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Mel Gibson's Apocalypto . . . no idea what Apocalypto means, but we’re pretty sure it’s not Jewish!
In true Mel Gibson fashion, he brings us another enormous and amazing production. This time the movie is set a long, long time ago in the days when the Mayan empire ruled. The kings believed to please the Gods they had to build better and bigger temples and make human sacrifices. To do this, they raided smaller and weaker villages and slaughtered those they didn’t need for slave labor or to sacrifice. One man’s (Rudy Youngblood) village was destroyed, but before he is taken captive, he hides his wife and son. He will now do anything it takes to return to his family to save them before they die. What he doesn’t know is that he can’t escape his fate and the role that he is destined to play, as told by the prophecies, leading to the end of their great civilization.
Apocalypto is definitely different, but probably not as different as the previews would lead you to believe. You expect it to be very spiritual and abstract, and there's definitely some of that; but, there's also that very typical good guy versus bad guy element - a big piece of this movie was like "Rambo goes native!" And, it's all done exceptionally well . . . great acting; great directing; and a good, tight, thrilling story with profound themes. Even some harsh brutality and subtitles work in this movie. Plus, the movie is really "epic" in a way, in that Mel Gibson does an incredible job recreating an entire ancient civilization onscreen.
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