The once popular Mel Gibson has been frequenting the news lately. I mention him not because of the recent headlines, but because of his underrated 2006 epic "Apocalypto."
When I say this film is awesome, I am not lying. "Apocalypto" is one of the most exciting films I have ever seen. You do not notice how involved you are in the film until you realize you are grasping a pillow for dear life and have somehow managed to move from a relaxing position to sitting on the edge of the couch.
That is exactly how I responded to this film. It is just so intoxicating that you find yourself immersed in the excitement.
"Apocalypto" follows a young man, Jaguar Paw, on a remarkable pursuit through the jungles of Central America. Jaguar Paw lives a harmonious existence in a small village with his pregnant wife and young son. This happy life comes tumbling down when a group of Mayan men attack and plunder the village. Those who are not massacred are taken as prisoners. Before Jaguar Paw is taken, he manages to hide his wife and son in an unsafe well.
After a perilous journey to the Mayan city, the prisoners discover they are to be sacrificed to the gods. Right before Jaguar Paw is about to be bludgeoned, he is miraculously saved. Just when he thinks he is safe from death, Jaguar Paw recognizes that he must escape his captors. Making it through their game of human darts, he manages to slip into the jungle. It is now a race against time as Jaguar Paw must make it back to his wife and child before the rain begins to fall and his enemies catch up with him.
If the film had focused entirely on being action-packed, it would not have resonated as well with me. Any story can have entertaining action in it, but if there is no solid storyline to ground it, it becomes a forgettable film. In "Apacalypto" the action becomes secondary. You become so engrossed in Jaguar Paw's emotional quest to save his family.
A script can make or break a film. You might have great actors and an amazing director, but if the script is bad, the whole movie is ruined. That is why the writers, Mel Gibson and Farhad Safinia, must be credited for creating the rarely successful feat of combining action with a stable storyline, which so many superhero movies fail at.
There are so many elements that make this film great. Although I cannot mention them all I would like to point out the incredible authenticity of the film. The film rightfully received three Oscar nominations for best makeup, best sound editing and best sound mixing. I'm still wondering why it did not receive any further nominations.
And did I mention this film is spoken in the ancient Mayan tongue? You become so absorbed by the story that reading the subtitles becomes second nature.
For anyone who enjoys action packed adventure films, rent this movie right away. If you are the kind of person who is skeptical about subtitles, or Mel Gibson, I beg you to please give it a chance.
While watching "Apocalypto," you feel as if you are on the same spellbinding adventure as Jaguar Paw — and once it is over you want to experience it all over again.
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