Saw the Movie "Alpha" Yesterday

Yesterday afternoon Melissa, Will, and I went to see the movie Alpha at a local theater...I had been intrigued by the previews shown late last year and looked forward to its release.  The setting is twenty thousand years ago in Europe as a small community of people brave the elements and set out for their annual bison hunt.  These are modern humans in every respect, not the stereotypical cavemen of films past. The father, who is the chief of the group, has allowed his son Keda to join the hunting party on their trek to the buffaloes...with much reservation expressed by his mother, who feels that he is not yet ready for such a dangerous task.  And dangerous it is, for it involves inciting the large herd to charge them and then steer them around, over the steep cliff to their deaths.  But Keda gets charged by one and hung up on one of its horns, both of them going over the edge, to his father's horror.  It seems at first to be certain death, but no, he is seen lying on an inaccessible ledge halfway down to the bottom, maybe dead but possibly unconscious.  Convinced by the others in his group that his son is dead, the father erects a memorial to him (a pile of stones) and they leave to return home with their dearly-won prizes from the bison.  But the boy is not dead...and at this point the story is all about him and how he manages to tame and befriend an injured wolf: believe it or not, I'm not giving away anything beyond the previews I saw...

The name "Alpha" refers to the top dog in the wolfpack, and it is also the name Keda gives his new companion in the wild as they together struggle to survive.  This movie has a great story, believable characters, and stupendous special effects of which I'm pretty sure much was computer enhanced...given the long list of credits to this effect given at the end.  It's one of the films you definitely should go and see this year...that's quite a recommendation, coming from somebody who doesn't get out to the theater that often...