March 7, 2008
Friday Morning Movies: "10,000 BC"
By Stan Dyer
Contrary to popular belief, this movie has nothing to do with my senior year in High School. It also has nothing to do with caveman movies starring either Raquel Welch or Ringo Starr. It is an "Apocalyto" story with a "Last of the Mohicans" subplot mixed with a smattering of "Willow". If you are going to enjoy this movie, leave what you know about natural history and anthropology at the door. It is not a bad movie, but it is not really a good movie either and appears aimed at a younger, less-educated audience who can still enjoy history-based fantasy without being over critical.
It is the story of a "pre" stone-age tribe of mountain people who survive by hunting these wooly mammoth looking creatures. One day, their village is attacked by a more advanced civilization that has not only discovered the horse, but also metal and how to form it into swords. They are the "four-legged devils". The advanced civilization captures members of the stone-age tribe for use "down stream" as slaves. Four members of the stone-age tribe pick up their inadequate weapons and head off in pursuit of the superior forces to attempt rescue of their captive tribesmen.
Along the way, they encounter saber-toothed cats, giant, flightless, predatory birds that look like huge baby turkeys, and other peoples who have lost members to the slave traders. They make their way across the desert and come to a place that looks the pyramids at Giza on the Nile, but still under construction. The people they encounter there live in fear of their godlike leader rumored to be "from the stars" and labor endlessly on the construction of the huge monuments. The "chosen one" leader of the stone-age people, D'Leh, amasses an army of locals from various tribes, infiltrates the slave camp and incites a slave insurrection. All tied up in this less than creative and predictable plot are astronomy, prophecy, love, devotion, dedication, sacrifice and a "pile" of imagination.
The biggest problem with this movie is that it is not the first of it's kind. If so many other and better movies had not come before, or this one had something, anything, more to offer, it might be good. Unfortunately, it is bland, boring and uninteresting. It is well-done, and the special effects are nice, but the move lacks creativity and follows the pattern too closely.
This movie rates no higher than "B-", and that is being generous. There are some nice scenes of everything from snow in the mountains, to the plains of Africa, but there is just not enough of a story or enough of good acting to keep adult viewers from yawning through most of it. As I said before, it appears aimed at a younger audience, and I believe the teen scene will enjoy this movie. Despite the PG-13 rating, let you kids see this movie. There is nothing that violent or gory in the movie to offend anyone over the age of eight.
Just the facts:
Title: "10,000 BC"
Director: Roland Emmerich
Rating: PG-13, Run Time: 1 hr, 49 min., Genre: Adventure
Main Cast:
Steven Straight as "D'Leh", Camilla Belle as "Evolet", and Cliff Curtis as "Tic'Tic"