Review: APOCALYPTO (2006)
December 8th 2008 22:15
Apocalypto - 7.5/10
Mel Gibson's blockbuster return to directing could not be any more amazing.
Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is a young warrior in a small tribe during the Mayan reign over South America. He is a devout son, a faithful husband and father, and a reliable part of the tribe. The tribe is a peaceful one, doing what they can to survive in their small sphere of influence without instilling much damage or change into the environment they inhabit. That is until, while on a gathering, Jaguar Paw and some of his fellow hunters encounter people from another tribe who warn them of a coming storm, so to speak. While the leader of the group, Jaguar Paw's father Flint Sky (Morris Birdyellowhead) feels that the warning should be ignored so that fear does not infest the rest of the tribe, Jaguar Paw cannot shake the feeling that the warning is much more ominous than his father would like to admit. He does his best to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut, until his very village is plummeted into an all out battle and Jaguar Paw finds himself captive to a civilization that thirsts for blood, and a salvation from a god they believe needs sacrifice. Now, Jaguar Paw finds himself fighting for his life as he escapes from his captors and races back to save his wife, son, and unborn child.
Mel Gibson is a master of his craft. Irregardless of what people may think of him, in regards to his personal beliefs, I find it hard to believe that anyone could deny just how amazing he is as a director. He has starred in, written, and directed some of the greatest films in Hollywood history, and Apocalypto is no exception. While it was not as great as Braveheart or as tormenting and painful as The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto kept me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the film. The acting was great, the cinematography was phenomenal, and the overall story was very, very endearing. There were some faults to it, of course. Most films of this magnitude cannot be made without them. For example the pace. While the film only comes in at just under 2 hours and 20 minutes, it feels like it took much longer than necessary, especially the scenes after the attack on Jaguar Paw's village as the captured villagers are taken to the nearby kingdom. That, to me, was it's biggest problem. The character introductions were very good (and surprisingly humorous) and the pacing after Paw reaches/escapes from his captors is so engaging.
Apocalypto is one of those films that you really should see, even if you don't want to. To be honest, I was really dreading seeing this movie only because I love Mel Gibson so much that I did not want to see his film bomb (especially after all the shit the media threw at him), but it delivered very well and is an excellent film.
| 33 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
