Customer Reviews

Apocalypto [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(332)
4 star:		(126)
3 star:		(48)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(40)

 

 

Even with all the controversy surrounding Mel Gibson last year (and doesn't it seem as if each new week brings another celebrity meltdown?), I still looked forward to seeing "Apocalypto." Why? If for no other reason--the subject matter, subtitles, and lack of star power made it a bold choice for a major studio release. Films of this nature generally go into limited distribution to develop an audience and critical word of mouth before expanding, if they ever do. But with Gibson at the helm, "Apocalypto" debuted with much fanfare and backing just in time to be considered for 2006's Academy Awards. For some reason, though, I still missed "Apocalypto" at the theaters. I have heard every description imaginable from those that have seen the film--from the "best movie ever" to "excessively violent and disturbing." And while I wouldn't go to either of those extremes, "Apocalypto" is certainly an accomplished adventure picture.

Set in ancient Mayan times, "Apocalypto" is essentially the harrowing journey of one man, a youth named Jaguar Paw (a convincing Rudy Youngblood). Living a simple and isolated existence, his tribe are very at home within the forest. One day, the unthinkable happens. They are attacked by another group with apparent intentions of enslaving whomever they don't kill. Youngblood's wife and son are stranded in an underground well, many others are murdered, and Youngblood is among a dozen or so who are rounded up and marched out in bondage. The subsequent journey leads to a fantastical temple sequence, where it becomes clear that the prisoners are not to become slaves--but sacrifices. The remainder of the film deals with how Youngblood can escape this situation. The temple scenes feature a cast of thousands, ritualistic and brutal slayings, and a mob mania that is terrifying and believable. Racing against the clock to save his wife, Youngblood must escape back through the jungle--where all he has to help him are his cunning and an almost spiritual connection to his surroundings. The action is practically nonstop, it's inventive, and it is beautifully staged. Much of "Apocalypto," therefore, is absolutely riveting and wildly entertaining.

For the purists who will debate the film's historical accuracy, I will neither deny or confirm the legitimacy of the events that transpire within "Apocalypto." While there do seem to be some liberties taken with the historical timeline (as evidenced by a surprise in the ending--which I enjoyed despite its implausibility), I really don't think that this film aspires to be a "historical document." Gibson has made an adventure story using a Mayan backdrop. The feel and look of his picture stay as valid as possible to the timeframe, however, I never interpreted this picture as a "true" story. Guess what? Fictional liberties are taken in every motion picture. Otherwise every motion picture would be a documentary--and even documentaries have an angle or slant which make them less than "true" in many cases. "Apocalypto," at heart, is an effective action picture that makes interesting use of its Mayan setting.

I guess "Apocalypto" is not for the squeamish--however, the violence depicted is by no means unusual by modern film standards. You can see much worse in today's "torture" cinema, those films that pass for horror with current audiences. I suppose what makes "Apocalypto" more vivid is that the violence is in a believable context. There are some beheadings and some hunting scenes, but the brutality is intrinsic to the story "Apocalypto" is telling. I don't believe serious minded filmgoers will be put off by seeing some savagery depicted in a film about ancient Mayan cultures--it's not as if this is a Merchant/Ivory production with tea parties and witty banter.

I do recommend "Apocalypto." Beautifully filmed, the technical merits of the film are beyond reproach. The cinematography, score, and editing all enhance this exciting tale. I imagine these elements really shone bright for those who saw this on the big screen. A great action picture that is for adults--check it out. KGHarris, 03/07.

A welcome change of pace for us who feel Hollywood keeps making the same picture over and over again. The first part of this film is the most unconventional but also hard to endure as only bad things seem to happen to the characters but once Act II arrives and the chase begins, grab on !. I can't remmember the last time a film had my stomach in knotts like this one.
Some people here in Mexico have complained about the film's historical accuracy since by the time the Spanish arrived in America, the Mayan civilization had already been taken over by other groups. In any case, Hollywood films are not the best way to learn about history.
When Braveheart came out over 10 years ago I remmember a friend telling me: "who would have thought Mel Gibson was a real director", 2 films later he keeps surprising me with his directing skills. It's too bad the public has let themselves be convinced by the media that he's the most evil person to ever come out of Hollywood which is absurd. I guess they feel the more they discredit him the more they discredit "The Passion of the Christ".
Great work Mel !

Apocalypto is a story about a Mayan man's, Jaguar Paw, epic journey. His peaceful, content village is attacked by a superior tribe and his people are slaughtered and enslaved. He escapes and has to deal with great obstacles while trying to race back to save his wife and child.

When I first heard what this was about and saw the trailer I feared that Mr. Gibson was losing his touch. The movie looked plain boring.

I can't remember the last time I have been so wrong.

I work for a production company that made a film with Mr. Gibson in the past and decided to write him to share how I felt about his work. Below is a copy of the letter I sent him:

"Dear Mr. Gibson,

I am writing to tell you how beautiful and powerful I think Apocalypto is. I first saw it one month ago and have seen it four more times since. I believe it is one of the best films ever made.

