---
title: "10,000 BC"
year: 2008
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/10-000-bc"
fi1m_id: "10-000-bc"
imdb_id: "tt0443649"
tmdb_id: 7840
wikidata_id: "Q163899"
fi1m_score: 40
critics_score: 42
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-10-05T05:46:10.764267+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T05:46:11.185199+00:00"
region: "AZ"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# 10,000 BC (2008)

Directed by Roland Emmerich · 1h 49m · Adventure, Action, Drama, Fantasy

## Identity

10,000 BC

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/10-000-bc
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** 10-000-bc
- **IMDb ID:** tt0443649
- **TMDB ID:** 7840
- **Wikidata ID:** Q163899
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443649/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/7840, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163899

**Fi1m score: 40** · Critics 42 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* Even with mammoths in it, 109 minutes can take a while

> Roland Emmerich gives the mammoths and pyramids more attention than the people. A few imposing sequences cannot rescue an adventure whose thin characters and slow storytelling make 109 minutes feel needlessly long.

## Synopsis

D’Leh (Steven Strait), Evolet (Camilla Belle) and Tic-Tic (Cliff Curtis) inhabit the prehistoric world of *10,000 BC*, where people share the landscape with mammoths. Old Mother (Mona Hammond) and the Warlord (Affif Ben Badra) also feature in the story, narrated by Omar Sharif. Mammoth stampedes and pyramid construction form part of a fantasy adventure built around the legend of a hero. Human drama sits alongside computer-generated creatures in a version of the distant past shaped for action rather than historical reconstruction.

## Review

Roland Emmerich’s *10,000 BC* is a poor adventure with a few welcome bursts of spectacle. It wants the simplicity of an old-fashioned hero’s tale, with enormous creatures, danger and a sense that everything matters terribly. There is nothing wrong with that ambition, or with treating prehistory as a place for fantasy. The trouble is that the screenplay by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser gives us little reason to care about the people occupying all that space.

Steven Strait’s D’Leh and Camilla Belle’s Evolet are asked to sustain attention that the writing has not earned. Their characters have so little personality that it is difficult to become interested in them before the next set piece arrives. Cliff Curtis faces the same problem as Tic-Tic: the script provides a name and a function, but too few distinctive qualities. The cast are left to deliver weak dialogue with a seriousness that makes its shortcomings harder to ignore.

Omar Sharif supplies the narration, and the weight of the delivery becomes another obstacle. A voice with this much authority ought to help a legend along; here it makes the telling feel slower. We were bored by the solemn narration and the thinly drawn people, rather than amused by the film’s extravagance. An adventure this fanciful needs a lighter touch, especially when it pauses to tell us how much everything matters.

The mammoth stampedes do briefly provide some momentum. Ueli Steiger’s cinematography gives these passages a scale the human scenes struggle to match, and for a while there is enough movement to hold our attention. The computer-generated creatures do not always look solid enough to threaten anyone, which holds the excitement back even here. Still, these passages are a welcome break from the ponderous storytelling.

Jean-Vincent Puzos’s production design is more successful at supplying things worth looking at. The pyramid sequences have an imposing size, with buildings that give the adventure some of the grandeur it keeps announcing. The costumes by Renée April and Odile Dicks-Mireaux also show an inventiveness missing from much of the dialogue. There is care in the appearance of this world, and that deserves acknowledgement even when the film offers so little reason to stay in it.

Alexander Berner’s editing does not solve the uneven allocation of time: the story drags, then the action seems to finish before it has earned the wait. At 109 minutes, this should not feel like such a long journey between brief entertainments. Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander supply the music, but the score cannot generate much excitement around these characters. Too much of the work has been left to departments that cannot rewrite the script.

A simple adventure can survive all manner of absurdity if it gives us somebody worth following. This one’s lack of curiosity about its people matters more than any question of historical accuracy, and its solemnity makes it harder to enjoy the silliness. Unless mammoth stampedes are enough on their own, we would choose another adventure.

*Fi1m score 40, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find 10,000 BC a dull adventure whose spectacle cannot compensate for weak storytelling. The recurring complaints are thin characters, sluggish pacing and a shortage of dramatic tension, with several reviews finding the action too brief or bloodless to help. Praise clusters around individual setpieces rather than performances: mammoth stampedes and imposing pyramid sequences offer some scale and excitement, even for critics who dislike the film.

The spread is wide, with the computer-generated creatures dividing opinion particularly sharply: some reviews admire their visual invention, while others find them cheap-looking and unconvincing. The Los Angeles Times and Empire offer the clearest dissent from the negative consensus, enjoying the old-fashioned adventure and accepting its silliness as part of the pleasure. Variety admires the effects but finds the drama timid and bland, illustrating why spectacle alone wins over so few critics.

## Straight answers

**Is 10,000 BC worth watching?**

*10,000 BC* is a poor adventure that we score 40/100, with little to recommend beyond mammoth stampedes and imposing pyramids. Those sequences offer brief entertainment, but thin characters, weak dialogue and solemn narration make its 109 minutes drag; we would choose another adventure unless the creatures are enough.

**How long is 10,000 BC, and what is it rated?**

*10,000 BC* runs 1h 49m. It is an adventure and action film.

