A Mammoth Mess

From the beginning, the film sort of feels like Apocalypto, but not as good, which isn't saying much.

Somehow, D'Leh and his followers travel through the dramatically changing climate, from snow-covered terrain to lush jungles, and finally through the “sea of sand,” where the “mountains of the gods” supposedly exists.

Although initially unknowingly, D'Leh is following in the footsteps of his courageous father, who set out alone to try to save the tribe years ago and never returned. D'Leh long believed that his father had abandoned their people.

Strengthened by this realization, D'Leh continues to battle both man and strange, prehistoric beast, all the while joining forces with other villages also destroyed by the evil warlords.

These prehistoric beasts consist of an odd group of giant ostriches and a very fake-looking sabre tooth tiger that are more humorous than they are scary. But the film does pick up a bit as they combine forces with the other tribes, forming one large army. The viewer can begin to get caught up in the shared mission of the tribes and the suspense of the outcome.

They soon arrive at a foreign, more modern civilization filled with pyramids and thousands of people working as slaves under a false god. In an attempt to free these people and their loved ones, the tribes contrive a plot that culminates in an action-packed fight.

But even this final, epic battle scene cannot save the film. A very strange, possibly albino “god” who is never completely revealed, along with his group of long finger-nailed worshippers, dashes any hopes of a redeeming ending.

But if one is just looking for some action and a light plot (they usually seem to go hand in hand), and isn't bothered by factual inconsistencies, this film can offer a level of entertainment and the message that similar themes of love and loyalty still exist, even since 10,000 BC.