- Released: February 22, 2008
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich
- Running time: 1 h 49 min
- Rating 3.5/5
Synopsis
My Thoughts
This one was on my to-watch list for a while, but it got removed from the streaming service I intended to watch it on before I could see it. Luckily my library has a copy.
This movie follows a hunter named D'leh as he travels the lands looking for his lost tribe members who were taken captive by a force of evil horse riders, who intend to use them for slavery. Among the captives as D'leh's love interest Evolet. D'leh manages to unite several other tribes under his goal as he is a prophesied hero, and together they face their adversary.
Overall a basic chosen one hero plot, but the execution is fine. My main gripe is that they don't do a whole lot unique with the setup. I honestly think I would've liked it better if D'leh hadn't been a chosen one, but rather had been in charge of his own fate and stepped up as a hero regardless of destiny. Wouldn't that have been a more powerful narrative than "he is the hero just because the prophecy says he is"?
Another criticism I have is the handling of the female characters in this movie. There's only two major female characters, Evolet and the shaman known as Old Mother, and neither are very proactive. They just mostly sit around and aren't allowed to really do much by the plot, other than waiting to be rescued by the men. Both characters die at one point, though Evolet comes back to life. So the treating of the female characters in this movie wasn't great. Would it have been that hard to have some other female characters in D'leh's army? I get that the slavers have captured most women but surely a few could've hidden or something. It shouldn't be that hard.
Also just as an aside, the sabertooth despite featuring heavily in the posters is barely at all in the movie. It's there for two scenes and then never again. I wish they did more with them.
Overall not a bad movie but it leaves some things to be desired, too.
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