I have to respectfully disagree with the reviewer who was trying to minimize the violence of this movie as not more than most action films. The reviewer had asserted that the descriptions of "brutallay violent," "sadistic barbarity," and "unrelenting violence" were inaccurate. Well, it's more than that......in fact, I would say that it takes barbarous violence to a whole new level.....but, what would you expect from a movie that is about human sacrifice and village plundering!!! A Disney movie about a Native American, this movie is not! The difference between this movie and say a movie like Saw is that Saw uses needless violence just to titillate audiences, this movie takes you back in time and you shows you what it was like, blood and all. I've always hated movies that go back to a historical event and wimps out by not showing how bloodthirsty and cruel a certain ritual was--somehow trying to sugarcoat the ugly parts of history.
I admit that I didn't like the first 45 minutes of this movie...in fact, I was thinking "oh. oh. this looks like a dud." But, something happened when the movie moves to the incredible Mayan Civilization. The incredible majesty of the tower, the exotic looks of the people with face tattoos, brightly colored dress, and menacing piercings is a sight to behold. Whoever did the casting should get a pat on the back because the faces were very convincing. It felt like you were watching Mayan people rather than out of work actors from Central Casting Extra agency. At that point in the movie, you feel like you are transported back in time to this period and watching the real thing..... when the people are lined up to be the next human sacrifice, you can feel the fear. From there, you are taken on a pulse-pounding ride that never lets up. I kept thinking "wow" wished I had watched this in the theaters instead of on DVD. It's incredible. Nothing was cookie-cutter. Nothing was pandering. Gibson and his DP showed some of the most creative ways to film back to back action sequences while not making it redundant like some of the Matrix sequels. Obviously, Mel Gibson has some demons and I did not appreciate his recent remarks, but I just can't deny his work. This was a masterpiece and one that I didn't even expect to find. I expected something good, but it totally blew me away. I really hope that more movies are made about this civilization. It's really fascinating. I was always intrigued when reading about this period and would love to see more movies like Apocalypto.
I admit that I didn't like the first 45 minutes of this movie...in fact, I was thinking "oh. oh. this looks like a dud." But, something happened when the movie moves to the incredible Mayan Civilization. The incredible majesty of the tower, the exotic looks of the people with face tattoos, brightly colored dress, and menacing piercings is a sight to behold. Whoever did the casting should get a pat on the back because the faces were very convincing. It felt like you were watching Mayan people rather than out of work actors from Central Casting Extra agency. At that point in the movie, you feel like you are transported back in time to this period and watching the real thing..... when the people are lined up to be the next human sacrifice, you can feel the fear. From there, you are taken on a pulse-pounding ride that never lets up. I kept thinking "wow" wished I had watched this in the theaters instead of on DVD. It's incredible. Nothing was cookie-cutter. Nothing was pandering. Gibson and his DP showed some of the most creative ways to film back to back action sequences while not making it redundant like some of the Matrix sequels. Obviously, Mel Gibson has some demons and I did not appreciate his recent remarks, but I just can't deny his work. This was a masterpiece and one that I didn't even expect to find. I expected something good, but it totally blew me away. I really hope that more movies are made about this civilization. It's really fascinating. I was always intrigued when reading about this period and would love to see more movies like Apocalypto.