I must be easily impressed. I am convinced of it or maybe I just love movies too much although there are plenty that I hate. This movie is getting skewered by professional critics and IMDb critics alike and it really does make me second guess my judgment but I've never let the crowd tell me which way to go and I'm not going to start now. I had meager expectations of 10'000 BC, not really sure what to expect and I'm also a HUGE History buff and studied Sumerian religion and culture a lot in High School (yes Sumerian NOT Egyptians like everyone is calling them on here.) More than anything else 10'000 BC is a stunning, jaw dropping spectacle from the hunting of the Mammoths to the incredible pyramid building and battles. If there was ONE thing wrong with this film it was it's rating. I am all for a family film, and I'm not some nasty dude who wants blood, guts and gore in everything I see but this film needed adult content. You needed to see the battle, the ruggedness of their lives and the violence, much like Apocalypto but I do understand wanting to keep options open to make more money. I do believe that 10'000 BC was made not as a historical grand epic that would take home awards but to make money period and it will do that I believe. There is also some common place plot holes and weird little things that could be picked apart but just sit back and watch this spectacle and just enjoy it because I think it's a masterpiece in it's own right.
The cast is adequate, I don't think anyone person really stuns or amazes but they are good in their respective roles. Relative newcomer Steven Strait plays the lead hero. A man who grew up believing his father abandoned his people but discovers he is destined to lead his own. He's good and watchable but doesn't light up the screen or anything and doesn't really command and huge presence on screen. Camilla Belle plays his love interest and she is stunning, she really is beautiful especially with those eyes (which are fake) but she really is nothing more than eye candy and a damsel in distress and I think she is or could be better than that. Character actor Cliff Curtis is the elder who longs to teach Strait's character and befriends him. His character could be a lot more important and in the forefront but he's kind of quiet and foreboding and loses a lot because of it. Same goes for Affif Ben Badra who plays a villain that is taken by the lovely Belle. I almost expected some sort of redemption for his character but it never happens, quite the opposite in fact. Oscar nominated veteran actor Omar Sharif is the narrator and they don't use him very much which is unfortunate.
It seems like when it comes to the cast they underused a lot of potential exchanging it for visual effects but that works because the CGI is incredible. The saber-tooth tiger, the stunning Mammoths, the pyramids, the main villain or god at the Pyramids was as disturbing as ever. As for historical inaccuracy...I really don't think the film was trying for that BUT it's not as inaccurate as everyone is crying about. The villains in the film are NOT Egyptians, they are Sumerians which a lot of history is mostly legend and lore and I think they do an incredible job at covering that. They even make mention of the possibility of them being from Atlantis, and give a whole actual visual on them putting together the pyramids and the original face of the Sphinx (which looked awful and cartoony but still...) The film is about as PG as you can get, never showing any skin, using foul language or any brutal violence. The battle scenes are still very cool but you'll never see a close up of anyone dying so you can bring your tweens and up to see it which is good. A different spin on historical epic for everyone. Director Roland Emmerich who has done some really incredible stuff (Independence Day) and some very disappointing average stuff (Godzilla) has a real desire to do monstrous things with a budget and sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. Don't chastise him for wanting to entertain us. He's a good director and you can see it in his style and desire to entertain. I say fight against the harsh critics because if this is the beginning of a summer blockbuster it's pretty incredible!! I loved it!! 9/10
The cast is adequate, I don't think anyone person really stuns or amazes but they are good in their respective roles. Relative newcomer Steven Strait plays the lead hero. A man who grew up believing his father abandoned his people but discovers he is destined to lead his own. He's good and watchable but doesn't light up the screen or anything and doesn't really command and huge presence on screen. Camilla Belle plays his love interest and she is stunning, she really is beautiful especially with those eyes (which are fake) but she really is nothing more than eye candy and a damsel in distress and I think she is or could be better than that. Character actor Cliff Curtis is the elder who longs to teach Strait's character and befriends him. His character could be a lot more important and in the forefront but he's kind of quiet and foreboding and loses a lot because of it. Same goes for Affif Ben Badra who plays a villain that is taken by the lovely Belle. I almost expected some sort of redemption for his character but it never happens, quite the opposite in fact. Oscar nominated veteran actor Omar Sharif is the narrator and they don't use him very much which is unfortunate.
It seems like when it comes to the cast they underused a lot of potential exchanging it for visual effects but that works because the CGI is incredible. The saber-tooth tiger, the stunning Mammoths, the pyramids, the main villain or god at the Pyramids was as disturbing as ever. As for historical inaccuracy...I really don't think the film was trying for that BUT it's not as inaccurate as everyone is crying about. The villains in the film are NOT Egyptians, they are Sumerians which a lot of history is mostly legend and lore and I think they do an incredible job at covering that. They even make mention of the possibility of them being from Atlantis, and give a whole actual visual on them putting together the pyramids and the original face of the Sphinx (which looked awful and cartoony but still...) The film is about as PG as you can get, never showing any skin, using foul language or any brutal violence. The battle scenes are still very cool but you'll never see a close up of anyone dying so you can bring your tweens and up to see it which is good. A different spin on historical epic for everyone. Director Roland Emmerich who has done some really incredible stuff (Independence Day) and some very disappointing average stuff (Godzilla) has a real desire to do monstrous things with a budget and sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. Don't chastise him for wanting to entertain us. He's a good director and you can see it in his style and desire to entertain. I say fight against the harsh critics because if this is the beginning of a summer blockbuster it's pretty incredible!! I loved it!! 9/10