This week on Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan, Reegs and Cris review Mongol, Sergei Bodrov’s 2007 period epic about the early life of Temüjin, the boy who would become Genghis Khan. Before that, the dads tackle a king-themed Top 5, wandering through Game of Thrones, King T’Challa, Kingpin, Martin Luther King, Stephen King, King of Kong, King Ralph, Omar Little, Elvis, Michael Jackson, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, The King’s Speech, The King and I, King Green and The Man in the Iron Mask.
The main film is not quite the Genghis Khan story the dads expected. Rather than a wall-to-wall tale of conquest, pillaging and terror, Mongol plays more like an origin myth: a boy choosing his future wife, losing his father to poison, being betrayed by his own people, escaping captivity, becoming blood brothers with Jamukha, and slowly building a reputation as a fairer and more disciplined leader than the brutal men around him.
The lads talk about the film’s huge landscapes, the harshness of life on the steppe, the surprisingly central love story between Temüjin and Börte, the running “Börte license plates” gag, and the way the film frames its future conqueror as a law-bringer and unifier rather than the purely monstrous figure of popular imagination. They also discuss the episodic structure, the repeated captures and escapes, the samey battle scenes, and the final storm-soaked clash where Temüjin turns fear of thunder into a legend-building power move.
The verdict is a Bort recommend. Mongol is long, slow in places and absolutely not one to second-screen, but it is visually epic, culturally distinctive and a much more romantic, respectful and surprising Genghis Khan origin story than the dads were expecting.
You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.
Until next time, we remain...
Bad Dads
