'Primate' goes bananas on gore but lacks real scares

The latest horror movie to hit theaters, "Primate" was billed as a terrifying experience in the theater, one not to be missed for fans of the genre. Needless to say, I was excited for this movie, hoping to find a movie that is truly frightening. It was not to be. "Primate" is available now only in theaters. Hydrophobia was first diagnosed in animals in 1874. In addition to an irrational fear of water, if the disease remains untreated it leads to many symptoms, including violent physical and neurological symptoms. If not treated within 48 hours, it's fatal. The disease is now more commonly known by the Latin word for madness: rabies.&emsp;&emsp;Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) is a young college student dealing with the death of her mother. Before cancer took her, Lucy's mom was a linguistics expert. She had adopted a chimpanzee and trained him in different forms of communication, including sign language. Ben (Miguel Torres Umba) became a part of the family, a beloved pet to Lucy and her sister Erin (Gia Hunter). A year after her mother's death Lucy finally returns from college on the mainland to her home in Hawaii. Friends Katie (Victoria Wyant) and Hannah (Jess Alexander) come with her to spend some time in paradise. When they arrive Erin is upset with Lucy for being gone so long. Their father, Adam (Troy Kotsur), is happy to see Lucy, but he spends much of his time working. He's a deaf novelist who has a book signing for his latest novel and is gone soon after Lucy arrives. Before Adam leaves he notices a dead mongoose as he puts Ben in his enclosure. Ben, it seems, was bitten by the mongoose before he killed it. Adam sends the mongoose for testing, but is far away at his book signing when he gets word that the mongoose had rabies. Along with their local friend Nick (Benjamin Cheng), the girls have a great time swimming and goofing off. They're just a bunch of young kids hanging out and having fun. Until Ben gets loose. "Primate" is a decent movie. It's a quality production and a bit of fun. But it is in no way scary. Not even a jump scare. I have to give the marketing team their due; they did a great job of convincing me that "Primate" was going to be the most terrifying movie I've seen in years. It wasn't. Make no mistake, the movie is gory. The way Ben goes about his rabid rampage is just plain gross and not for the faint of heart. But gory does not equal scary. The story of the film is straightforward. Four girls and one boy are in a remote home in Hawaii when a rabid chimp gets free of his cage and begins a crazed onslaught. They must fight for survival. There are no surprises. Who wouldn't be able to predict that the swimming pool would play a big role when fighting a chimp scared of water? It's a typical slasher movie with a rabid chimp instead of a ghostface killer.&emsp;&emsp;A few aspects of the movie were welcome additions. Writing Adam's character as a deaf person added suspense that wouldn't have otherwise been there. Picture your daughters being attacked in your own home, but you are unaware because you can't hear their suffering. The opening scene sure set the tone for the film. It's Ben's first kill, and it's a doozy. My favorite part of the movie is the magnificent house where the action takes place. It's not a mansion, but it is an architectural marvel perched cliffside in Hawaii with lots of windows, a great back patio and an infinity swimming pool in a grotto. It's a great location in paradise for such a horrifying tragedy. In case you were wondering, Ben is played by an actor in a chimp suit. The suit is not perfect, but it is preferable to a poorly conceived special effects chimpanzee. It's a terrifying animal. "Primate" is a decent movie with a great setting. But it's not scary. Grade: BRated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language and some drug use. ••• Bradley Griffith is a local attorney and longtime film buff. Watch a trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-09M173rT8.