26 July 2025

Dinosaurs and the Vietnam War? Primitive War Trailer Unleashes Prehistoric Terror

Primitive War is a film that I will probably have to see based on the trailer alone. It looks like a combination of Apocalypse Now and Jurassic Park, frankly, with possible a little bit of Predator (original) thrown in for good measure.  For me that’s a win-win and although it could end in disappointment, it seems that fans of the original novel by Ethan Pettus are also drooling in anticipation.  Published in 2017 it (and its sequels) have become hugely popular. 68% of over 1,000 reviews of the novel on Amazon give it a five-star rating, and it has a 4.5-star rating overall.  The reviews there are full of praise and apparently the body count is through the roof (which it should be – it’s dinosaurs).  It doesn't have any characters in it played by kids, either (just saying).

The trailer looks like we’re in for something of a roller-coaster ride, and although one or two of the reviews of the trailers have pointed out some differences from the book already, most of the reviewers are not shy of admitting that they are, nevertheless, “pumped” (seems to appear a lot).  The film is set in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War.  A recon unit (who go under the name of Vulture Squad) are commanded to find out what has happened to a platoon of Green Berets that has gone missing under mysterious circumstances.  The mystery of their disappearance is soon sorted (dinos), leaving Vulture Squad to try and get out of the terrifying situation.

The film stars Ryan Kwanten (who you will know from HBO’s vampire drama, True Blood) and Tricia Helfer (she played Number Six in the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009).   Add in support from Nick Wechsler (from both Roswell and Revenge) and Aaron Glenane from the Snowpiercer series and you have a cast who are already immersed in the science fiction genre from the  neck up.  Take a look at the trailers below and see what you think!

When will Primitive War be released? It hits theaters on August 21, 2025.