Caught Apocalypto last night...

[Surfah]

I actually really liked it. Lots of blood. Lots of violence. Lots of cimeters and obsidian blades. Lots of boobies of the National Geographic variety. Lots of creative liberty. The subtitles didn't distract. It has a Last of the Mohicans type feel and it is quite humorous in some parts. The pace was nice too and moved surprisingly fast for all subtitles. I received a text about 2 hours into the movie and couldn't believe that the time had passed so quickly when I glanced at my cell phone.

And yes, if there ever was a legit Book of Mormon movie made it would be rated R.

[il Padrino Ute]

Perhaps I should see it, but the problem for me is my northeast US education has limited my ability to read subtitles and watch the movie at the same time.

[YOhio]

I saw it last night as well and after that movie, I will never eat boar testicles again!

I thought it was a good movie, pretty intense. What I enjoyed more than the movie was the group of African-American youngsters sitting nearby that kept shouting, "Oh mah Gawwwwt!" after anything gruesome, which was about every three seconds.

I also enjoyed reading the Wikipedia summary after I got home and read about how upset various professors of Mayan history were at the historical liberties Gibson apparantly took. One of them was upset because she felt that Gibson was trying to create racism towards Mayans. Apparantly that's his plan, first the Brits, then the Jews, now the Mayans.

If you like action, blood, violence, blood, gore, blood, human sacrifice, blood, and natural childbirthing, then it's a good way to spend a couple of hours.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by YOhio

I saw it last night as well and after that movie, I will never eat boar testicles again!

I thought it was a good movie, pretty intense. What I enjoyed more than the movie was the group of African-American youngsters sitting nearby that kept shouting, "Oh mah Gawwwwt!" after anything gruesome, which was about every three seconds.

I also enjoyed reading the Wikipedia summary after I got home and read about how upset various professors of Mayan history were at the historical liberties Gibson apparantly took. One of them was upset because she felt that Gibson was trying to create racism towards Mayans. Apparantly that's his plan, first the Brits, then the Jews, now the Mayans.

If you like action, blood, violence, blood, gore, blood, human sacrifice, blood, and natural childbirthing, then it's a good way to spend a couple of hours.

Mel Gibson is like Bobby Knight or how I used to think of John MacEnroe--a brilliant asshole. Still, I hated (hate is not too strong a word) that one he made about the American Revolution.

[SoCalCoug]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Mel Gibson is like Bobby Knight or how I used to think of John MacEnroe--a brilliant asshole. Still, I hated (hate is not too strong a word) that one he made about the American Revolution.

I'm curious - why?

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Mel Gibson is like Bobby Knight or how I used to think of John MacEnroe--a brilliant asshole. Still, I hated (hate is not too strong a word) that one he made about the American Revolution.

I thought The Patriot was ok, but it wouldn't be on my list of 10 favorite Gibson films.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Mel Gibson is like Bobby Knight or how I used to think of John MacEnroe--a brilliant asshole. Still, I hated (hate is not too strong a word) that one he made about the American Revolution.

I thought Patriot was a fine movie. Plus, after watching it, I don't need to read books (ugh) about the Revolutionary War. Considering your distaste for the film, you will be pleased to know that when the movie came out, the brother of the Deseret Morning News new editor, Congressman Chris Cannon, said something to the effect that every Utahn should watch the Patriot. He caught a lot of heat for that couragous statement because it was rated R.

Seriously though, what's your problem with the Patriot? If you don't like the Patriot, he has a different movie you'd be sure to like, "What Woman Want."

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Mel Gibson is like Bobby Knight or how I used to think of John MacEnroe--a brilliant asshole. Still, I hated (hate is not too strong a word) that one he made about the American Revolution.

I liked the Patriot, but then again, I'm a sucker for flag waving, "America, F--- Yeah" type movies. I really liked We Were Soldiers.

[SeattleUte]

My primary problem was the type of thing that Gibson's films have taken a lot of heat for lately, and I identified it way back when it came out. His demonization of the British was outlandish and unhistorical. He portrayed them as much like Nazis. There's no evidence they did anything like herd civilians including children into a church, nailed the doors shut and set it on fire. The British colonization of America was characterized by benighn neglect. They also taught us about representative government. There's a strong case to be made that all they wanted was the American colonies to pay their fair share of winning the French and Indian war, for the substantial infrastructure the British contributed, and to keeping the shipping lanes safe. If anything they fought the war with insufficient brutality if they planned to win it. There's nothing wrong with poetic license. Ben-Hur is one of my favorite movies all time. But I think in a historical epic something like the essential moral character of the villain country needs to be defensible from a historical perspective. Across the arc of world history the British are by and large among history's foremost "good guys." Gibson's hatreds run deep and this movie was a manifestataion of a vein of such hatred.

Also, I thought the movie was poorly written. A lot of silly, cheesy modern turns of phrases like, "Sounds good!"

[SoCalCoug]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Across the arc of world history the British are by and large among history's foremost "good guys."

I would avoid asking this question of the "Moors."

Your version doesn't really make for a good movie, though, does it?