Named “Best Animated TV Show of 2022” by Vulture, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal follows the tale of a caveman at the dawn of evolution as he forms an unlikely friendship with an almost extinct dinosaur. In Season Two, Spear and Fang journey to a new world to rescue Mira from her captors only to find it is a place filled with savage brutality.
For in-depth thoughts on Primal: The Complete Second Season, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/Ulnm4-JZ-EI?t=2793]
Video Quality
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete Second Season comes to Blu-Ray with a top notch transfer that brings the gorgeous, occasionally grotesque artwork to life. This is a perfectly clear presentation free of any digital artifacts or debris, which is what you want from a brand new series. Fine lines and details are crisp and well maintained without any bleeding. This transfer does not appear to suffer from any issues of banding. Colors are complex and bold throughout the season with some excellent nuance from episode to episode due to the shifting environments. The series shines with its utilization of various hues when approaching a new setting on the journey. Primal continues to deliver a standout presentation in high definition.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a dynamic DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio lossless soundtrack that represents the show impeccably. Music is enveloping with a ferocious score from Tyler Bates and Joanne Higginbottom injecting pulse-pounding tension throughout. Sound effects from animal adversaries and other kinetic moments provide a formidable kick to the low end that is appreciated. The show implements an array of environmental effects that are directionally accurate within the mix.
Outside of the occasional special episode, there is not much in the way of dialogue, but when it does pop up all lines come through with a distinct clarity. Every effect is crisp in the presentation with grunts and roars in the center speaker and other sounds that extend into surrounds to fully immerse you in the environment. This is a top tier audio presentation that suits the show well. There are English SDH subtitles provided along with French and Dutch for episode 5 and the special feature only.
Special Features
- Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal – Inside The Evolution: A 14-minute featurette in which the creative team discusses how this season shifted from the first one, the production process, the intensity of the music, the creation of the sound effects, the animation and more. There is some really interesting behind-the-scenes footage of how the show is created along with insights from the creatives as to why they went in certain directions.
Final Thoughts
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal continues to push the boundaries of what mainstream audiences expect from an animated series in its sophomore outing. The greater focus on serialized storytelling leads to some of the most emotionally charged moments of the series to date, but the season also struggles in places when it comes to pacing. We are curious to see what this show becomes in future seasons, but the conclusion of this particular storyline is very satisfying and emotional. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that features a nice A/V presentation and a decent supplemental feature. If you love the work of this creator, you should not miss this one. Highly Recommended
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete Second Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
