It was a time when men and beast were untamed and the mighty mammoth roamed the earth. A time when ideas and beliefs were born that forever shaped mankind. "10,000 BC" follows a young hunter (Steven Strait) on his quest to lead an army across a vast desert, battling sabre-toothed tigers and prehistoric predators as he unearths a lost civilisation and attempts to rescue the woman he loves (Camilla Belle) from an evil warlord determined to possess her.
I thought that it was the best movie in the world. The hole idea was great.I loved that the main charicter got all the slaves to fight with him and that he would stop at nothing to get her back.
One would expect to set eyes on a lot whole of grandeur when viewing a prehistoric epic like "10,000 BC". One of the more exciting prospects would be seeing cultures, language and creatures of unbelievable magnitude. Incorporating those key aspects, this film easily possesses a great concept, but that distinction unfortunately rests on a very weak script and plotline.
The film revolves around a prehistoric tribe called the Yaghal, in a time where shamans were respected leaders and prophecies decreed their culture. Yaghal men hunted woolly mammoths called Mannaks for a living and surprisingly, are very loyal to their women and families. Despite the primitive settings, the prehistoric society is a pretty valiant lot with exemplary virtues, except for the villains of course.
Among the Yaghals, one prophecy resounded above all others - a young girl with unusual blue eyes will appear within the tribe and becomes the key to their salvation. The Yaghals have long suffered a merciless climate which deprives them of food and shelter, and according to the prophecy, the man whom the blue-eyed girl will eventually belong to will be the one to lead the tribe to restoration.
Enter a young girl named Evolet (Camilla Belle), the sole survivor of a village rampage who, with her blue eyes, gave the Yaghals hope and catches the eye of timid mammoth hunter D'Leh (Steven Strait). With the prophecy slowly manifesting itself, D'Leh is plunged into becoming the hero he never knew he could be. When Evolet is kidnapped and taken hostage by an evil warlord, D'Leh paces into a harsh journey to save the woman he loves as well as his tribe.
D'Leh quickly becomes a central character, faced with feelings of abandonment by his father and the need to prove his worth to his people. Up-and-coming actor Strait may be the token 'fresh face' the movie tries to sell but his actions prove a little too modern for the setting and Belle probably has more to offer than what her vulnerable damsel-in-distress Evolet allows. Pair the two lead actors together and you get a prehistoric "One Tree Hill".
Cultivating a fictional ancient culture from scratch takes a lot of imagination, and no matter how hard the lead actors try to antiquate their English, it resulted in what sounds like 'surfer dude' slang. On the other hand, the lush traverse of the prehistoric landscapes and creatures were breath-taking, although a man-and-beast face-off many would have loved to see were minimal. Only three major prehistoric animals were fit into the movie, and each one with very little screen time, which in turn made little impact. So you can forget about this being a National Geographic experience either.
However, the movie does have its good points. Character and set design were simply amazing and D'Leh indeed takes us on an adventure across the lands, coming across unique sets of tribes each time - each with their own costumes, languages and beliefs.
The journey is a moral one, rather than spiritual. As much as we'd like to root for D'Leh, his travels feel incomplete and non-progressive. The background plot about his father could have been developed so much more, while giving him the angst he needs to push him further. Devoid of a connection, we can't really attach ourselves to what he endures. What we were expecting was a heroic transformation, but what we were left with is still that timid little mammoth hunter that may well be a wave-riding surfer in our time.
One would expect to set eyes on a whole lot of grandeur when viewing a prehistoric epic like "10,000 BC". One of the more exciting aspects would be seeing cultures, language and creatures of unbelievable magnitude. Incorporating those key aspects, this film easily possesses a great concept, but that distinction unfortunately rests on a very weak script and plotline.
The film revolves around a prehistoric tribe called the Yaghal, in a time where shamans were respected leaders and prophecies decreed their culture. Yaghal men hunted woolly mammoths called Mannaks for a living and surprisingly, are very loyal to their women and families. Despite the primitive settings, the prehistoric society is a pretty valiant lot with exemplary virtues, except for the villains of course.
Among the Yaghals, one prophecy resounded above all others - a young girl with unusual blue eyes will appear within the tribe and becomes the key to their salvation. The Yaghals have long suffered a merciless climate which deprives them of food and shelter, and according to the prophecy, the man whom the blue-eyed girl will eventually belong to will be the one to lead the tribe to restoration.
Enter a young girl named Evolet (Camilla Belle), the sole survivor of a village rampage who, with her blue eyes, gave the Yaghals hope and catches the eye of timid mammoth hunter D'Leh (Steven Strait). With the prophecy slowly manifesting itself, D'Leh is plunged into becoming the hero he never knew he could be. When Evolet is kidnapped and taken hostage by an evil warlord, D'Leh paces into a harsh journey to save the woman he loves as well as his tribe.
D'Leh quickly becomes a central character, faced with feelings of abandonment by his father and the need to prove his worth to his people. Up-and-coming actor Strait may be the token 'fresh face' the movie tries to sell but his actions prove a little too modern for the setting and Belle probably has more to offer than what her vulnerable damsel-in-distress Evolet allows. Pair the two lead actors together and you get a prehistoric "One Tree Hill".
Cultivating a fictional ancient culture from scratch takes a lot of imagination, and no matter how hard the lead actors try to antiquate their English, it resulted in what sounds like 'surfer dude' slang. On the other hand, the lush views of the prehistoric landscapes and creatures were breath-taking, although the man-and-beast face-offs many would have loved to see were minimal. Only three major prehistoric animals were featured in the movie, and each one with very little screen time, which in turn made little impact. So you can forget about this being a National Geographic experience either.
However, the movie does have its good points. Character and set design were simply amazing and D'Leh indeed takes us on an adventure across different lands, coming across unique sets of tribes each time - each with their own costumes, languages and beliefs.
The journey is a moral one, rather than spiritual. As much as we'd like to root for D'Leh, his travels feel incomplete and non-progressive. The background plot about his father could have been developed so much more, while giving him the angst he needs to push him further. Devoid of a connection, we can't really attach ourselves to what he endures. What we were expecting was a heroic transformation, but what we were left with is still that timid little mammoth hunter that may well be a wave-riding surfer in our time.
