5/10
At just 13 years old, Aisholpan sure does make you question what you’ve achieved in your life up until this point. This young and adventurous Mongolian belongs to a family of nomads who travel throughout the Altai Mountain ranges. She belongs to seven generations of eagle hunters and is determined to be the first eagle huntress in twelve generations.
The harsh terrain and resilient wildlife of the Mongolian landscape are captured beautifully by director Otto Bell. Though not quite up to the standard of David Attenborough’s Planet Earth series, The Eagle Huntress certainly offers a unique blend of cinematography by using first-person perspectives during interactions with baby eagles. Yes, you read that right – baby eagles.
But what holds the story together is the heart of Aisholpan, and her desire to break the stereotypes against her. The concept of a female eagle hunter is unheard of among the elders in her culture.
It’s easy to see why Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) has been chosen to narrate, being a pop culture icon for strong independent females on screen. It’s a solid choice and the two female leads share much in common.
Having said all that, The Eagle Huntress doesn’t do much for engaging you further towards its cause. Its conflicts aren’t particularly noteworthy, or rather, they aren’t as great as they could be. In the end, you know exactly how it will all pan out. But if you’re up for an upbeat nature film infused with the wondrous innocence of a spirited Kazakh girl… then seek no more.