzards, wild animals. Friendship of the wolf and man, overcoming himself Keda - this is all perfectly shown in the film.
7 out of 10
And now prepare for the fact that we will be transported as much as 20,000 years ago to the past, when modern civilization did not yet exist, people were disparate tribes and only learned to subjugate obstinate nature. The main character of this story is a young man named Keda, the son of the leader, who is destined for the future to lead his fellow tribesmen. But so far, Keda does not show strength of character, being in the shadow of other men who show much more courage and enthusiasm. but everything will change another hunt of the tribe, which will make Keda actually another person.
Going with his father and other hunters on a sortie for bison, Keda suddenly breaks off the cliff and is away from their own. And since none of the comrades can get to him, the leader mourns his son in absentia, thereby allowing Keda's competitors to show their best qualities in the fight for the title of leader. However, to write off the wounded Kedu is not worth it. Not only did he survive, but he also made friends with a wolf, a wild animal that no one else could tame. And now, together, two comrades go on a journey to find the tribe of the boy and thereby return them a hero who is so necessary in a difficult moment.
The first half of the film is a sketch on the life of ancient people. The director slowly tells us about the customs of the tribe, shows everyday life and hunting, as they could be thousands of years ago. Of course, special documentation from “Alpha” is not worth waiting, but we can say that the creators did a serious job, learned history and tried to show the life of tribes, as it could be in reality.
But the second part of the film is an action of pure water with beautiful views and excellent camera work. In addition, the masters of computer graphics showed their skills. They drew ancient extinct animals with a special enthusiasm, so you can directly take a natural history textbook and look for the animals shown in the frame. It’s not really fun to have fun.
As a result, Alpha is pleasantly surprising, although it is not fundamentally revolutionary. The authors tried to show us the beginning of a great friendship between wolf and man, which changed the world forever. So if you want to, go straight to the past. The distant past.
After watching the trailer, I expected to see a mature and beautiful film with a deep setting, and strained only Cody Smith McPhee in the title role. Before that, I saw several worthy works with him, but his melancholy appearance and lack of charisma could very spoil the picture.
In fact, everything worked out in the best possible way. Slow storytelling, allowing you to enjoy the stunning picture and atmosphere of the cradle of humanity, nature and cold. Action is rare, but appropriate. The selection of actors and their play is extremely successful, as well as the performance of the director and the entire production.
A fairy tale film about courage and mercy with an emphasis on the theme of courage and strength touches the viewer, making them empathize, rejoice with the hero and admire every beautiful view of the wonderful but dangerous world.
Very impressed, thank you for such a wonderful film at the box office.
I won’t deny that the trailer for this movie really interested me, and I’m determined to go to the movies. And I went because it seemed to me that it would be a tense dynamic story of friendship, mutual assistance and survival in harsh conditions.
Already in the first scene, where the hunters of the tribe in formation crawling on bison, I began to suspect something wrong, but decided to give a chance. After all, it often happens that you can forgive a film small blunders, if it tells the stories of interesting characters, makes them empathize, raises interesting questions.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, and for the rest of the time I was amazed at how sterile the world of ancient people is and how strange, unusual animals and people behave here.
I don't understand how Hughes was able to achieve this effect, but the story of surviving the harsh conditions of the ancient world is like going to the store. In any, absolutely any scene there is not the slightest danger. There is no danger of starving. There is no danger of being eaten by wolves. There's no danger of freezing in the storm. How could it be done so that there is absolutely no tension in any scene? And why was I more empathetic to the hikikimori from the short film ' Shaking Tokyo' who was not even threatened, he just walked out of his apartment?
To sum up, I'd say you'd better rethink the first part of the Ice Age. The topic is the same, but it is much better and more touching.
Review of the movie “Alpha” or the adventures of a lanky asexual blogger in ancient times
Advertising budget for multiculturalism
This is perhaps the first attempt to pacify different cultures, to show the first generation of a different religion and worldview that coexistence benefits both. However, the example of friendship between man and wolf completely negates this attempt. “Know your place” the white man will decide when and what you eat.
