Apocalypto

This one is a regular laugh riot. Mel Gibson gets things all bloody again for this chase movie set during the decline of the Mayan civilization. The Mayans were famous for sacrificing people by cutting open their chests, yanking out their hearts and showing the still beating organs to their victims. Not only does Gibson depict this, he gives us a POV shot. Sick! The main storyline involves a hunter named Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) who is captured and slated for sacrifice. When he manages to break free, he attempts a return to his wife and child, with evil warriors in hot pursuit. The chase scene is good filmmaking, even though it gets a bit ridiculous at times. (When a panther ripped a guy’s face off, I just started laughing.) I enjoyed this film but only because I viewed it as a horror pic rather than an insightful look into history. Gibson knows how to make a beautiful-looking movie, but enough with the hardcore violence already. We know man is inherently violent! Man can also be like a teddy bear, so if Mel really wants to impress, he needs to make a soul-searching, cuddly film about puppies or something.