What It Is: Crazy Mel Gibson's chase tale set during the downfall of Mayan civilization.Why I Watched It: I heard surprisingly good things about it from a handful of trusted sources.
What I Thought: The sources were right, it was surprisingly good! The movie follows one man's experience through the beginning of the end for Maya. Don't be thrown off by Gibson's name or the fact that it's subtitled. Apocalypto has a lot more to do with The Fugitive, Most Dangerous Game, or Running Man than it does with Passion of the Christ.
Apocalypto is an action movie and a good one at that. The Mayan language used throughout the film doesn't feel as historical as it feels primal. The movie's about survival, death, revenge, etc.
I also particularly like the film's theme of conquering one's own fear. It's a powerful message that's made considerably more powerful by it's delivery.
Highlights: Flint Sky's last words, "releasing" the prisoners, Jaguar Paw's rebirth as a hero, and the film's constant adrenaline rush!
Who Should See It: Action fans, Joseph Campbell fans, and anyone interested in one man's best guess regarding Mayan culture.
How Soon: Rent it anytime, you won't be sorry!
2 comments:
i was pretty hesitant to see this, like most people probably are, because of the mel gibson name attached. like you though, i heard so many good things about it that i had to give it a look on a pretty boring evening... i was completely blown away by what i saw! the story was great i thought, the action was practically constant, and jaguar paw was perfect as the victim-turned-hero... on top of that, the use of color in this film i thought was amazing.
I wondered if you'd like this one, almost mentioned it a few weeks ago. We'd heard absolutely nothing about it, as is usually the case if we haven't seen a movie reviewed on your own blog, and just found it in the the free pay-per-view. We LOVED it... surprising how much you can enjoy a movie when it's not even in your language. :) And the cultural stuff was fascinating of course... even if it had to be guessed and assumed by the writers along the way.
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