10,000 BC Movie Review

  At first glance, 10,000 BC seems like the type of film that – if not exactly intellectually stimulating – would provide its viewers with an entertaining two hours’ worth of prehistoric adventure. Perhaps the first hint that this was not be the case is the fact that it was written, directed and produced by Roland Emmerich, a mainstream Hollywood fixture whose last film was 2004s hilariously awful The Day After Tomorrow. This isn’t to say that 10,000 BC is necessarily a terrible movie, just that with a hundred-million dollar budget and a script set in the Ice Age (think cavemen and saber-toothed tigers), it could and should have been much better.

  The film opens at the tail end of the last Ice Age, where a small valley tribe is struggling to cope with an increasingly sparse supply of local mammoths to hunt. When a young girl with piercing blue eyes named Evolet (Camilla Belle) is brought to the tribe’s village after hers was destroyed by mysterious “four-legged demons,” the tribe’s elder foretells a prophecy whereby the blue-eyed girl will be the key to saving the tribe from starvation in the future. From this “mysterious prophecy” foundation, 10,000 BC’s storyline sets off down a cliché-ridden path, complete with “surprise” revelations about the missing father of protagonist D’Leh (Steven Strait). Most cliché of all, however, is the love story between D’Leh and Evolet; after several tribe members, including Evolet, are abducted from his village by heavily-armed men on horseback, D’Leh sets out after them to rescue her. While the damsel-in-distress aspect of the story is basically just an excuse to have D’Leh travel across vast swaths of land in pursuit of his kidnapped girl and subsequently engage in combat with various people and animals, the script is so cheesy and the acting so bad that it’s almost like the filmmakers didn’t even bother trying to make the love story remotely believable. The on-screen chemistry between Strait and Belle is virtually nonexistent, and the corny lines they’re forced to recite certainly don’t help them out either. Writer/director/producer Roland Emmerich appears to have, quite unintentionally, crafted a script that genuinely seems like it was written by some type of knuckle-dragging caveman. However, the story does gain traction in its second half, where D’Leh’s attempt to rescue Evolet from her captors (who, it is revealed, are ancient Egyptians) turns into a full-scale slave revolt at the Pyramids. Unfortunately, this development presents a gaping plot hole in and of itself; the film is set 12,000 years ago, while the Pyramids were only built 4,500 years ago. There are many such historical inaccuracies throughout 10,000 BC, but this loose interpretation of history undoubtedly gave the filmmakers more creative wiggle room, so you can’t entirely fault them for that decision, even if it does take away from the film’s believability.

  If there is one place where 10,000 BC excels, it’s in the special effects department, particularly with regards to the various prehistoric creatures that the human protagonists encounter throughout their journey. From the highly-detailed movements of the fur on the woolly mammoths to the glint of the saber-toothed tiger’s massive fangs, the computer-rendered animals look spectacularly realistic. The innovative set designs are very impressive as well, such as a makeshift hut in D’Leh’s village that’s made entirely out of woolly mammoth bones. Another praise-worthy piece of scenery in the movie is its downright gorgeous computer-generated recreation of the Egyptian Pyramids and the Great Sphinx. There has probably never been such a convincing portrayal of ancient Egypt ever made, at least in purely aesthetic terms.

  While 10,000 BC is plagued by a slow-moving, ponderous script and numerous historical inaccuracies, it is a somewhat enjoyable movie, particularly as its final act gets underway. While the sub-par acting from leads Steven Strait and Camilla Belle is nothing to write home about, some of the smaller parts are delivered well, such as newcomer Nathanael Baring’s enthusiastic portrayal of the young Baku. Overall, 10,000 BC might be worth a rent when it comes out on DVD if you feel like a night of mindless, special-effects driven storytelling with a bag of popcorn at your side. Otherwise, feel free to pass on seeing this one.

About the author:

  Curtis is a writer specializing in politics, popular media and the entertainment industry. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, he graduated from Kwantlen University College with an Arts degree in 2006 and is now a contributing editor at TrendPimp magazine. His online portfolio can be found at CurtisSpring.com.