Mar 22, 2001 06:35 PM
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When this movie was due for its cinematic release in the UK I heard nothing but bad reviews which ranged from moans about its complete disregard for history(how unusual for a Hollywood movie) to those who basically called it jingoistic cr*p. Hence I didn't bother going to see it, but decided instead to wait until it came out on video instead. But was it worth the wait?...
Well, YES! is the answer. OK, so its not the most stunning accurate account of history, nor is it the most believeable either, but it is an excellent piece of Hollywood fiction which makes for highly enjoyable viewing. However, once again Mel Gibson plays a man fighting against the oppressive miserable scum which constitute our ancestors, leading a band of stragglers to victory against overwhelming odds. The comparisons to Braveheart are somewhat remarkable here, and it appears at times that they have simply moved the location and changed costumes - otherwise it could be exactly the same movie. Instead of a motley bunch of Scotsmen, its a motley bunch of American's he leads against the British, once again not fighting 'fairly' but using guerilla tactics to win the day. In fact, were his character's name 'William Wallace' and not 'Benjamin Martin', we would not be too surprised. However, none of this detracts from the enjoyment, as I guess if you liked Braveheart then you'll like this.
The Plot
Set during the American Revolution, Gibson plays a farmer who lives on his land with his seven children. His wife has passed away and they are the only thing he has left, so when the war breaks out he, despite being a war hero, refuses to enlist because he has other responsibilities. However, the war comes to him and one of his children ends up dead at the hands of a evil British commander who delights in the act. Gibson swears his revenge(again Braveheart style) and joins the war alongside his oldest son who enlisted earlier aginst his wishes. He ends up in charge of a militia, comprised solely of badly trained(at first) farmers, shopkeepers etc. whose duty it is to hold back the advancing British army through guerilla tactics until French reinforcements arrive - a day which seems a long time coming.
Well the rest is kind of predictable and to be fair, I'm not going to say anything else because that would almost certainly spoil the film for you. Basically Gibson, kicks British B*tt again...
Characters
Mel Gibson is almost impossible to dislike(someone is bound to comment otherwise now...lol) and again here his performance wins you over. It is not necessary to believe in his character, it is just his presence which wins audiences over and again the same is true here. His son Gabriel played by Heath Ledger, is somewhat of an unconvincing character, but this is more down to some duff scripting than Isaacs' performance which is more than adequate, as is that of Tcheky Karyo(The Messenger) as the French general who fights alongside and trains the militia. Gibson's relationship with his son is seen to develop over the course of the movie but never really paddles in anything other than shallow waters.
Sadly, once again, the British army is portrayed as nothing more than a bunch of brainless characatures, but then its a Hollywood movie probably released in the US around the 4th July so what can you expect. The British generals are pompous, preening stereotypes and Jason Isaacs' (as the bad guy - Colonel Tavington) is simply so over the top that you wonder if pantomime season is close and fight back the urge to boo and hiss at his screen appearances.
Action Sequences
Well, all said and done, this is an action movie and therefore no one can really expect great scripts and faultless acting. Furthermore, the action sequences are excellent in the main, directed by an old hand in the form of Roland Emmerich(Independence Day and Godzilla - thankfully this movie is a few notches above these!). You are thrown right into the heart of 18th Century warfare, with all the blood, bayonets and canonballs flying around and its quite exhilarating. Of course there are the slow motion bits you would expect and the now seemingly obligatory 'flying-limb' scenes and the obligatory show-down with the bad guy, but the predictability of it all never really takes that much away from the enjoyment.
Overall
Well, its unoriginal, predictable, stereotypical, badly scripted, sickeningly patriotic and historically innacurate. It is also highly enjoyable, and great fun to watch and therefore I would have to recommend it in spite of these things.
