This is a deeply weird film to be advertised as a summer adventure film. It feels much more like an art house parable than some popcorn flick. The story of survival and the "first" dog is largely effective, abet with some rather predictable plotting. Of course there's a scene where they invent fetch by accident! I also wish the father/mother characters were fleshed out a little more. I did really enjoy that the film subverted the meaning of "alpha wolf" through.But this film is about atmosphere, ideas and visuals. In that it succeeds wonderfully. As the most visually striking film since Life of Pi there's a lyrical harshness to the visuals that suits the story. There is a lot of small things that happen in big vistas and as such they are infused with dramatic weight. There's several shots that I would like to frame. As a parable this sort of directorial style works very well. The film is engrossing; the 90 minutes just fly by.The dialog, delivered in a made up language and subtitled, is blunt and to the point. Normally this sort of the on point writing annoys me but here I thought it gave it air of authentic feeling. It's another weird feature for summer film.Smit-McPee gives a great performance. It's his coming of age story and he straddles the line between man and teenage boy really well. He does a very good job carrying the scenes with the dog. I hope he gets some award attention.This is more a film about primitivism and the harshness of life than our doggo friends. I think dog lovers will like the film but honestly I feel like fans of the harsh survival pictures like The Revenant will get more out it. I'm really glad I saw it. Go on take a chance on this strange breed of film.

Alpha is an Native America Language film by Sony and Columbia, and follows the story of 22-year-old Keda and Wolf Alpha, and they go on a adventure on how to get back to their family before winter starts. Now we cleared that out: here are my thoughts: I got the chance to go to a day early so me and my dad were the very first ones to see alpha, since nobody else was there. I thought the story was sad, the ending brought a happy ending, not going to say the ending because it comes Out tommorow, if you guys got to see this at regal like me, you would of got a free keychain, like I did. Movie was amazing & sad, I rate this a 10/10, But a quick note: IMDb says this is spoken English, BUT IT IS NOT. It is actually Native American, but it is subbed so I think this might be dubbed soon. These are Native American actors so I have no idea if this is gonna get dubbed or not. Out of all, this is great and I recommend this film to everyone who likes emotional stories and happy endings! But still, not better than Slender Man in my opinion. But still, Alpha was great.

