[Alpha] is, frankly, inspiring; this is a story about learning and earning leadership, about respecting the world around you, about surviving not just on wits and grit but by working in tandem with others
visualized by director Albert Hughes in an impressive large-frame format; The film works best during its (too-brief) getting-to-know-you section, which balances humor against snarly danger
great-looking adventure; Enjoyably old-fashioned in its narrative but crisply modern in technique, it is engaging enough even for those of us with no soft spot for pets
a rugged adventure story for young viewers with strong stomachs; Kodi Smit-McPhee, who carries nearly this entire movie alone, has an impressive emotional transparency, as does Chuck, the Czech wolf-dog who plays Alpha
"Alpha," a spectacular prehistoric eye-candy survival yarn, is enthralling in a square and slightly stolid way; the film's emotional core...never feels fake; and Albert Hughes proves to be a breathtaking choreographer of the natural world
by David Fear [Rolling Stone ]
by Rafer Guzman [Newsday ]
