10,000 BC

Reviewed 9/08/2017

Blu-ray cover

10,000 BC
DIRECTED BY: Roland Emmerich
Genre: SCIENCE FICTION
Major Cast
Kurt Russellas Colonel Jack O'Neill
James Spaderas Dr. Daniel Jackson
Jaye Davidsonas Ra
Viveca Lindforsas Catherine Langford
Alexis Cruzas Skaara
Mili Avitalas Sha'uri
Leon Rippyas General W. O. West
John Diehlas Lt. Kowalski
Carlos Lachauas Anubis
Djimon Hounsouas Horus
Eric Avarias Kasuf "Bani Wei!"
French Stewartas Lt. Ferretti
Gianin Loffleras Nabeh
Christopher John Fieldsas Freeman
Derek Websteras Brown
MPAA Rating:PG-13
Distributor:Lionsgate
Release Date (US):28 October 1994
Lifetime Box Office:$71,565,669
Foreign Box Office:$?
Production Budget:$55,000,000 (Est.)

PLOT SUMMARY

Living in a remote mountain valley, the Uneedy people have had poor hunting. At length a herd of woolly mammoths shows up, and the man called "son of a coward" manages to kill one all by himself, thus earning the White Spear, the respect of his tribe, and a woman of his own. Life is good.

But things change when raiders sweep in on horseback. Using bows and arrows and metal swords, they decimate the tribe and carry off the young women. Yorg resolves to follow. After a long trek and a pivotal encounter with a saber-toothed tiger, he gathers to him warriors he's met along the way. Arriving at the home of the raiders, they find wonders: temples and pyramids under construction in a great city, where both slaves and mammoths labor at the pleasure of the masters. Winning back his woman in the face of such formidable odds will be difficult, yet he manages it.

There are echoes of Stargate in this film. Despite that, it stands very well on its own. The action is nearly nonstop, the scenery — both natural and artificial — is impressive, and there is plenty of jeopardy. (The moas are a nice touch.) Although the ending, with its mystical intervention, is implausible, the plot hangs together very well. This film delivers a very satisfying experience.

My Rating:
6 out of 10

Capsule review: Gorgeous cinematography, beautiful set design, decent suspense and action, and competent performances (notably, the scene with the saber-tooth) make this an enjoyable fantasy film.1

IMDB Rating: 5.1 Raters: 117,195
1 Although this film has elements of science fiction and ties to Stargate's technologically advanced pyramid builders, it generally falls into the fantasy category and I've labeled it as such.
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