Alpha (2018) | Movie Review

Good morning ladies and gents, hope your week is going swimmingly so far. I don’t know but to me it’s hotter than last year, maybe it’s just a Florida thing. Today we will be reviewing Alpha (2018) and become dog lovers even more. It was an experience watching and reading a movie at the same time in a theater, but it was valid experience non the less. So without further ado, let’s dive into this review and see what this movie of man and beast is about.

Plot |

In the prehistoric past, a young man struggles to return home after being separated from his tribe during a buffalo hunt and finds a similarly lost wolf companion to start a friendship that would change humanity.

Cast |

The movie stars Kodi Smit-McPhee as Keda. He is a cowardly young man who fails to live up to his father’s expectations on hunting duties. Keda finds himself stranded in the wastelands and must venture across dangerous plains to reunite with his tribe. The co lead of the film is Chuck who plays Alpha in the film. She is an injured lone wolf that befriends Keda along his journey. Along their journey the two learn from each other in ways of friendship and survival. Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson plays Tau in the film. He is the chief if the tribe and the main source of criticism for Keda. His goal to one day leave the tribe in the hands of Keda.

Set-Pieces |

The first set-piece takes us on a hunting trip with Keda’s tribe. Their aim is to get buffalo meat to take back to the other members of the tribe, young and old. The group chases the herd down when suddenly the buffalos decide to become the hunters and chase them. Keda ends up on his own and is thrown over a cliff by an onrushing buffalo, resulting in the group thinking he died during the fall. The second set-piece sees Keda regaining consciousness and unaware of where he is. He reconnects his dislocated foot and makes his way back up to the cliff in hopes his group waited for him. Once there he sees a mural set up for him by his group thinking he died. After this realization he gathers strength to make the journey home before his group migrates.

The third set-piece sees Keda becoming prey for a pack of wolves. He makes his way up a tree and forges a weapon to attack the wolves with. He manages to stab one with his efforts and wounds it. The remaining wolves retreat leaving their fallen friend behind. Keda, on the verge of killing the wolf for food and warmth, shows sympathy for the animal and takes it to a nearby cave. The fourth set-piece shows Keda taking care of the wolf by nursing its wounds and venturing for food to feed it along with himself. As time passes the two slowly form a bond and become fast friends. Keda names the wolf Alpha and the two learn various skills from each other. Keda teaching Alpha about patience and being calm, while Alpha teaches Keda how to survive and hunt.

The fifth set-piece sees Keda and Alpha crossing an ice path where they are ambushed by the same pack of wolves that attacked Keda before. Alpha decides to go back with her pack, leaving Keda alone. It was seen as the best decision because they couldn’t fight all the wolves together and for his safety she goes back. Smart wolf. The sixth set-piece sees the lonely Keda crossing the long ice trail by himself and having visions of his tribe. His hallucinations results in him falling down an icy lake struggling to find a way out for air. Alpha, who is struggling to reintegrate with her pack, hears Keda struggling and locates him by scent. Keda notices Alpha and gathers the strength to break free and go back to the surface. The two make it to a nearby cave and warm up. The final set-piece see a saber tooth tiger ambush the two in the cave which ends up getting killed by Keda. As a result of this attack Alpha is wounded severely and Keda takes her body and runs as fast as he can through the ice wilderness. With some luck, he makes it back to the his tribe and are amazed to see he survived on his own this long. Gathering their respective strengths, Alpha gives birth to puppies and Keda is just happy to see she is still alive. The wolves and humans of the tribe form a friendship resulting in what we know today as a bond between man and beast.

Conclusion & Rating |

This movie is nothing original, but the bond it depicts between the young boy and the wolf was priceless to see. It reminds me of how my old dog and I started out. Rex was afraid of me and he only came to me when it was feeding time. I got fed up one day, chased him down, and petted him to show him that I am not hear to harm him but to be friends. This resulted in so many bruises on my arm and leg, but the overall goal was worth it. Working to show an animal that you only care for them and that it’s not a horrible place to be. This movie showed the growing pains of trust and affection when having a pet that is standoff-ish, but the hard work will pay off. A 3.5 out of 5 is our rating, but go see it yourself and make your own conclusion.

Ladies and gents thank you for checking out our review of Alpha (2018), we hope you enjoyed it. Please stay tuned for more content and share/like if you can, it makes us know we are doing a good job. Stay safe out there and we will catch you next time. Take it easy!

Originally published at xagonspeaks.wordpress.com on August 21, 2018.