Roland Emmerich
10.000 A.C.

Before falling into the usual misconception of people asking me what I liked about the direction, the photography, or any other technical aspect (other than the acting), I say: I am not able to judge these aspects. I review a film based on the emotions it gave me, its historical setting, the pace of certain scenes compared to others, and the acting ability of the actors. That's all I know.

Anyway, back to our subject: I've heard a lot about this film, the most common criticism is that it masquerades as a historical film while featuring great inaccuracies, such as the presence of enormous pyramids coexisting with mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. My response to this is: THIS IS NOT A HISTORICAL FILM.

The title can be misleading if misinterpreted, but in my opinion, it should be interpreted as an indicative date that serves to remind us that it's set in a very distant time, the equivalent of the modern "Once upon a time." We must keep in mind during the viewing that it is a fantasy film, where magical elements are crucial. And where the pyramids are pure poetic license.

In short, in this film, the life of a tribe of hunters living among the ice is disrupted by the arrival of a girl with extraordinary blue eyes, the beautiful Evolet. It will be fate or who knows what else that ties her to the courageous D'leh, and when, as adults, she is kidnapped along with a significant number of other people from the tribe, D'leh, the wise Tik Tik, and the young Baku set out on a rescue mission, crossing an entire continent and discovering the presence of other very different civilizations, technological innovations, and also pettiness, greed, and cruelty.

Soon, the expedition that started with the intent of saving Evolet will turn into the attempt to free the peoples from the threat of the kidnappers, a horse-riding people who used them as slaves.

What I really liked about this film was the depiction of the life of the slaves, the good actors manage to evoke the emotions that anyone would feel in those conditions; the fantastic animals like the tiger that will be saved by D'leh and then, without turning into a grateful four-meter-long kitty (something I would have found frankly irritating), ensures that the prophecy hanging over D'leh is fulfilled. I really liked the sense of camaraderie among the people of the assembled army for salvation, without falling into the already seen or the sentimental.  I won't reveal more.

Another criticism I found was that at the time, surely people didn't speak in such difficult terms, and mors tua vita mea, but we must also remember that: THIS IS A FILM, NOT A DOCUMENTARY. It has no pretension to indoctrinate, but rather to entertain and maybe even move a little.

Apart from the plot, the landscapes are wonderful (from the snowy mountains to the desert, from the great river to the prairies cultivated by the first men), the special effects on the animals are good.

Good performance by the protagonist in the role of the hero, a heralded Messiah, who wants to free the people from tyranny. The battle scenes then, are not predictable, not too long, not too gory. In short, a good film.

One thing puzzled me: the very white teeth of the first men. I mean, wouldn't it have been, I wouldn't say more realistic, but at least fairer to have them eat a bit of licorice before starting to shoot?