December 9th, 2006 by Brent
Apocalypto is set within the Mayan civilization, when a man named Jaguar Paw and his people are attacked and catured. Before capture, Jaguar Paw manages to lower his pregnant wife and child into a deep pit and safe from harm. He is then taken to a great Mayan city where the Mayan leaders perform human sacrifice to please the gods and for the good of the people. Through various events, Jaguar Paw soon finds himself racing to escape and save his wife, son, and unborn child before it's too late.
Using actors with minimal, if any acting experience, and the Mayan language, Mel Gibson's recreates a beautiful, but brutal world from human history. From my understanding the film is historically accurate for the most part, and it's truly amazing to see a film that would embrace this culture as the basis for it's story. Gibson draws comparisons between this Mayan civilization and the state of our civilization, but it is only hinted at, never beat over our heads.
For the most part, this film is an action and chase film, but there manages to be some great character development as well. We see Jaguar Paw develop from fearful to fearless and it provides for some brutal actions scenes. These scenes are violent and gory, which is on par with Gibson's other films. It's never unnecessary though, and in my opinion, it adds to the realism.
Gibson made headlines a couple of months ago with his drunken, anti-semite rant and I know that may cause some to avoid Apocalypto. If that is your feelings, I understand, but Apocalypto is a great film and I highly recommend it.
| Quick Review | |
|---|---|
| Plot/Storyline Pretty simple storyline, but provides for some great sequences. |
8 |
| Acting/Characters The actors with minimal experience, do a phenomenal job. We form a connection with the characters and witness Jaguar Paw's character develop. |
8.5 |
| Visuals/Sound The Mayan civilization recreated is a wonder to behold. Some effects are just 'ok', but overall a beautiful film. |
9 |
| Replay Not something you would watch all the time, but the action scenes and locale make this one worth watching again. |
8.5 |
| Overall Rating: | 8.5 |
| All scores are out of 10. Overall score is not an average. | |
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