The sweeping steppe and frozen mountains definitely made for lovely views, but I felt that, for an epic, this completely missed the mark. I had anticipated a saga outlining the rise to power of the Great Khan, but, actually, it was quite a bit of love story, a little bit about brotherhood, and a quick narration at the end to say “and then I rose to power”.

meh.

Bodrov’s epic drama Mongol is gorgeous scenery, a hint of mysticism, and slow in progression. Don’t be surprised with the cliffhanger ending – this is just the first of three movies about the Great Khan. Still, a few careful edits could’ve prevented the 100+ minutes from seeming like 300. Try to keep from yawning and pay attention to the more serious parts if you can, and you might enjoy this one.