Catch up: Mongol (2007)
Mongol is a fun bio-pic unencumbered by realism or recent history. Genghis Khan ruled Eurasia so long ago that his story can be built from scratch. Set against gorgeous scenery (shot in China and Kazakhstan), Mongol focuses on how the boy became the conquerer.
Temujin is the only son of a khan who gets poisoned. Soon the family’s entire possessions are looted and a rival vows to return to kill Temujin as soon as he is old enough to die. Thankfully puberty holds off a while, at least long enough for him to see the wolf-god and become a badass. He comes eight years late to his wedding and his bride is there waiting for him, wicked hot.
The film is a German/Mongolia/Kazakhstani/Russian co-production, and one of the pleasures of Mongol is seeing an epic that wants to compete with Hollywood on its own terms, with its own heroes. Genghis: warrior, stud, icon.
