My Review of 10,000 B.C

Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Steven Strait, Camilla Belle and Cliff Curtis, this unusual film about humanity's first fight for freedom may be lacking in historical merit, but it's certainly a fun popcorn movie nontheless.

What is 10,000 B.C. about?

The story starts off when the young D'Leh is introduced to the girl with blue eyes, Evolet. They may be young when they first lay eyes on each other, but they soon fall in love. In a tribe of people reminiscent of the Native Americans, D'Leh and Evolet grow up together. He struggles to become a warrior, wrestling with the fact that his father's been labeled a coward for leaving the tribe at the worst possible time. Finally, D'Leh (Strait) is ready to take on his first - well I can't remember the word used in the movie, but we commonly refer to them as woolly mammoths.

These are huge creatures, running in herds, trampling anything that stands in their way. The hunt looks a lot like a Native American buffalo hunt. These folks don't have horses. They have only spears and loin-clothes.

D'Leh is hunting for the ultimate prize. If he brings down the big bull woolly mammoth, he'll obtain the big white spear and gain the right to take Evolet (Belle) as his woman. Finally, after everything is said and done, DLeh gives up the spear and the girl over a matter of honor... I think.

Then comes the four-legged demons, torching homes, taking men, women and children as prisoners, and leaving only misery in their wake. These demons are only another tribe of men on horses. D'Leh and his best friend / surrogate father, Tic'Tic (Curtis) go on the dangerous journey to rescue all of the men, women and children stolen, including Evolet. This adventure takes them to humanity's first city - or at least what the filmmakers want us to believe is our first city. We taken on a unique and kind of weird ride through some treacherous jungles that seem somewhat alien to us.

My thoughts

I like it when filmmakers try to re-write history. But when they have no visual references other than theory and conjecture, they try to fill in the gaps with some innane and unbelievable things. I'm not saying that the events in 10,000 B.C. couldn't have happened. I wasn't alive then to know any different. I just don't like the far-fetched notions applied to logic. I was waiting for alien spaceships to come down and start kidnapping the humans. This is Roland Emmerich, the man behind Stargate and Independence Day.

Final word

10,000 B.C. was not the awe-inspiring new experience I was hoping for. But it certainly should be seen and seen in a movie theater with great sound. The effects alone are worth the price of admission. Just don't expect to take any deep, hidden messages away from it. This is a summer popcorn movie that was released far too early.