"10,000 B.C." Review & Trailer

DVD: 10,000 B.C. * Official Site	On DVD: June 24, 2008
Runtime: 109 minutes	Directed by: Roland Emmerich
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence	Gecko Rating:

I’m giving this movie three and a half geckos because the special effects are pretty awesome, and there really aren’t that many epic movies made these days, so bonus points for that. I’m not so sure about the plot, though. The special effects are really what kept me from looking at my watch every three minutes.

The story takes place in, well, 10,000 B.C. and follows the adventures of a young hunter named D’Leh (Steven Strait), who must leave his tribe behind and set out on a cross-country journey to rescue his beloved (Camilla Belle), who’s been kidnapped by a bunch of guys on horses.

More after the jump…

Of course, it’s not easy. These are challenging times, and D’Leh must not only rescue his beloved, he also has to trek through uncharted territory, form an army, and lead a fight for liberation in a lost civilization.

About the special effects: We get a herd of Woolly Mammoths in full stampede across the alps, a flock of lethal ostriches in a steamy jungle, and a menacing saber-toothed tiger that seems like it’s part alien. Maybe because it reminds me of the alien in Alien.

But…I have to admit that some parts of this movie had me scratching my head. Like how all the cave-people spoke pretty good English. And how the landscape changed from snowy mountains to hot jungle in a few minutes. Also, the droney narration by Omar Sharif seems a little cheesy.

I wouldn’t say this is one of Roland Emmerich’s best movies — he’s got Stargate and Independence Day to his credit, after all. But it’s definitely worth a rental if you have nothing else going on. You just have to realize that it’s a fantasy. I mean, who really knows what life was like in the year 10,000 B.C.?

Trailer:

Images: 10000 B.C., Warner Bros., Pictures, 2008