Apocalypto [Blu-ray]

Apocalypto [Blu-ray]
by Mel Gibson

Apocalypto [Blu-ray]

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Dalia Hernández, Gerardo Taracena, Jonathan Brewer, Raoul Trujillo, Rudy Youngblood
Director: Mel Gibson
Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
Producer: Mel Gibson
Writer: Mel Gibson
Producer: Bruce Davey
Producer: Farhad Safinia
Writer: Farhad Safinia
Producer: Ned Dowd
Producer: Sergio Miranda
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: Multilingual (Unknown); English (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 139 minutes
Published: 2007-05-01
Blu-ray Release Date: 2007-05-22
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment
Product features:

From Mel Gibson, director of the Academy Award(R)-winning BRAVEHEART (Best Director, Best Picture, 1995), comes APOCALYPTO, the thrilling historical epic that will shock and awe you as never before on Blu-ray Disc. Dubbed "totally mesmerizing" by "Dark Horizons," this adrenaline-drenched action-adventure reaches new levels of intensity in this extraordinary format. In the twilight of the mysteriou

Movie Reviews of Apocalypto [Blu-ray]

Movie Review: Mad Max and the Temple of Doom
Summary: 5 Stars

It cannot be altogether a coincidence that only two weeks elapsed between my viewing "10,000 BC" and "Apocalypto". Both films tell essentially the same story, but the former is cheap, shallow stuff from a hack director, while the latter is a highly skilled and emotionally involving entertainment. (It is perhaps significant that Emmerich relies heavily on models and CGI, while Gibson uses mostly practical effects, turning to CGI when it's the only way something can be done.) It is especially notable that, though Gibson's direction is almost free of any sort of sentimentality, we completely identify with the "good" characters, whereas Emmerich is clichéd, hokey, and largely uninvolving.

Other than being a rousing (and unbelievably brutal) adventure story, it's hard to discern Mel Gibson's perspective. Is he attacking modern American materialism? Is he justifying the subjugation of the aboriginal peoples by the Spanish (if only because it ended human sacrifice)? Does he feel that the Mayan civilization /would not/ have been overthrown if it had not been so deeply involved in human sacrifice? * Is he suggesting that it is America's destiny and/or obligation to rule the world? ** Is he advocating a pagan lifestyle that is close to nature and far from the Christian church? The latter might seem strange coming from a conservative Catholic, but "Apocalypto" can indeed be interpreted that way. It is perhaps all these things -- or none of them.

Gibson appears to be using "apocalypse" in its original sense -- a prophecy or revelation. Though there are prophecies and revelations throughout the film, the full intent becomes clear only in the last minute, not unlike "Signs". If nothing else, Gibson is searching for a sense that what happens on this plane of existance has purpose and meaning.

Though "Apocalypto" is rightly rated R for its graphic brutality, it would not be inappropriate for older teens. It is a kind of insane "travelogue" that places the viewer in a largely unfamiliar environment, to exit with the feeling that one's life has been altered (if only slightly) by an experience that most humans are fortunate never to pass through. It's for this reason that I've rated "Apocalypto" five stars.

PS: Contrary to what one poster wrote, the Mayan civilization continued up until the arrival of the Spanish. (There was, however, a general broad decline 700 years earlier.) If one wishes to dump on Mel Gibson, one might consider his lack of knowledge of basic astronomy. I leave it for viewers to spot the horrendous error.

* The film's "title quote" is to the effect that a great civilization cannot be conquered from without unless it has destroyed itself from within. This is ascribed (quaintly) to "W. Durant" -- ie, Will Durant, the co-author of "The Story of Civilization", the mini-library that rests in the home of almost everyone who ever belonged to the Book of the Month Club. I've had mine 40 years, and have hardly /begun/ reading it.

** One gets this sense from the Mayan priest's speech.

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Summary of Apocalypto [Blu-ray]

From Mel Gibson, director of The Passion Of The Christ and the Academy Award® winning Braveheart (Best Director, Best Picture, 1995) comes the thrilling historical epic Apocalypto. This intense, nonstop action-adventure transports you to an ancient South American civilization, for an experience unlike anything you?ve ever known. In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan culture, young Jaguar Paw is captured and taken to the great Mayan city where he faces a harrowing end. Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an adrenaline-soaked, heart-racing escape to rescue them and ultimately save his way of life. Filled with unrelenting action and stunning cinematography, Apocalypto is an enthralling and unforgettable film experience.

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