The representative of ancient Europe is like a mimish boy who did not hold anything heavier in his hands than a croissant. And directly on the campaign of a young fighter passing the course, learning to make fire and overcome the dangers of the desert into which he goes to hunt for thirty lands.
A dramatic meeting with the leader of another tribe who helps to get the beast and after a successful hunt retires beyond the mountains and seas, leaving his comrade alone with the grief of the loss of his only son.
If you look at the list of US military operations, you can see an interesting trend. Military operations occur almost constantly.
Who is being drawn into these military conflicts by Europe, Russia and India. In economic conflicts, China is the same. Geopolitical fuss is constantly provoked, and any movement is a cost of instability and as a result, the flow of resources to a calmer place - the United States. The people of the countries participating in these events. Like in a movie about a blogger boy, people are silent and talk about spirits who are wiser and accept this development.
What does a tribe take out of hunting, and why does it even hunt so far from a permanent place?
Either Albert Hughes has seen enough TV or it is working out the advertising budget in order to allegorically dismantle the program of behavior, precisely the program that cannot be circumvented.
Bequeathed by ancestors annual hunting. It's a strange path, an unthinkable long transition from the place where the village is located to the place of hunting. The hunt itself proceeds quite technologically in order to kill as many representatives of the animal world as possible, demonizing this world in its attempts to escape. The pen and fall into the abyss of a whole herd of herbivores, the carcasses of which can not only be consumed but also delivered back to the village.
Then an epic salvation, echoing the Christian mythology of baptism and the beginning of the path of return - the guiding star.
The death of a young blogger is generally perceived as a sacrifice that justifies a successful hunt.
The domestication of the wolf, the exceptional humanism of the boy, is it not an attempt to create a new myth of modernity? The distortion of the situation of the natural behavior of nature, on its acceptance of the "power of the heart" which, as it were, is possessed by this white well-groomed boy. After all, he could fish in his river and grow a trout, but no, he and his tribe make a logically meaningless path and come back with victory. Do the same thing in the new year.
The scene of a miraculous rescue from the waters of a frozen river, the joint heating of a man and a wolf in a snowy desert, echoes the way the inhabitants of North Africa cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. The subsequent struggle with hyenas and something cat, but this is a natural state of nature, we are shown the feat of the young hero. And finally, a triumphant return to his native home and the adoption of wolf offspring into his family. But this acceptance of an animal for service is nothing more than an acceptance of culture and peace, a mere domestication. This film is not about the past; it is rather the first in a new industry to create a new myth of coexistence for a new generation, it is a refining of the idea of multiculturalism. Fitting a new reality and instilling it in younger generations, myths for children and parents are a kind of spitting saga about soft power, and simultaneously erasing the causes of conflicts.
Only one thing in this film unites - the understanding that there is no less than our stealing, because there is nothing to show 50 kk. Even the great Nikita Sergeyevich Mikhalkov was able to fully reveal the lack of not only talent, but also taste in his Citadel, spending 45 kilograms of taxpayers' money.
They can talk and show us anything. ' The Story of a Friendship That Changed the World' ' A Great Survival Movie' ' You will not remain indifferent' - and so on. They can make the most beautiful posters, stunning pictures, powerful special effects, finish drawing animals with the help of graphics with absolute indistinguishability from the real image, squeeze tears from the audience in the most shameless and straightforward ways, impose compliments from world newspapers and articles of recognized critics with the zeal of hungry piranhas - in general, create a complete sense of belonging without the right to own logic. They are big Hollywood studios, working on the conveyor principle of even the most deeply personal topics affecting all of humanity, and able to cultivate these themes to a state of somnambulistic shock that will engulf both adult and child against will and mind, like a tsunami at a hot noon. The victim sometimes does not even see how he dissolves into the destructive influence of corporations, recognizing something secondary as special, sublime, infinitely alive in every manifestation. And any opposing opinion, like the cry of mass hypnosis drowning in a storm, only hits the underworld, risking a return thunderstorm - the last glare of light on the way to the abyss, where the souls of the rejected who considered themselves right ooze with poison. This is the humble and cruel lot of those who decided to resist the deceptive illusion that devours human souls.
