Alpha

The long-delayed Alpha finally gets its day. Anyone who wants to imagine how humans domesticated dogs will get an answer. It also raises another question; why delay it?

It's the Paleothic Era. Keda (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) is the son of his tribe's chief, Tau (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhanness). Keda gets to go on his first Steppe Bison hunt. He and his tribe drive a herd off a cliff. But one of the Bison takes it with him. Tau has to leave him for dead. Keda escapes death and heads home with a broken foot.

Keda is attacked by a pack of wolves. He injures one (Chuck) and the others scram. He nurses the wolf back to health. "Alpha" becomes his best friend, though Keda doesn't realize it. Keda needs Alpha to help him get back to his people.

Albert Hughes, best known for co-directing Menace II Society and The Book of Eli with his brother Allen, makes his solo directorial debut. His screen story was rendered in screenplay form by Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt. The story relies on visuals rather than dialogue. What little dialogue is here is subtitled from a fictional language. But the actors, human and canine, say a lot by expressions alone. It's only 96 minutes, so it's not stretched out too thin.

The technical star here is cinematographer Martin Gschlacht. The desolate landscape also says a lot with its visuals alone. The ancient world is both beautiful and scary in its emptiness. It's especially so in winter, where some of the darkest moments happen. We understand the stakes as Keda and Alpha deal with the cold. The night scenes are also impressive. The only real visual flaw is that it's sometimes obvious when CGI is used.

The best scenes are those with Alpha. Alpha makes for a good canine companion. It's funny and nice when Alpha starts acting like a modern dog. When Alpha runs off for a short bit, we feel the absence. We feel it when Alpha is injured and near death. Of course, Alpha recovers when a plot twist hits at the end.

Alpha has much to admire. The action scenes are highly improbable, yet well done. The story makes one think of their own animal companions. It's a wonder why Sony chose to delay it (hopefully, it was just a crowded market). It's a pity the film is currently underperforming. See it before it gets the boot.