Apocalypto Movie Review

Mel Gibson is no stranger to success in the box office. Contrary to some recent reports, the Passion of the Christ is not the only movie Mel Gibson has made. He has also had success with Braveheart and Forever Young. Mel has also had tremendous success with movies in which he starred: the Lethal Weapon series, Mad Max series and even the surprise hit of 2000 that started the claymation revolution, Chicken Run.

Mel Gibson is also no stranger to overindulgent, dragged out, when-is-this-movie-going-to-end-because-I've-had-enough-gore-for-the-day movies. I came into this movie expecting a looooooong "epic" movie about the Mayans. That's exactly what I got. To qualify as a "Mel Gibson movie" these days, there are a few simple ingredients:

1. loooooooong and extended scenes that really don't add to the story, but are in the movie because Mel thinks he's just too awesome to have his work cut
2. lots of violence and people dying
3. lots of blood and gore
4. lots of explosions and pyrotechnics.

I'm sure fans of the movie would argue that those extended scenes were necessary to "tell the story" of the Mayans. But do you really want to sit in the theater any more than necessary? Save it for the Extended DVD version Mel...please.

Lots of violence and people dying is trademark Mel Gibson. Maybe it's the movies he picks or maybe Mel Gibson thinks that the violence and death are good things. Either way, these movies usually make a lot of money.

Another part of Mel Gibson's M.O. is excess blood and gore. This plethora of graphic violence will definitely placate the normal moviegoer. For example, I present to you a Spoiler!

Without spoiling too much, there is a scene in the movie where they are standing on the Mayan pyramids in the jungle and people are being sacrificed. The executioner chops off the head, displays it to the bloodlusted and frenzied crowd then lets it roll down about 5 stories of stairs.

End spoiler. Also, throughout the movie, many others were dying horrible deaths. Maybe Mel thought it was necessary. "Hey! That's how life was back then!" Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. No one really knows. Surely Mel is entitled to his own fantasy world, isn't he? An example of the bloody nature of Mel's fantasies results in another Spoiler!

During the main character's dream, he sees a man that looks like the dude from American Idol who sings Like a Virgin, and the man is holding something: his own pulsating heart in his hand. Kalima! Kalima!

End spoiler.

You may be asking, how did he pull off explosions and pyrotechnics in a mythical Mayan civilization? I don't know...he just does. Perhaps its because he's Mel Gibson!

Even after reading this rant, you will probably not change your mind about whether to watch the movie. Knowing what I know now about the movie, I would probably go watch it again. After all...a movie is meant to entertain, isn't it? I must admit...I was entertained...even if it was only for the second half.