Siya bravada shows only a meaningless justification for the expected dislikes at my review, but I still dare to criticize the insanely beautiful, kind and even morally useful Hollywood novelty, because beauty, goodness and benefit are not the most obvious signs of the quality of a film. The question of quality is much more extensive and profound: at least, it consists in not calling another passerby a masterpiece for the sake of manipulating the feelings of the audience.
“Alpha” is the first independent big picture of Albert Hughes, one of the talented twin brothers who gave us a criminal drama about the Negro ghetto, a daring thriller about a robbery, a documentary about pimping, an exhilarating horror film about Jack the Ripper and religious and post-apocalyptic fiction, once held in honor by almost every ordinary film lover. Separating from each other, the directors did not stop doing their favorite thing, however, having already significantly lost the previous fuse. And no matter how deliberately ambitious their new projects look - the distant past is seen only as a sad series of dreams.
In my opinion, "Alpha" is a skillful, visually excellent, but too clumsy fusion of "Survivor" Iñárritu, "Life of Pi" Ang Lee and the classic "Mowgli" and "The Lion King".
There are no complaints about the wonderful graphics and special effects - although what can be presented to the significant advantages? When the eye is happy, the soul rejoices. Perhaps it was the juicy picture that saved the review from falling to a negative assessment, keeping it at a shattering neutral level.
And here's the script. Let's make it short.
The story tells how a tribe went to hunt bison. There was a misfortune: the main character of this tribe almost died, under the horns of a rabid (which is fair) herbivorous – but, imagine, falling from a huge rock, hitting all parts of the body a million times, the boy only slightly injured his leg. Lovely! Then he met with wild wolves, there was another interesting situation – and then begins the second part of the fairy tale, which from “Survivor” smoothly migrated to “Life of Pi”.
Alas, from that moment, the plot confusion becomes uncontrollable: we without obvious pleasure watch a bunch of logical inconsistencies, wonder at the eccentric actions of the hero (and, of course, his amazing survivability), and temporary jumps “galloping through Europe” resemble flipping through cheap fiction for the youngest. However, even individually, colorful pieces of narrative do not prove that the film is intended at least for unreasonable children: alas, the protractedness of many scenes makes you drown in yawning, and the culminating “gods from the machine”, twists and other weak-willed tricks – weary laugh without hope of sensation. Alpha is damn predictable at its best, and what is meant to come as a surprise (especially in the finale itself) turns into extreme bewilderment. That’s not what you expect from a blockbuster.
However, the unassuming viewer probably will not notice a bouquet of tricks in a series of sentimental and exciting scenes, because it is so charming to watch the growing friendship of a savage and a dog, together experiencing cold, hunger and degradation. It is possible that you will not be confused by the rare but apt quotes in the style of Jason Statham that “the leader is the leader in the pack” and “the one who does not give up does not give up.” Unfortunately, such interspersions of household philosophy only spoil the texture of the film, clearly highlighting its ostentatious secondaryness. Considering that most of the film remains elegantly silent, suddenly arising wisdom cuts into the brain in the most ridiculous way, and the seriousness of the picture, succumbing to sacrificial pathos, turns into a ridiculous elixir, suitable for some “Fast and Furious”, but not for the saga of survival on the prairies.
I want to end my review on a note of mercy, positiveness and sobriety. Despite the claims, "Alpha" is not the worst representative of its genre. It’s just a standard entertainment film, justified the money invested in the graphics, not particularly annoying acting, trying to touch the deep strings of the soul of representatives of all races, ages, religions and life views. This is the author's view on the historical domestication of the wolf and its transformation into a dog - read: in the guardian of the family, home and tribe. This is a free presentation of stories that have long been familiar to everyone, and if I were a child, I would probably treat the picture completely differently. However, with a head on my shoulders that has existed on planet Earth for almost twenty-five years, I dare not ignore everything that tramples on a potentially successful picture. Sorry.