A movie about dogs is always a mixed bag... hey wait a minute, did I start this review last week like this? Robbie K here and bringing you another analysis of the latest film to grace the silver screen. While not a full dog movie, tonight's feature goes back in time to explore the origins of how we got man's best friend. What looks part survival film and part pet movie, led me to wonder what was in store, in hopes it would be the next epic film to break the box office. What lies in store? Robbie K here to give you another writing of opinions as I review: Movie: Alpha (2018)Director: Albert Hughes Writers: Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt (screenplay by), Albert Hughes (story by) Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Natassia Malthe, Leonor Varela LIKES: Quick Run Time: A movie about survival, especially with one human character, can be long and drawn out if not careful. Alpha keeps the film rolling, not taking too long of pauses as the journey transverses from one part of the frontier to the other. The entire span of the journey is just over 90 minutes and it does a nice job trying to cram everything into a nice concise package. Impressive CGI: The movie is all about recreating the primal world of the wondering nomads, which involves a lot of imagination, design, and CGI to bring it to life. The movie gets props from me because they accomplished the recreation in a very detailed manner. First the environments and natural phenomena are dazzling, fun, and furious as the special effects combine to unleash the nightmares that disasters hold. Second the animals of the world are also nicely animated, from the rugged texture of the skin, to the fluid movement of their grazing, hunting, and fleeing. Sure, it hits moments where it crosses into the fake looking zone, but overall a nice display indeed. Costumes: Tribal costumes require a lot of detail, coordination, and study to deliver the most accurate display of that part of history. Though I'm no historian, Alpha's tribesman have all the knick-knacks of the what a plains hunter would normally have that not only serves as a fashion statement, but holds the functionality that these ancient beings attempted to use. The lead's attire will get the most attention, but when combined as a tribe, each nuance of the costumes comes out a little more. The Wolf: When the live animal is on screen, the wolf was the stealer of the scene. Cute eyes, the whimpering moans, and the wise gazes are certainly the opener for this pooch, but the action scenes that require training were impressive displays to say the least. The Cinematography: Let's face it, the real selling pint though is the beautiful visuals of the film. Alpha's scenery is gorgeous to say the least, with vivid waterfalls, beautiful night skies, and desolate plains that harbor doom. Sunrise and sunsets are majestic as they promise the start and end of new days, and the colors are dazzling as they blend into a mosaic of fantastic sequences. Throw in the CGI and the world just gets more vivid, making for an impressive setting to become involved with. DISLIKES: Animal Torture: I know, times were tough back then and it was either be hunters or be dead. Still, I didn't like to see the suffering of animals in this film. Alpha does not go down the quick finishes, but tries to capture the full moment of a spear hunter taking steps to secure his life. Some of the more merciful finishes I appreciate, but those torturous moments are not something I want to see in dragged out details. So, animal activists with bleeding hearts beware, you are in for a treat that will hurt your aortic pumps at times. Lackluster Dialogue: It's a good thing that the visuals are so stunning as they are the strongest components to telling their story. As for the dialogues, well... primal grunts and language with subtitles doesn't have the best ring. Accurate? Potentially, however Alpha's dialogue doesn't have the unique, movie magic quality that it probably needed. It's nice to have realism, but the conversations were almost pointless in the manner they presented this film in. Limited characters: The main character and his four-legged friend are the stars of this show, but they try to introduce other characters in the first thirty minutes. It's nice to establish the family tree web of the group, but given the worthless dialogue and short screen time, it almost pointless to go into introductions of the characters if they were not going to use them more. The father in general has a few dream sequences, but they did not do much to expand on his thoughts after the big event... so not the best casting. The Patchy Story: It's a story about getting back home, so there isn't much story components to expand upon. However, Alpha feels patchy to me as the shots blend together in a very rushed presentation. Things suddenly happen, there is little fluid buildup during transitions, and the predictable plot devices sort of fall into place too fast. I could see a lot of the places were cuts were made and while it led to faster pace, it would have been nice to see some more entertaining components to piece it together, but still not too bad. THE VERDICT: Alpha is good in regards to the beautiful visual spectacle that it is. The primal world is alive in all of the amazing details that the big studios can make, and the even better it is in a nice concise 90 minutes to get you out quick. Alpha's adorable wolf (whether CGI or real) steals the show and will be the factor you want to bet on compared to the lead. Yes, the story is not the most unique, and is quite predictable thanks to the trailers, but it's patchy, linear story will be easier to follow. No, there is some suspense into this movie at times, but overall it's a pretty lax adventure movie, with the exception of the mad props to having to survive in the wilds of the past. Worth a trip to the theater? For visuals yes, but movie overall I cannot recommend it. In addition, I do not recommend 3-D viewing, because there is little to warrant the headache inducing effects this movie has. My scores are: Adventure/Drama/Family: 6.5 Movie Overall:: 6.0

Half his lifetime ago, Kodi Smit-McPhee, as an 11 yr old, he won awards opposite Eric Bana, then learned the acting craft well from Gary Oldman. Expect more from him next year in X-Men Dark Phx. Here, this 22 year old "Keda" commands a warmness in a heartless wilderness 20,00 years in our past. This is where he excels in maturing when left behind in an impossible situation, but is spared by nature. Then overcoming all odds, by leading with his heart, as some athletes command respect of their peers & audiences, Kodi's character, matures in ways he never expected, and with the help of a wolf he saved, and further befriends, overcome multiple obstacles in this prehistoric time. The transformation of the wolf showing characteristics of the first "domesticated dog" if you will, seem excelled, yet works in "Alpha." By guts and sheer determination, we witness multiple heroic acts by both the wolf and this young man, who grow from being a leader's son into a man who is worthy of being the leader himself. There is a happy ending -- you will have to see the film to be pleasantly surprised. But when you leave the theatre, you will feel inspired as a new generation of humans and animals evolve into lives who show promise flourishing through a harsh prehistoric world.