Michael Lown
Barto10,000 BC: because if it came before Jesus it must be good!
March 8th 2008 12:51
10,000 BC is now more than just a dusty date, it’s an unintentionally hilarious epic prehistoric action film that must have single-handedly re-invigorated the market for the one size fits all dread lock wig.
To begin on a positive note, the story of a Mammoth hunter called D’Leh striving to rescue his kidnapped love Evolet from a warlord is no where near as bad as Jumper. 10,000 BC is entertaining good fun, and jam-packed with impressive special effects that are made for the big screen. D’Leh gathers together a band of supporters made up of other tribes, and soon finds himself up against a pyramid building empire whose leader is a self-proclaimed god.
Another high point is the lack of product placement – with all the walking and face-to-face chat, car makers and mobile phone companies were clearly unable to find a suitable excuse to slip their latest model in. They must kneel by their beds every night and thank god for the upcoming James Bond flick. Unfortunately I guess this means I never will find out who thought it would be a good idea to ply the heroine with eye liner.
The first half of the movie is actually impressively staged, with what one can approvingly call a nod towards realism. Sets and costumes seem to all point towards a fully realized, yet primitive culture, while sweeping shots of the landscape give a real sense of the isolation inherent in the tribe’s lifestyle. The Mammoth hunt is a particularly involving sequence, with a real hint of danger.
Director Roland Emmerich has made some interesting decisions regarding his actors. He has embraced the no name casting system to allow for authenticity without the distraction of celebrity (or ensuing paycheck drain on his budget), leaving relative unknowns Steven Strait and Camilla Belle to shoulder the workload. If their faces look a little familiar, cast your mind back to B grade thrillers The Covenant and When a Stranger Calls. They do a reasonable job with the little dialogue they have, and they are very pretty.
The rest of the cast is an odd blend of ethnicity. Kiwi actors such as Cliff Curtis tell us that the mountainous section of the movie was shot in New Zealand, while the African contingent is a clue regarding the desert half being filmed in Namibia. It is an impressive genetic feat that a Maori woman seems to be the mother of an African boy, but colour blind casting is probably an admirable quality.
Not long after the real chase kicks in, at the around the 40 minute mark, the whole movie seems to spiral hysterically out of control. The turning point is undoubtedly when D’Leh helps out a vicious looking saber-tooth tiger on the proviso that it doesn’t eat him. When the tiger later provides some much needed back-up you know they’ve hit Independence Day territory (insert a computer virus into an alien ship anyone?), and you must simply let go of logic and try to keep up.
But Independence Day had Will Smith, and a cast of charismatic supporters, a poor comparison to the blandness that Strait offers down the final stretch. By the end you lose track of who is alive and what they want, and frankly you cease to care. Everyone seems to have a prophesy that requires some vague sign which is dully provided. When the final ridiculous plot development occurs (I don’t want to spoil it, it’s a special moment that had me laughing so hard I nearly choked) you start to think maybe it didn’t even matter who died anyway. That’s probably a bad sign.
This is Emmerich’s follow up from The Day After Tomorrow. Say what you like about the man, but when you walk into one of his films you sure as hell know the exact date of the events you are about to witness. If you are at a cinema and you are presented with a choice between 10,000 BC and Jumper choose this. But I am certain you will find much better fare, unless all you are after is giant photo realistic beasts rampaging through beautiful scenery in a film with a tense first half that fails to deliver on it’s promise.
To begin on a positive note, the story of a Mammoth hunter called D’Leh striving to rescue his kidnapped love Evolet from a warlord is no where near as bad as Jumper. 10,000 BC is entertaining good fun, and jam-packed with impressive special effects that are made for the big screen. D’Leh gathers together a band of supporters made up of other tribes, and soon finds himself up against a pyramid building empire whose leader is a self-proclaimed god.
Another high point is the lack of product placement – with all the walking and face-to-face chat, car makers and mobile phone companies were clearly unable to find a suitable excuse to slip their latest model in. They must kneel by their beds every night and thank god for the upcoming James Bond flick. Unfortunately I guess this means I never will find out who thought it would be a good idea to ply the heroine with eye liner.
The first half of the movie is actually impressively staged, with what one can approvingly call a nod towards realism. Sets and costumes seem to all point towards a fully realized, yet primitive culture, while sweeping shots of the landscape give a real sense of the isolation inherent in the tribe’s lifestyle. The Mammoth hunt is a particularly involving sequence, with a real hint of danger.
Director Roland Emmerich has made some interesting decisions regarding his actors. He has embraced the no name casting system to allow for authenticity without the distraction of celebrity (or ensuing paycheck drain on his budget), leaving relative unknowns Steven Strait and Camilla Belle to shoulder the workload. If their faces look a little familiar, cast your mind back to B grade thrillers The Covenant and When a Stranger Calls. They do a reasonable job with the little dialogue they have, and they are very pretty.
The rest of the cast is an odd blend of ethnicity. Kiwi actors such as Cliff Curtis tell us that the mountainous section of the movie was shot in New Zealand, while the African contingent is a clue regarding the desert half being filmed in Namibia. It is an impressive genetic feat that a Maori woman seems to be the mother of an African boy, but colour blind casting is probably an admirable quality.
Not long after the real chase kicks in, at the around the 40 minute mark, the whole movie seems to spiral hysterically out of control. The turning point is undoubtedly when D’Leh helps out a vicious looking saber-tooth tiger on the proviso that it doesn’t eat him. When the tiger later provides some much needed back-up you know they’ve hit Independence Day territory (insert a computer virus into an alien ship anyone?), and you must simply let go of logic and try to keep up.
But Independence Day had Will Smith, and a cast of charismatic supporters, a poor comparison to the blandness that Strait offers down the final stretch. By the end you lose track of who is alive and what they want, and frankly you cease to care. Everyone seems to have a prophesy that requires some vague sign which is dully provided. When the final ridiculous plot development occurs (I don’t want to spoil it, it’s a special moment that had me laughing so hard I nearly choked) you start to think maybe it didn’t even matter who died anyway. That’s probably a bad sign.
This is Emmerich’s follow up from The Day After Tomorrow. Say what you like about the man, but when you walk into one of his films you sure as hell know the exact date of the events you are about to witness. If you are at a cinema and you are presented with a choice between 10,000 BC and Jumper choose this. But I am certain you will find much better fare, unless all you are after is giant photo realistic beasts rampaging through beautiful scenery in a film with a tense first half that fails to deliver on it’s promise.
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Comment by Harry
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I have hated everything Emmerich has done up to this point so I will probably avoid this considering how silly teh trailer looked....though it does make me want to slip Quest for Fire in the old DVD player...
Good review.