Today’s quick review: 10,000 B.C. D’Leh (Steven Strait), a young member of the mammoth-hunting Yagahl tribe, wants only to be with Evolet (Camilla Belle), a girl with blue eyes tied to a terrible prophecy. His attempts to win her in the hunt are interrupted by the arrival of raiders on horseback, who kidnap Evolet and others from the village. Armed only with spears, D’Leh and his compatriots embark on a long and perilous journey to rescue those who were taken.
10,000 B.C. is a prehistoric action adventure movie with a touch of mysticism. 10,000 B.C. follows D’Leh and three of his friends as they travel far from their mountain home in pursuit of the slavers who took their loved ones. The movie takes advantage of modern CGI to depict the great beasts of prehistory, including mammoths and sabertooth tigers. However, its thin plot and mediocre characters put a damper on what excitement it builds.
10,000 B.C. gets off to a dry start. The first half-hour of the film is static, filled with low-stakes drama, and too cramped to let its characters grow. An early mammoth hunt gives the opening a dash of action, but the film only begins to gather momentum when D’Leh leaves his village. Even then the plot remains linear, but D’Leh gradually accomplishes enough as a warrior to become a worthy protagonist in his own right.
10,000 B.C. does carve out a niche for itself as a rare, reasonably accurate depiction of the prehistory of Man. The details of the setting hold up to casual scrutiny, although an informed viewer could probably identify artistic license. The story also manages to work in notable events in human history, such as the advent of the blue-eye gene and the extinction of the mammoths. The CGI beasts also help to give the action some variety.
Overall, 10,000 B.C. falls somewhat flat. The love between D’Leh and Evolet is stated more than shown, the characters take a long time to spread their wings, and the plot lacks the passion of a proper fantasy or historical epic. Give it a watch if you’re intrigued by the setting and could do with a little action. Skip it if you’re in the mood for something immediately gripping.
5.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for some action and a decent setting hampered by a slow start, uninteresting characters, and a linear plot.