The story was magnificently crafted with characters and emotions I found I could easily relate to. It triggered emotions within me as I watched. I laughed hard with the characters. And I felt their fear, pain, hatred, love and desire. The gaps (between expectation and reality) were opened wider than in any movie I've seen in a very long time. My mind throbbed with contemplation when the old story teller told his people of how man took until the Earth had nothing left to give. I grew uneasy as I realized the similarities between the Mayan narcissism and that of great civilizations since, especially our (America's) own.

The epic chase was powerful and cerebral. Jaguar Paw's exhaustion and need was palpable. It is the greatest chase ever - better than The Fugitive.

The cinematography was bold and vibrant. When combined with the powerful sound and fantastic casting, the story took hold of me from the opening scene right through to the credits.

Mr. Gibson, you have become one of my favorite directors. You now have two films on my short, all-time-favorite-movies list, which includes American Beauty, Braveheart, Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction and RKO 281. Apocalypto not only entertains, it evokes strong emotion and inspires soulful contemplation. Apocalypto is a true masterpiece. You are a master storyteller.

Sincerely,
[Scrutinizing Consumer]"

Since others have focused on the movie itself, I ask you to read their reviews for a review of the content. I want to focus on the quality of the encode instead.

For a short review of the film, I will say that it is action packed and nicely done, though I found the story slightly sparse; like the action took precedence over story.

It's also pretty violent in places, which is fine by me, but may not be everyone's cup of tea.

As far as the disc is concerned, the Blu-Ray presentation is phenomenal.

For video encoding Buena Vista chose to use the AVC/MPEG4 format. The encode is what you'd expect from HD; crisp and clear. There are no compression issues or any other perceptible visual anomalies present. It just looks darn good! The only real issue is the use of different film stocks. What you have is more grain in some areas due to the use of certain film stocks, while in others you have crisp clarity. This is as the movie is supposed to be presented, but if you don't realize why the change in "quality" it can be a bit confusing.

As far as audio is concerned, I commend Mel Gibson for his use of authentic languages on his films. The LPCM 5.1 audio (uncompressed) is absolutely clear and problem free. The channels have good separation when needed and it works really well in the Mayan language. There is also a more compatible Dolby Digital 5.1 track, listed as English, though this is not the case. There is only the Mayan language available on this release; no English language dub. You have to watch with subtitles, so if subtitles aren't your thing, look elsewhere.

Extras are presented in standard DVD resolution (480p). This is somewhat disappointing, but my guess is that the footage was shot on digital and not digital HD equipment. Hopefully in the future companies will record things in HD and present the entire package, not just the film, in HD. The film is what really matters, but standard def extras are slightly disappointing.

Over all I am happy with this release. The movie itself was good, but not "great" for me, while the technical aspects make the Blu-Ray presentation shine.

Apocalypto `s main merit resides in the original treatment which received this story placed in the Maya era. The film was planned according the classic patterns of a symphony of just three movements. The First one is the warmth Adagio where the viewer realizes the rituals and customs of a pacific tribe, and a casual encounter with a foreign tribe, the second movement has to do with the violent scenes of fight and defeat of the pacific tribe, whose leader: "Jaguar paw" will undertake the epic challenge to survive along the dynamic final movement And through the first two movements everything is OK, but the febrile human chase along the last third of movie is what it deserves the jewel of the crown. Shocking sequences and chilling fact will happen that will hold fixed to your seat. Gibson recreates the hero's journey with absolute realism with some commercial concessions here and there, that don't avoid the spectacular dynamic of the movie.

Go for this one!

Mel Gibson does it yet again - bigger and better!

Whether you love him or hate him, obviously the vast majority rule that Mel Gibson can not only act, but direct movies with the best of them. The tale of the tail tells all.

Hoo-hum Box Office sales, but the lead in DVD sales. That's with no doubt due to his ranting and subsequent arrest. But overlying all of this is the absolute high quality of storytelling and savage beauty he can lend to a film. This is without a doubt one of the best films ever made.

Filled with such raw beauty and savage violence, Gibson is smart enough to balance it with showing the love and caring his characters evoke. Not just rely on great action seqeunces, or special effects. The downfall of many a director.

This movie shines beautifully on my 65-inch HD T.V. Better than the theater. If you don't own a huge HD TV, then you must purchase one to get the full effect of such awesome filmed movies.

A must have for your library.

The Mayan Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) gets caught up in a late pre-Columbian (or early Columbian, depending on whose ships those are at the end of the movie) political, religious and social conflict that requires him to survive his village being sacked, being carried away captive, almost sacrificed to a false god, and run for his life while fighting a pack of bloodthirsty warriors in a cross-country obstacle course that combines the best of "The Most Dangerous Game" and First Blood.