**Where can I watch 10,000 BC in Azerbaijan?**

*10,000 BC* is not on any streaming or rental service in Azerbaijan at the moment. It is available in 51 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is 10,000 BC, and is it suitable for children?**

*10,000 BC* carries a UK 12A certificate, so we would not treat its prehistoric fantasy as suitable for every child. Mammoth stampedes and action provide threatening spectacle, though the unconvincing computer-generated creatures can blunt the danger; under-12s need an accompanying adult at the cinema, and younger or sensitive children warrant caution.

**How does 10,000 BC compare to Princess Mononoke?**

*10,000 BC* is the weaker choice beside [*Princess Mononoke*](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke), which we recommend for enormous creatures and human conflicts that deserve the scale around them. *10,000 BC* offers imposing sights but little reason to care about its people; *Princess Mononoke* gives both sides sympathy and its action more force, though its crowded storytelling requires patience.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (70/100, inferred): Errigo finds the film spectacular and entertainingly silly, despite its self-important storytelling. She especially praises the mammoth stampedes and the old-fashioned adventure spectacle. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/10000-bc-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (70/100, inferred): Turan finds the film silly and easy to mock, but ultimately admires its shameless, entertaining audacity. He praises its old-fashioned adventure spirit and spectacular mammoth imagery. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-mar-07-et-ten7-story.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (65/100, inferred): Honeycutt finds the film an entertaining action Western despite its campy moments and reliance on divine interventions. He praises its visual inventiveness, especially the costumes, settings and computer-generated creatures. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/10000-bc-125678/)
- **Screen Daily**, John Hazelton (64/100, inferred): The review text is unavailable behind the access prompt, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific element can be identified as praised or criticized from the visible page. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/10000-bc/4037615.article)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (2/5): The critic finds the adventure messy and its spectacle mindless. They single out the chintzy computer-generated creature effects for complaint. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ge0u8y/10000-bc/)
- **Time Out**, Nigel Floyd (2/5): Floyd considers the film a major disappointment. He complains that Omar Sharif’s narration is ponderous. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/10-000-b-c)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (1.5/4): Schager dismisses the film as an unintelligent, stale spectacle. He particularly faults its insubstantial computer-generated visuals and characters with little personality. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/10000-b-c/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (30/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the blockbuster derivative and lumbering. He acknowledges some very good setpieces but complains that the film borrows too heavily from Apocalypto. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/mar/14/actionandadventure.periodandhistorical)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (30/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film a missed opportunity, too timid and bland despite moments of grand spectacle. He praises the visual effects and imposing pyramid sequences, but faults the lack of dramatic tension and imaginative detail. [Read](https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/10-000-bc-1200536051/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (25/100, inferred): Scott’s verdict is negative, finding the film a clumsy, unconvincing adventure. The review’s specific praise or complaint cannot be verified from the accessible page. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/movies/07ten.html)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (1/5): The critic finds the film overlong, turgid and a waste of time. They single out the pyramid-construction scene as briefly awe-inspiring, while criticizing the film’s CGI spectacle and bloodless action. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/10000-bc-review/)
- **/Film**, Zach Lawrence (5/10): The critic finds the film entertainingly ridiculous but only likes it moderately, criticizing its confusing story and weak script. They praise its attractive visuals and effects. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/498525/movie-review-10000-bc/)
- **Den of Geek**, Mark Pickavance (1 out of 5): Pickavance gives the film a scathing verdict, calling it a painfully bad viewing experience. He singles out its weak character development, dialogue and poorly rendered CGI creatures for criticism. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/10000-bc-bluray-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty (20/100, inferred): Carty finds the film a dull, disappointing failure that never builds excitement or tension. He particularly criticizes its unconvincing CGI creatures and effects, which he says feel far behind the curve. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/10000-bc-film-review-by-stephen-carty)
- **Paste**, Robert Davis (15/100, inferred): The critic finds the film dull and its climax groan-inducing. They complain that the plot drags while the action scenes are too brief to justify it. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/roland-emmerich/10000-bc)

## Details

- **Director:** Roland Emmerich
- **Director:** Roland Emmerich
- **Screenplay:** Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser
- **Cinematography:** Ueli Steiger
- **Editor:** Alexander Berner
- **Music:** Harald Kloser, Thomas Wander
- **Production design:** Jean-Vincent Puzos
- **Costume design:** Renée April, Odile Dicks-Mireaux
- **Producer:** Roland Emmerich, Mark Gordon, Michael Wimer
- **Cast:** Steven Strait as D’Leh; Camilla Belle as Evolet; Cliff Curtis as Tic-Tic; Nathanael Baring as Baku; Mo Zinal as Ka’Ren; Affif Ben Badra as Warlord; Mona Hammond as Old Mother; Marco Khan as One-Eye
- **Runtime:** 1h 49m
- **First release (Japan):** 22 February 2008
- **Genres:** Adventure, Action, Drama, Fantasy
- **Budget:** $105 million
- **Box office:** $270 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMO8PC94egI

## Where to watch in Azerbaijan

Not streaming, renting or buying in Azerbaijan at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The 7th Voyage of Sinbad* (1958): A creature-led adventure with clear dangers, brisk storytelling and room for wonder.
- *One Million Years B.C.* (1966): Another cheerfully invented prehistory, with creatures worth waiting around to see.
- *Quest for Fire* (1981): For prehistoric survival that makes physical behaviour more important than grand speeches.
- *Princess Mononoke* (1997), Fi1m 88: For enormous animals and human conflicts that deserve the scale around them. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke.md)
- *Apocalypto* (2006): A harsher pursuit through an ancient world, with far more violence and urgency.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/10-000-bc