ingmarbeldman-753-927212 It's not my type of movie but i have to admit that the production design, costumes, acting, directing and editing is top notch. The lack of a solid story, real drama, however, is taking away a lot of the actual selling-point of this film: the philosophical ideas on the rise and fall of cultures and the underlying reasons for that. Now it's a lot of action sequences (and by god, they are executed brilliantly) and there is left only a presumption, a glimpse, of the masterpiece it could have been; being a film where superb action-drama would have gone hand in hand with an unusual and daring idea on the necessity of the fall of cultures.Nevertheless.. what a treat!

sergelamarche Pretty well done adventure with a story that can almost be believed. There are quite a few things that I don't believe are accurate but are holding on because they don't impede the story. A story of survival. The first part with the taking of prisoners reminded me of the Mohawks. They were like that.

CinemaClown From the director of Braveheart & The Passion of the Christ comes another brutal & barbaric period piece, this time bringing the rituals, traditions & horrors of the Mayan civilisation to cinematic life in meticulous detail & cut-throat intensity. An epic adventure that scores high marks in all aspects, Apocalypto is another instant classic from Mel Gibson.The story of Apocalypto follows a Mesoamerican hunter whose peaceful tribe is raided by an invading clan. Held captive along with his tribesmen, his people are taken to the raiders' city where some of them are sold as slaves while others are sacrificed to appease their gods. Spared from being beheaded due to an eclipse, he puts up a fight for survival against his oppressors.Co-written & directed by Mel Gibson, Apocalypto employs ancient languages of its setting for dialogues just like his previous feature and the attention to detail evident in every aspect of the depicted ancient culture is absolutely staggering. The storyline is no different from the norm and even packs a few genre clichés but it is a consistently intense & engaging ride for the most part.The era-specific set pieces are a result of extensive research and the well chosen shooting locations helps take the viewers back to the bygone era. Camerawork is kinetic throughout, and its smart manoeuvring & well-timed slow-mo shots give an added intensity to its drama. Editing is bit patchy at first but improves as plot progresses, and its 138 minutes flies by real quick once things get moving.Coming to the performances, the indigenous cast play their respective roles with finesse, leaving not much to complain about. Though not invested in the journey at first, our protagonist eventually manages to make us root for him. As for the violence the film has in store, it's extreme, unadulterated & disturbing to watch. The human sacrifice sequence in particular is graphic, horrifying & shocking.On an overall scale, Apocalypto is another viscerally powerful & downright epic adventure that finds Mel Gibson in prime form and is undeniably one of his best directorial efforts. Once the plot is set into motion, the film never loses its focus and remains entertaining till the end. A testament to Gibson's singular talent for spectacle & his precision eye for detail, Apocalypto is one memorable cinematic experience you cannot afford to miss. Thoroughly recommended.

FeinMess It's a shame some movies aren't judged simply on their own merit, if that were the case, I believe this movie would be regarded much differently. This is a masterpiece, original, and a well-directed epic piece of work. Although it does receive a high IMDB rating of 7.8, it most certainly should have been more well-received and better represented at the Academy Awards and all other awards for that year. I am NOT a Mel Gibson sympathizer and am not aligned with his political views or his anti-Semitic leanings, both of which I believe negatively impacted this movie's chances at the Academy Awards. This film should have been nominated for more than just the three nominal awards it did receive. In addition to those three, it most certainly should have been nominated for Best Movie, Best Director, and Best Editing while the omission of any acting nominations is also conspicuous. Raoul Trujillo, Gerardo Taracena, and Rudy Youngblood all gave absolutely top notch performances, most noticeably Trujillo and Taracena whose menacing and antagonistic characters were extremely believable and convincing.