How to Get the Most Out of Watching 10,000 B.C

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A movie ticket
Bag of Popcorn
Tasty beverage
Suspension of historical knowledge
Sense of adventure

Step 1

Side profile of a Columbian Mammoth.

How well they get an audience to believe in the world they create is what separates the great directors of big-budget action flicks from the also rans.

And sure, directors may play loose with historical facts but they do need a few believable facts in their story on which to underpin the audience's suspension of disbelief.

The title of this one, 10,000 B.C. may tell us the date for this new adventure but the small print never said you're getting a crash course in early humanoid hunting technique.

Even so, there's enough science underpinning the movie setting to give Emmerich that foothold of doubt on which to create a possibly believable reality--just as the creationists do when positing a pre-history with man and dinosaurs hanging out together, like at Fred Flintstone's.

For instance, it's known that Elephas primigenius (Woolly Mammoths) and Smilodons (Saber-Toothed Cats) existed but died out in the late stages of the Pleistocene Era, from 1.8 million to 10,000 years B.C. And scientist do theorize they became extinct due to over-hunting by humans who were growing in numbers at the same time.

That being said, there is no scientific reason to believe humans had become the civilized and developed force at the end of the Pleistocene that we see in the movie. In the 10,000 B.C. movie, we see humans building major cities and waging wars, but it's pretty certain scientifically that this is not the case.
Step 2

Kurt Russell in Stargate.

How do you make your crazy, totally unbelievable, world real? Hire professionals who are good at doing this, and preferably professionals you've worked with before.

Director Emmerich dreamed up the idea for 10,000 B.C. with composer Harald Kloser in 2005. Kloser had previously composed the score for Emmerich's movies, “The Day After Tomorrow” in 2004 and “The Thirteenth Floor” in 1999.

To design trendy and believable mammoths, Emmerich brought in long-time friend Patrick Tatopoulos with whom he had worked on four other projects, “Stargate”, “Independence Day” and “Godzilla.” Tatopoulos has an impressive resume for creature effects from movies such as, "Underworld” and “Underworld 2,”“I Am Legend,” “The Cave,” “Pitch Black” and “Silent Hill.” Tatopoulos is set to make his directorial feature film debut in 2009 with the upcoming Underworld prequel, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.”
Step 3

Cliff Curtis in Sunshine

Hunting Mammoths and dodging saber-tooth cats is what 10,000 B.C. is all about because the creatures are the real stars of this show. That's how Emmerich could do with unknown actors in the human roles--the cat and mammoth fodder.

Steven Strait plays the lead, a young hunter named D’Leh, who must overcome ferocious beasts, angry gods and a skinload of enemies. Camilla Belle is his love interest, the beautiful Evolet, who's an old hand at dealing with monsters and Emmerich: She played Holly McClaren in Emmerich's 1998 movie, “The Patriot” and starred in “Jurassic Park II: The Lost World” as Cathy Bowman.

The best known actor in 10,000 B.C. is Cliff Curtis who plays Tic-Tic. Curtis is the New Zealand-born actor who's acted in “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Sunshine,” “Training Day,” “Blow” and “Runaway Jury.”
Step 4

How do you sell a hunting-mammoths-in-the-Pleistocene-Era adventure? Warner Bros. decided to keep it simple. Show the ferocious monsters in the trailer, and make hunting them look dangerous. There you have it.

Here’s the pretty thin pre-release plot summary;

“From director Roland Emmerich comes a sweeping odyssey into a mythical age of prophesies and gods, when spirits rule the land and mighty mammoths shake the earth. In a remote mountain tribe, the young hunter, D'Leh, has found his heart's passion - the beautiful Evolet. When a band of mysterious warlords raid his village and kidnap Evolet, D'Leh is forced to lead a small group of hunters to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. Driven by destiny, the unlikely band of warriors must battle saber-tooth tigers and prehistoric predators and, at their heroic journey's end, they uncover a Lost Civilization. Their ultimate fate lies in an empire beyond imagination, where great pyramids reach into the skies. Here they will take their stand against a powerful god who has brutally enslaved their people.”
Step 5

Russell Crowe in Gladiator.

If you see and like 10,000 B.C. you'll also probably like Emmerich’s “Stargate” as well. You'll also probably go wild for: Mel Gibson's “Apocalypto” and “Braveheart”, Zack Snyder's “300” and Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.”

Comments

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on 7/29/2008 I had no interest in this movie until I read your review - Thanks! I am now curious and I will watch it. Write some more reviews because you think outside the box!

on 3/8/2008 I look FWD to seeing the flick as well but will wait as have other things on my plate. I'll catch it on DVD later somewhere. Right now need to read Eckhart Tollie book A New Earth...to be ready for Oprah's webinar Monday.

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