’10,000 B.C.’ brings dark ages to light

        When the Spartan epic “300” was released in early March last year, it was intended to be the early guinea pig that would get viewers ready for another blockbuster summer. The result however, wound up being a disastrous summer of lackluster threequels that could only be saved by the imminent success of Frank Miller’s early “Spartans.” Veteran adventure director Roland Emmerich has been a bit silent since his second “Ice Age” run with “The Day After Tomorrow.” Emmerich is certainly no stranger to blockbuster entertainment having followed the success of “Independence Day,” along with “Godzilla.” Going back to the dark ages in “10,000 B.C.” isn’t the most intriguing adventure for Emmerich, nor is it really the same sort of summer pump-up that we all know “300” to have been, but it does have some visual blockbuster quality that just might surprise viewers enough to avoid disappointment.
    In a remote, prehistoric mountain tribe, a young mammoth hunter named D’Leh (Steven Strait) has found the love of his life in the beautiful Evolet (Camilla Belle). But when a dangerous band of warlords raid his village and kidnap Evolet, D’Leh must lead a small group of hunters to follow the warlords all the way to the end of the world (remember, the world was believed to be flat this far back in time) in order to save her. As D’Leh and his courageous group of warriors battle saber-tooth tigers and other dangerous predators, their heroic journey leads them to a lost civilization where they will meet their ultimate destiny against powerful ruler who has enslaved their people.
    It was a little scary for me, prior to admission, to think of just how badly “10,000 B.C.” could possibly crumble under its own feet with a PG-13 rating, but with more man vs. creature confrontations, as opposed to man vs. man, there really isn’t a desperate call for blood and guts all over the battlefield (or in the snow). The cavemen might have felt more respected if Emmerich had given them the chance to be ruthless with their handmade weaponry, but when dealing with younger aged characters, it’s actually entertaining enough to just watch them avoid a bunch of gigantic creatures instead of mutilating each other (not that there isn’t some hand in hand combat later). The only setback of having younger characters is that they seem a little too much like people their age today.
    It’s no secret that “Gladiator” was the defining epic movie of the new generation, and everything that follows will be set against the coliseum standards. Russell Crowe may have pulled off the trick of being famous in the midst of top notch special effects, but if Wolfgang Petersen or Oliver Stone actually thought they had a chance at repeating such glory with Brad Pitt in “Troy” or Colin Farrell in “Alexander,” all I can hope is that they take notes as they go back to the caveman’s era. In order to accentuate the captivating visuals of his monstrous creatures, Roland Emmerich really plays it smart by allowing a group of unknowns to lead the cast. Following his work in two domestic failures (“Sky High” and “The Covenant”), Steven Strait makes a courageous performance as the vengeful D’Leh, and Camilla Belle could only bounce back into the realm of positivity coming off of “When A Stranger Calls.”
    As we prepare for the early May release of “Iron Man,” and run through Edward Norton’s revival of “The Incredible Hulk” and Heath Ledger’s heavily anticipated resurrection of the Joker, it never hurts to get an early boost into the blockbuster atmosphere. “300” not only prepared us for blockbuster mayhem, but it actually served as a positive backdrop that made a crappy summer seem a little more modest; nobody wanted it to be beat. Roland Emmerich’s epic tale of the dark ages has plenty of potential to serve up some popcorn pleasure in the early phase (especially with the slow start we’ve had this year), but it will still keep viewers hoping for something more in the future. It would take an even crappier summer to make this memorable in the long run, but as a veteran of the respected genre, Emmerich certainly doesn’t let us down.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 7 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry