Eyes only

10,000 BC has enough visual effects to draw viewers to a poor film | Megan Basham

Warner Bros. Pictures

Despite the horrid reception 10,000 BC has received from critics, there is one level on which the film works. The plot may be ludicrous, the acting even worse, and the pacing in turns manic and sluggish, but visually it is a masterpiece.

The story of Neanderthal D'Leh's (Steven Strait) dreadlocked quest to rescue his love (Camilla Belle) from pre-Egyptian slave-traders feels totally inconsequential compared to the vast array of eye-candy viewers are given to gorge on. The fact that it would be impossible for anyone, even a warrior as besotted with love as D'Leh is, to simply walk from tundra to rain forest to sub-Saharan desert in a matter of weeks isn't important. At least not when we have views of snow-capped peaks, lush greenery, and wind-swept dunes to distract us.