There's lots of Braveheart-type directing in this movie, which means people yelling and waving blunt weapons as they run, slow-mo, directly toward the camera. There's lots of hand-to-hand combat that doesn't spare the viewer any gory details. If you happen to like that type of directing and action -- I know *I* do -- then this is a great movie for you. Cinematography is superb, sets are lavish, and everyone is in top form. It's just a well-crafted picture, top to bottom.

One other thing. For me, the subtext of this movie was not so much about the ending of one world -- an apocalypse -- by invasion from another. The subtext is also not about how morally decayed civilizations are ripe for destruction from outside. No, for me it's much more personal. This is something I would've missed when I was younger but is obvious now. The most important subtext of this movie is "What would you do for your family"? The answer is, of course, Anything.

Mel Gibson is obviously a controversial filmmaker. It is nearly impossible to avoid addressing that here but I'm going to try really hard. Suffice to say, Apocalypto is a very violent and brutal film that portrays the Mayan civilization in a way that troubles some Anthropologists. None of that really matters to most viewers though and I'm here to tell you that most viewers will find that this movie is about as intense and compelling as you can get.

Apocalypto is two kinds of action sub-genres mended together in an amazing setting that most viewers will find authentic. It is an action chase film smattered with revenge elements typical of a Gibson movie. Apocalypto opens like Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, with no credits and instead a quotation alluding to the theme of a civilization in decline. The quote is from historian Will Durant and states: "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." The civilization in this movie is the ancient Mayan civilization and there is a genuine attempt at convincing the audience we are watching from a time machine. Again, like The Passion of the Christ, Gibson refuses to use English and instead goes with Yucatec Mayan, which may or may not be exactly what these people spoke but I have to applaud Gibson for doing this. I can tell you one thing, it hooked me in a lot more than English would have and helped me delve a little deeper and go back in time a little more efficiently than most historical depictions by a long shot. I didn't need my imagination at all. I can't say enough about Gibson's ability to get his audience into the hearts and minds of his characters and their settings. We also get a relatively unknown but talented cast of Native Americans, which itself serves to accentuate the film's authenticity as we have no prior references to the actors' faces.

Apocalypto, in perspective, runs as a political parallel and comments on a civilization in decline. However, like most action films, it focuses on one protagonist as we root for his survival and safe resolution to his goals. His name is Jaguar Paw and he is a Mayan man with a young son and a pregnant wife. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that he ends up having an improbably horrendous few days. He and his friends get a good look at how the Mayan civilization is in decline from greed, disease, self-destruction, failed crops, slavery and of course human sacrifice...you will not forget the human sacrifice. This is hell on Earth but Jaguar Paw is up to the task and I couldn't help but root for him out loud on various occasions as I watched. That alone praises the film's passion. I bought into this movie entirely while watching it and it even prompted me to learn more and study the points of contention many people have with Gibson's depiction. A lot of movies that reference history can get folks thinking and whatever you may find in terms of truth, perhaps it is that provocation alone makes Apocalypto effective.

Just got my DVD copy today - almost a week before the official release. As far as Bonus Features, it has:
- Audio Commentary by Mel Gibson and Farhad Safinia (Co-Producer/Writer)
- Deleted scene (not worth the trouble - less than 40 seconds)
- Documentary: "Becoming Mayan: Creating Apocalypto" (25 minutes)
For specs, it has DTS 5.1 surround, DD 5.1 SS, Original Mayan Language track. Subtitles: English, French and Spanish. Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Fabulous movie. Great exotic locale (even language). Many critics complain about the historical inaccuracy of about 30-40 seconds (The landing of the Spaniards at the time of the Mayas - almost like a day of judgment) and disregard the remaining 130+ minutes. Do the math to see if it's worth complaining. Others, about the portrayal of Mayans as ruthless and bloodthirsty. It's a movie that portrays love of freedom, of life and family in face of evil aggression. Evil? How else would you call a culture so involved in human sacrifice? I wonder how some critics would react if they were on top of that pyramid with Jaguar Paw...

Being a historian, and living in Honduras for almost a decade teaching history at the university level, I have to say that Gibson shattered the noble savage myth of pre-Colombian civilizations. The cultural foundation of these post-Hispanic nations is very anti-Spaniard, and based on the anti-Spanish Black Legend, as well as Marxist materialism. So when I went to see Apocalypto, I was not disappointed at the presentation of pre-Colombian America. Actually, it was more cruel, goryer, and more macabre than what Gibson portrayed! He was very mild.

When the Spaniards came, there was the question whether the inhabitants were actually human and rather demons, for what they saw and experienced went betond the realm of the worst imagination. The cruelty of the conquest stems from this source, which was settled during the Sepulveda/Las Casas debates, where it was acknowledged that Indians were not demons or demonic but human beings in need of salvation and conversion to Catholicism.

Gibson's film is not a historical film, and not a PC one either (that is evident, thank God)but shows, to the best of his directorial ability, a historical period for what it was -- civilizations that were in a moral decline beyond repair at the arrival of the Spaniards. Mexicans and Latin American marxists and materialists can scream and shout, but the truth hurts.