Luke Sparke’s sci-fi horror action movie Primitive War has blown away each of the last four Jurᴀssic World movies when it comes to audience reception, thanks in large part to it outshining the long-running franchise in a very specific way. Starring a relatively unknown cast with the exception of Jeremy Piven (Entourage, Old School), the low-budget independent film pits hardened soldiers against vicious dinosaurs in the middle of the Vietnam War.

Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Ethan Pettus, Primitive War received a limited release in American theaters from Fathom Entertainment on August 21st, 2025. As a result, a limited number of verified critics and audience reviewers have seen it so far, but the audience members that have seen it are in near-universal agreement about its entertainment value.

With more than 250 verified ratings, Primitive War boasts a Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter score of 90%, far above any score in the Jurᴀssic Park franchise with the exception of the 1993 original. To be sure, that score is somewhat biased, given that the people most likely to have sought out the movie are more likely to enjoy it based on the subject matter, but it’s still an impressive mark.

While audience reviewers crowed about the movie’s entertaining blend of dinosaurs and action, the shockingly impressive visuals given the movie’s modest budget, and relative accuracy to the Vietnam War setting, one element in particular was called out many times. A criticism leveled against the Jurᴀssic World movies ever since the franchise was rebooted was not only addressed by Primitive War, but blown away in some capacities.

Primitive War’s Dinosaurs Were Absolutely Terrifying

The Jurᴀssic World movies have been criticized for not making their dinosaurs scary enough, given that they are supposed to be genetic mutants, more like monsters than de-extinct animals. The reboot trilogy starring Chris Pratt unfortunately had the dinosaurs act as little more than plot devices and set decoration in many cases.

Even the “big bad” dinosaurs like the Indominus Rex, the Indoraptor, and the giganotosaurus failed to come anywhere close to inspiring the fear or the original T. rex, the pack-hunting raptors, or the amphibious spinosaurus of the original trilogy. Giving credit where it’s due, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth at least attempted to fix this with its mutated dinosaurs, like the mutadon and the Distortus Rex.

However, even the summer 2025 soft reboot comes up short of the sheer intimidation factor of Primitive War. Each carnivore in the movie is agile, precise, and lethal, from the mᴀssive feathered Utahraptor to the long-tongued Quetzalcoatlus.

Admittedly, Primitive War being rated R and not pulling any punches on the gore and violence certainly contributed to the dinosaurs’ scariness, but that was far from the only factor. Each major carnivore in the movie was given time to shine, and showed precisely what would happen if one came after you either over territory, for food, or in the case of the Utahraptors, possibly out of sheer malice.

The final act is the best example of how much more effectively Primitive War used its dino villains. It features a small yet ᴅᴇᴀᴅly group of mᴀssive raptors attempting to break into a building, showcasing their intelligence and quickness. That’s followed by a literal army of mᴀssive raptors swarming the main characters, which may be over the top, but is no doubt awe-inspiring and terrifying.

Primitive War may not make a huge impact at the box office due to its limited release, but it has cult classic written all over it. If you’re a fan of Jurᴀssic Park but wish the movies went heavier and deeper in their dino action, Primitive War provides the blood-curdling bite you’re looking for.