Be Excellent To Each Other

Review time! Minor spoilers...

Went to see Mongol then. Pretty good in all, but not great. Some wonderful cinematography; if you've been watching Wild in China then you'll know what to expect, with vast plains and deserts and mountains. The cast are very charismatic, which is fortunate because according to the film the film the majority of Mongolians are rather dour. Acting props go to Jamukha, who is Genghis's blood brother, for his cheery demeanour and expressive face, he adds a real warmth to the film which is unusual given his role. The leads are great too, Genghis having that quiet Viggo Mortensen brooding calm leadership and his love, the amusingly named Borte, being plain speaking and practical. There's no tedious unrequited love strands that so blighted Crouching Tiger and its ilk. Phew.

The action is a little sparse at times, but when it does occur it looks great, with crunchy sound effects and wide arcs of flowing crimson blood. When the big battle comes along, it isn't a confused melee and you get an idea of the strategy. The only trouble is that there isn't quite enough action, and for a man who conquered one fifth of the world - a destiny that certain characters seem happy to impart repeatedly - he takes his sweet time about it. In fact, by the end of the film he's only just begun. Due to it being a riproaring success in Russia, Asia and Kazakhstan (where it was filmed) sequels have been guarenteed however. No bad thing, since the script is deft and the direction solid and focused.

There's just one big problem, and that's about how many times Genghis gets caught, shackled and escapes again. He does a good half of the film doing this, and you really just want to see him purely kick ass by the end. He eventually does, but Genghis is so even-tempered - and his opposition so affable - that he doesn't really get any big "I will have my revenge!" moments. It is the tale of an underdog made good through his own skill and cunning, but despite having an amazing life it doesn't grip quite enough.

Still, there's much to enjoy. It's funnier than you'd expect at moments, and Genghis does strike you as a real leader of men. The production values are first rate and it all seems very authentic. There has been a little whitewashing of character, but its nice to see a film finally come along and portray a wise and powerful conqueror - though my favourite remains the sporting-goods store massacring Bill & Ted version. The battle of wills between Genghis and his rival, and the way a rather sad and fated outcome comes about compels too. It feels natural and has none of the heavy handed George Lucas "You'll be the death of me! Ho ho!" gumpf.

In summary then, Mongol is a quality film and a fine way to pass the evening. You won't be hankering for the DVD, and you will occassionally become frustrated at the looping plot elements and there not being quite enough action, but in all I reckon you'll find it a fascinating watch and will fondly remember it in pub conversations when talk turns to foreign historical epics.

Four out of Five or Seven out of Ten