June 25, 2025

Movie Review: 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐤: 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 (2024)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Dinosaurs. Dimensional rifts. A warrior with a bow and a grudge. Turok: Origins doesn’t just reboot a cult video game franchise—it turns it into a wild, brutal, and visually stunning sci-fi adventure with just enough heart to keep the chaos grounded.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (Prey), Turok: Origins rewinds the clock to tell the story of Tal’Set, a Native American hunter who’s pulled from his war-torn 1800s reality into a primordial jungle dimension known as the Lost Land. There, prehistoric beasts roam, reptilian warlords rise, and time means nothing. Oh, and he’s the chosen one—of course.

Newcomer Alex Meraz brings a quiet intensity to Tal’Set, playing him not as a superhuman killing machine, but as a deeply wounded survivor learning to fight for something bigger than vengeance. His journey from exile to legend is surprisingly emotional, especially when paired with a mysterious scientist-turned-ally, Dr. Ava Kline (played by Hannah John-Kamen), who slowly unravels the sci-fi lore behind the Lost Land’s existence.

Let’s be clear: the real stars here are the dinosaurs—and Turok: Origins delivers them in spades. From a thundering T. rex ambush in a vine-choked valley to a stealth sequence involving raptors in a temple ruin, the action is pulse-pounding and imaginative. Practical effects mix well with sharp CGI, and the world design feels like Predator meets Skull Island.

The film’s greatest strength is its tone—serious, but not self-serious. It embraces its pulpy roots while modernizing the myth. The bone-splitting violence may surprise some viewers (this is not your family-friendly dino flick), but it’s executed with style and purpose. The musical score, composed by Bear McCreary, leans into tribal percussion and synth layers, echoing both tradition and tech.

That said, the plot occasionally stumbles under the weight of exposition. The “ancient alien” subplot doesn’t fully land, and the villain—a power-hungry reptilian warlord named Kronix—is more style than substance. But none of that derails the ride.

Verdict: Turok: Origins is a bold and brutal reintroduction to a classic hero. It may not reinvent the dino-wheel, but it sharpens it into a spear—and throws it straight through the heart of genre fans.