Mongol: The Rise to Power of Genghis Khan

"A bio-pic centuries in the making, Mongol tells the story of warlord extraordinaire Genghis Khan. You may have heard of him, he's the bloodthirsty barbarian who took over half the known world at the peak of his powers. Well, you'll want to leave those preconceptions, and probably any fondness for historical accuracy, at the door when you check this out."

"As a visual spectacle, it is all but overwhelming, putting to shame some of the recent historical epics from Hollywood. If it has a flaw, and it does, it is expressed succinctly by the wife of its hero: "All Mongols do is kill and steal.""

"Epic in scale, but often intimate in focus, and with less blood and more plot than you might expect."

"Full of stunning views of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan and showing an unexpected side of Genghis Kahn, Mongol feels like an old-fashioned epic."

"Sergei Bodrov's Mongol relates the story of Genghis Khan's early years in a plodding, uninspired fashion that doesn't bode well for the next two entries in a planned trilogy."

"Inert, inept epic."

"With its breathtaking landscapes, bloody battles, bitter betrayals and an aching love story, Mongol is a sumptuously crafted epic."

"Mongol -- or, as I prefer to think of it, "Genghis Khan: The Early Years" -- is a big, ponderous epic, its beautifully composed landscape shots punctuated by thundering hooves and bloody, slow-motion battle sequences."