Apocalypto

TheAuthor · Site Admin Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 698

A Mel Gibson movie that I don't think anyone except your dad really saw.

"Apocalypto" is the story of a man (whose name you hear a maximum of 5 times in almost 3 hours) named Jaguar Paw who wakes up one day from his peaceful life in a Mayan tribe to the sounds of his village being torn apart by a more "advanced" tribe. He is forced to leave his child-burdened wife and his son when he is made a hostage, but he vows to return to them. He is taken to the city of this tribe, most likely a "civilized" and rich tribe with it's monuments built of stone and plaster and people adorned with paint and feathers. When he has a window of opportunity to run home to save his family, he takes it, but only after killing a warrior's son. Now he is chased back to his wrecked village and has to use the wilderness around him that he is familiar with to outsmart them.

At least...I think that's what it's about.

Really, the story plays more like real life, where there is no set goal or a happy-ever-after promise. We all KNOW what happens to the Maya and Aztecs after this movie. Hell, at the end, they see the Conquistadors arriving (no that's not a spoiler for anything).

I thought the acting was great, the violence was tolerable (since insufferable horror and torture I can't stand at all in action movies) and the story was good, where ever it was. This is the kind of historical fiction your dad (and mine) loves. It presents a time period realistically for the most part and shows just how freaking hard it was just to stay alive for 24 hours when you're surrounded by warring populaces.

I thought for a moment the hostage takers (the ones painted black and wearing feathers) were Aztecs, since they ruled most of Mexico before the Spaniards arrived, but they mentioned their god Kukulkan which is the Mayan name for Quetzalcoatl (and slightly different).

So if you want a movie where things seem crazy and real and harsh, but outstanding, go ahead and watch this movie. If you like life to be played out in chapters where the hero is only ever hurt when he needs to be, go back to Disney.

Wait, was this a Disney movie? Whatever.

TheAuthor · Site Admin Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 698

EDIT: I just realized the character in the photo is NOT the main character! It's actually one of the main bad guys. Go figure.