APOCALYPTO

I went to see Mel Gibson's new movie Apocalypto, and I was not disappointed. I didn't leave movie going "WOW!!! Another masterpiece by Mel," but, as I said, I was not disappointed.

(I will try to write this without spoilers)

First I have to ask... whats all the hype? I've heard or read several commentaries on the movie, and they all mention the extreme violence in the movie. Maybe I have been desensitized by other violent movies, but frankly, I didn't see it. Yes, there are some gruesome scenes at the sacrificial alter, but I've seen worse. Yes, there is fighting, and it is pretty graphic, but it is no more graphic than Saving Private Ryan; Flags of Our Fathers or any action movie that has bones protruding through skin etc... (Note *** Spoiler *** there are no bones protruding through skin in Apocalypto, except as jewlery.)

Apocalypto is an engaging take on the usual hero formula. The story is as old as stories can be, but that's not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, seeing the old story of the hero rising up against insurmountable odds in this setting makes it a bit more fun to watch. I don't know how well Gibson 'transports' us back into the time of the Mayans. The themes of the story are just too basic to our nature to make the movie feel 'alien.' Love, hate, fear... good vs. evil... the triumph of the underdog... are themes so deeply ingrained into our psyches that you almost don't need the subtitles to know whats being said. Indeed, in his interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gibson mentions that he would like to do a movie without dialogue. Apocalypto is the closest any movie could come to actually achieving that. To be honest, I would have liked to have seen it in the same language, but without the subtitles... but I think that only I an Mel would have enjoyed the movie in that case.
Apocalypto is a visually stunning movie. Gibson again proves that he can pay strict attention to detail, and that perfectionism should get Apocalypto at least a nomination for best costumes.
Apocalypto is an action flick. It is a 'guy movie,' but there is much more to the movie than just a chase through the jungle. The good thing is that it is not 'in your face.' You can go to this movie for the roller coaster ride of action or you can analyze the various 'messages' (which are outside the scope of this little post). Just as Moby Dick can be a story about a hunt for a whale or an analogy about man's struggle against God, Apocalypto can be enjoyed on multiple levels.
I enjoyed this movie, and I hope that movie-goers do not let Mel's recent acts of disorderly conduct keep them from seeing it. If anything, the main character, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) and his wife played by Dalia Hernandez give amazing debut performances that deserve to be seen without the stigma of their director's personal problems.