REVIEW: Apocalypto

Talk about a troubled beginning. Coming up to the release of his most bonkers movie yet for which he needed all the support he could muster, Mel gets drunk and spouts anti-semitism at a cop. Oh dear. Especially after the disasterous reception from the Jewish community for Passion of the Christ. Mel was in some serious hot water and rather than play to any nostalgic memories of him wisecracking his way through a film, he makes a violent epic entirely in the archaic Mayan language. Bravery and stupidity meeting and crashing into each other.

The reception is was bound the meet was always then likely to be a stumbling block but if anything, he delivered exactly what was needed. Apocalypto is by no means a masterpiece but is good enough to justify going to see it. Therefore, its not going to be sadly neglected but you needn't feel bad for not seeing it.

At times, its quite breathtaking cinema. Gibson creates a dead World with an eye for detail but retains his ability to create populist accessibility. The director himself described this as "one big chase scene" but he's underselling it slightly. Sure, the chase scene across the movies second half is breathless, perfectly constructed adventure cinema, both brutally violent and exhilaratingly exciting. But the scene-setting first hour manages to maintain the emotional roots this needs to rise above falling into the exploitative patterns of the awful Passion. Certainly this is far better movie-making, although occasionally it seems Gibson is taking a similar thematic route. This has been placed within the context of Passion and Braveheart as his 'Trial Trilogy', trying to teach modern society about the lessons the past can teach us. Those irksome moments spoil an otherwise exciting, pretty orthodox adventure movie.

No masterpiece but no embarassment, Gibson keeps himself just enough on track after a total personal disaster.

Film: Apocalypto
Director: Mel Gibson
Platt Rating: 7.5/10