"10,000 B.C." Inaction *sigh*

Genres: Action/Adventure and Drama
Running Time: 1 hr. 49 min.
Release Date: March 7th, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence.
Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution

Director: Roland Emmerich

JJ Rating: C

D'Leh (Steven Strait) falls in love with Evolet (Camilla Belle) who comes to his tribe an orphan. She brought along with her a tale of demons who slaughtered her family and tribe. Then years later the same thing happened to D'Leh's tribe and Evolet was taken. He vows to save her. 10,000 B.C.

Visually 10,000 B.C. is engrossing. When they lay eyes upon the river and the boats, the sails on the boats are mesmerizing. Historically accurate? I don't know, nor do I care. I did not see this movie to see action in action. I saw it to see a story in action. And that is exactly what I got; story inaction.

I think Steven Strait can act and has massive potential. He has not found that character that will make that noticeable. Camilla Belle is beautiful and her eyes were hypnotic. Her acting could very well be just ok, but she stood out most likely because of the eyes. They were stunning.

There wasn't enough character development. I felt no connection to anyone on the screen. The only people I felt sort of connected to were the children, but that's because I, like most people, feel a need to protect children from harm. It does not mean the children were well developed characters. The couple that was split apart and then reunited, Strait and Belle, had no chemistry. It was very lackluster. It was almost like they were paid to love one another, and even though they were I shouldn't see it. Then there are other characters that die and I have to ask why care? There was no reason to care. The story didn't give one and the actors didn't deliver one. It was as if the actors were supporting the scenery and the CGI work instead of the other way around.

I don't want to get into the script because the lines were bland. No power, no charisma, no fight, no encouragement or excitement. It was just flat. Again the only good that came out of this movie is some of the visuals. Other than that it doesn't have a whole lot to stand on. The ending was anticlimactic. It was inadequate for the grand scale the CGI and the story placed upon it.

One good thing is that I watched it and did not feel like it was dragging. I know how much of a shock that might be considering how much I've pounded it for lacking, but it's true. It had good pacing. It did not stick around in one area too long. It told what needed to be told and moved on to the next thing in the story.

10,000 B.C. was just disappointing. It had potential to be just as massive as the woolly mammoths they renamed for the sake of giving the village people their own vocabulary, but it didn't even try. I won't own it and I don't suggest anyone to see it. I'm sure it'll be panned some more by history itself, but I've done enough.