His reign is to be short-lived though. A band of marauders attacks the village stealing several men, women and children to be their slaves. Among those taken is Evolet, and D’Leh is forced to pursue in an attempt to rescue her. Aided by his father’s friend, Tic’Tic(Curtis), D’Leh must travel beyond the White Mountains, through the forests and across the deserts, to the land of the gods to save the woman he loves.

Compared to the time after, little is known about the time period before 4,000 B.C.E. (Before Common Era, the correct naming). 4,000 B.C.E. was when civilizations started emerging through the banding together of small tribes. Obviously, this film wasn’t titled to include that time-period, but the story was. A major aspect of the film revolved around the construction of a pyramid. Presumably, this is one of the Pyramids at Giza, because of their proximity to the Nile in the film and real life. The problem is, those pyramids weren’t built until around 2,500 B.C.E., not 10,000 B.C.E..

Really, the film feels like it wanted to be Apocalypto, or at least, to build a box office rake on it’s coattails. What 10,000 lacks in a engaging story, it makes up in visual effects. Truly, the effects were astounding; from the stampedes of mammoths to the rain-soaked sabre-tooth tiger to the construction of the pyramid. Sadly, the visuals were not enough to distract from the breathtakingly lackluster story, which revolved around a young hunter trying to save a young girl he loves from certain death.

Reflecting on the film, I realize that what was subtly apparent was the disappointing amount of non-action there was. Over and over, the suspense was built up only to find out what happened was ultimately underwhelming. Normally, films don’t delve into the action too quickly in fear of disappointing later. Watching 10,000 you are kept in a constant state of apprehension; waiting for something to happen, that never does.

10,000 felt like a cross between Apocalypto and Stargate, minus the worm-holes. Viewers who have a critical eye for films that aren’t historically accurate should shy away. Others looking for a mediocre film with pretty visuals to watch on a snowy Saturday are in for a treat!