‘10,000 B.C.’ misses mark, but ‘Horton’ delivers goods

Horton Stays True to Seuss

Looking for a low-key, enjoyable romp? You may want to check out the box office hit Horton Hears a Who! It’s lighthearted enough for youngsters, but also has deeper message that older audiences can appreciate.

The movie follows a gentle elephant named Horton, voiced by Jim Carrey. Horton happens to hear a voice emerge from a small speck of dust on a flower and begins communicating with the Who-ville mayor, voiced by Steve Carell. Once he realizes an entire world lives inside this speck, Horton rushes to find Who-ville a safe spot, in spite of a skeptical outcry from his jungle community. The movie’s main theme is clear and often said by Horton, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Overall, the movie is a clever delight. Despite the out-of-place ending, which features characters breaking out into REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight this Feeling,” Horton is an entertaining time for everyone and is definitely worth checking out.

10,000 Reasons You Shouldn’t Even Bother

10,000 B.C. features the story of a young nomadic hunter and his tribe, living in a prehistoric era (where exactly the film takes place is unclear). The young D’leh, played by model-turned-sort-of-actor Steven Strait, falls in love with the beautiful Evolet (Camilla Belle). When mysterious warlords capture Evolet, an epic journey follows to try to save her and the rest of humanity from enslavement under an evil deity.

The already dull plotline with its no-name actors doesn’t even deliver satisfying bloody battle, just barely making its PG-13 rating. Even if you are just looking for an exciting, testosterone-driven ride, full of gory violence (which 10,000 does manage to have), the corny dialogue and weird grunting English accents (even though these people are supposedly ancient), are enough to make this film laborious to watch.

It seems like director Roland Emmerich took himself and this production way too seriously. If he could have tossed in the Geico cavemen and maybe some snappy dialogue, this flick might have been less of an overambitious attempt gone wrong and something more comedic and enjoyable. Instead, what’s left is a stiff production trying to be something grander than it is able to be – plus lots of really boring action. So if you’re in the mood for something manly and satisfying, avoid 10,000 B.C. and opt for a protein bar instead.

Kendra Zdravkovic may be contacted at k.zdravkovic@umiami.edu.