--- title: "10,000 BC: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/10-000-bc/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/10-000-bc" critics_score: 42 critics_reviews: 15 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): what the critics said Critics' score 42 from 15 reviews: 2 positive, 3 mixed, 10 negative. 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. ## Empire — Angie Errigo Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2006. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/10000-bc-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 March 2008. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-mar-07-et-ten7-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2008. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/10000-bc-125678/) ## Screen Daily — John Hazelton Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 5 March 2008. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/10000-bc/4037615.article) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 2/5. The critic finds the adventure messy and its spectacle mindless. They single out the chintzy computer-generated creature effects for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ge0u8y/10000-bc/) ## Time Out — Nigel Floyd Rating 2/5. 11 March 2008. Floyd considers the film a major disappointment. He complains that Omar Sharif’s narration is ponderous. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/10-000-b-c) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1.5/4. 6 March 2008. Schager dismisses the film as an unintelligent, stale spectacle. He particularly faults its insubstantial computer-generated visuals and characters with little personality. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/10000-b-c/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2008. Bradshaw finds the blockbuster derivative and lumbering. He acknowledges some very good setpieces but complains that the film borrows too heavily from Apocalypto. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/mar/14/actionandadventure.periodandhistorical) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2008. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/10-000-bc-1200536051/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 7 March 2008. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/movies/07ten.html) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 1/5. 14 March 2008. 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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/10000-bc-review/) ## /Film — Zach Lawrence Rating 5/10. 12 March 2008. 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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/498525/movie-review-10000-bc/) ## Den of Geek — Mark Pickavance Rating 1 out of 5. 31 July 2008. 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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/10000-bc-bluray-review/) ## Eye for Film — Stephen Carty Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2008. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/10000-bc-film-review-by-stephen-carty) ## Paste — Robert Davis Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2008. 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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/roland-emmerich/10000-bc) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/10-000-bc.md