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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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zennier wrote: loyalfromlondon wrote: Mel's officially lost his shit.
D- Finally! 
Don't see your review up yet, zen...
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Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:23 pm |
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Shack
Devil's Advocate
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:30 am Posts: 40566
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B+
I agree that it never get's on to anything more than chase, chase, kill, blood, more chase, etc., and the screenplay is lacking as well as a lack of a respect for a lot of the characters, specifically the villainous ones who are mostly just brutes, but overall it is an incredibly fun and visceral movie, I liked it a lot. Probably the best use of pure gore and violence that I've seen in a while, fuck the Saw movies.
_________________Shack’s top 50 tv shows - viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90227
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Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:09 am |
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zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
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Liked it a lot more than I expected to. I didn't find it deep or important, but actually more of a thrill ride and an interesting look at a different culture. It's cool.
B
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Sat May 19, 2007 11:25 pm |
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matatonio
Teh Mexican
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:56 pm Posts: 26066 Location: In good ol' Mexico
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Ive always been fascinated with the Mayan Culture and i think Mel Gibson captured it perfectly. i very much loved this movie. Extremely well done, great performance by the actor and awesome make-up. Mel just doesnt disappoint.
A
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Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:14 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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Glad to see that some people are finally seeing this fantastic film...

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Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:38 am |
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Chris
life begins now
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:09 pm Posts: 6480 Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Dkmuto wrote: yoshue wrote: So it's good. Really good. Haunting, spooky, suspenseful, intriguing. And it's paced like a mother fucker. Tenacious D (the last movie I saw) was an hour shorter but felt twice as long.
Gibson's got a lot on his mind here, the trouble is that he doesn't know how to communicate it. This movie, like every one he's made prior, is a slave to every typical action genre cliche, the archetypes, etc. It's got sneering, gloating villains (with dialogue to match!), lots of vendettas being sworn, that inevitable third act when the hero turns the tables and we're all supposed to get turned-on(and do!) from the catharctic violent revenge being dished out, enough deus ex machinas to pad nine seasons of 24, etc. The dialogue and character motivations are straight out of a Charles Bronson movie. And it's all insanely frustrating because the movie is always on the verge of becoming something extraordinary. But it just can't make it.
I would ultimately describe it as an idea-filled, unsusal action film that can't help but be presented and told as a run-of-the-mill one. And it's Gibson's fault.
Those ititial attributes still apply, however. It's thrilling and rather thought-provoking and generally a good night at the movies.
You'll be squirming in your seat. I mean this in a good way. It's brutal, and absolutely relentless. Eagle wrote: This is a movie which comes very, very close to being a masterpiece, but is never able to make the leap.
Gibson does an amazing job and is one hell of a director, but he never finds a way to give this film a bigger purpose. The story he crafts was as engrossing as it was intense, but it fails to ever speak to something larger. In short, the movie wants to say something about culture, about Mayans, about us, but never quite decides what that something is. We know Gibson has something on his mind right from the start as he puts a brilliant quote which the movie never quite earns at the front of his film.
The shortcoming is an important one, and it will keep this film from being a masterpiece, but it can't stop it from being a hell of a good ride and a very well crafted movie.
B+ I think you guys hit the nail on the head. The film's a thrill ride; I was totally engrossed. But like Eagle said, the film speaks to nothing higher. The biggest far-reaching theme we really get is one scene at the end involving outside contact, but it's merely an afterthought in regards to what the film actually gives us thematically, that being... killing, killing, killing, Mayan culture, killing... death, killing. Not that I have a problem with those themes in particular. They kept me on the edge of my seat. And filmed so skillfully, it all becomes quite artsy. It's just obvious that Gibson is striving for something big here (take a look at the film's title), and he's not really successful. An exciting epic. But slight. B
I'm gonna have to echo these. It was stunningly beautiful to look at amazingly directed, but it seems like the entire movie was about killing and more killing, when it could and should have gone deeper. Oh well, it was a fun watch and totally worth 2+ hours.
B+
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Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:45 pm |
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Jiffylush
Aspiring Director
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:55 pm Posts: 47 Location: NC
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Zingaling wrote: Liked it a lot more than I expected to. I didn't find it deep or important, but actually more of a thrill ride and an interesting look at a different culture. It's cool.
B
I basically have the same review, I really enjoyed this movie even though I only picked up for the awesome PQ and AQ. Since I had such low expectations and had such a good time watching it I went for the ever coveted:
A-
Great work, fun movie, and I am generally not squeemish about violence so no issues for me.
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Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:28 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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 Re:
zennier wrote: loyalfromlondon wrote: Mel's officially lost his shit.
D- Finally!  Don't see your review up yet, zen...
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Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:06 am |
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stuffp
Keeping it Light
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 am Posts: 11640 Location: Bright Falls
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 Re: Apocalypto
This was intense. Great movie, it feels very authentic, well acted. The score is perfect, and each and every scene really takes you in. The scale of the movie did disappoint me a little bit, as I was hoping for grander reveals about the then indigenous life, and the downfall of it. The key-in with the Spanish conquest was totally unexpected for me, and I did love that part as a closing of the story. There's many impressive segments in the film, I love how I was slowly sucked in from a casual boar hunt, to being at the edge of my seat during the hunt of Jaguar Saw. The movie definitely didn't feel like +2 hours at all, as it moves through the gripping story ferociously. The film is brilliant, and I hope Gibson gets the chance to direct more again, because there aren't many better than him.
A
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Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:25 am |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 68359
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 Re: Apocalypto
Glad you finally saw it. It's a fucking masterpiece.
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Sun Jul 05, 2015 6:04 am |
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