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Apocalypto 2006
Very naughty boy Mel Gibson’s latest is a violent, epic, action/adventure flick, not short on history and musings on civilization. You know the kind. Whilst some have shouted 'exploitation', certainly no other film in recent memory resembles this.
It chronicles a man’s journey during the times of the Mayan Civilization (Native Americans) - around the same time Columbus was discovering the Americas. The man's idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, and he is taken on a perilous journey. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life. Following his most recent The Passion Of Christ, Mel’s quest for authenticity sees Apocalypto spoken in the ancient Maya language and stars a cast of unknown Mexican & Native American actors.
Good ol’ Wikipaedia says of these people: "noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, its spectacular art and monumental architecture, and sophisticated mathematical and astronomical systems."
Starring Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Shelby Young
Directed by Mel Gibson ('The Passion Of The Christ', 'Braveheart')
Written by Mel Gibson, Farhad Safinia
Drama, Adventure, Action | 2hr 20mins | Rated (R16) | contains graphic violence | Origin: USA
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The Peoples voice
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A chase movie I could enjoy
5
I was loathe to watch this because I'd heard it was half a chase movie. I envisaged another Last of the Mohicans but found two main differences:
mesmerizing cinematography with lush colours, complex scenes, and fascinating panoramas;
and a simple story.
The chase is 50 minutes of 120 minutes but I never lost interest.By Mark
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Astonishing
5
This is an amazing film. It is as athentic as it could possibly be.
It depicts the horror of the raids carried out by all of these ancient civilizations to secure an endless stream of human sacrifices.
This film speaks of the love, devotion, courage, and the inexhaustible human spirit when faced with near impossible odds.
It is an incredible film.
By Diane Ewertz
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Mel can do no wrong
5
Mel is positively saintly.
By Lem Nosbig
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A bit different!
4
I liked it very much. I would love to see more films set in the early days of Aztecs, Mayans and the like.
By Phil
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5
Phwoar! High-octane entertianment. True, it's a bit long but that anti-semite knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.
By Elle
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Savage yet entertaining, if a bit long.
4
By AH
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Good Fun!
4
Mad Mel seems to have made this movie (in part) to show gore and please himself. Even Mayan researchers have said themselves that Mad Mel over-does it by showing Mayans as bloodthirsty savages. This movie is like Hostel meets Indiana Jones.
While Hostel lacked class, Apocalypto is full of it, even when people are ripping of hearts off live humans. And the second half of the movie will get that adrenaline pumping! The chase sequence is one of the best filmed and is Good Fun!!
SO while Apocalypto might not be historically accurate (in depicting the Mayans as it does) its still a good movie. Well worth the expensive ticket price you pay these days!By Vince
Press Reviews
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BBC
4 4 out of 5 stars
The first hour, with its emphasis on suffering and high production values, is a bit of a trudge because Gibson - a master of overstatement - is never content to tickle your senses when he can boot you in the crotch. However, once the actual chase gets going, Apocalypto is outrageously entertaininng and thrillingly kinetic...
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Empire Magazine [UK]
3 3 out of 5 stars
Dextrous with the action-adventure elements but clumsy in its handling of the central message, Apocalypto is a strange but largely entertaining mix of action, bloodletting, chin-rubbing and arthouse trimmings...
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FilmThreat.com [USA]
Say what you want about Mel Gibson, but that sadomasochistic anti-Semite knows how to shoot a movie...
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NZ Herald
4 4 out of 5 stars
For the most part, Apocalypto is just a bloody great thriller set against a fascinating and vividly rendered ancient world...
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Rolling Stone [USA] (Peter Travers)
It's pure adrenaline -- a tremendously exciting chase movie, shot in Mexico, that just happens to be set in ancient Maya with dialogue spoken in Yucatec Maya, with English subtitles...
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Salon.com [USA]
A relentlessly gruesome, visually impressive and ultimately not very interesting movie with some pretensions to seriousness...
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Variety [USA]
Mel Gibson is always good for a surprise, and his latest is that Apocalypto is a remarkable film. Set in the waning days of the Mayan civilization, the picture provides a trip to a place one's never been before, offering hitherto unseen sights of exceptional vividness and power...
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