Rating: 
Summary: Good DVD, Historically Garbage
Review: The DVD itself is well done, but the story is completely historically inaccurate, which I disliked. Plenty of extra features, great soundtrack and visuals.
Rating: 
Summary: Braveheart fights in the Revolutionary War
Review: I went into this movie with high expectations, very high, maybe too high. Needless to say I was VERY, VERY, VERY disappointed. Visually stunning, nice special effects, some excellent combat scenes, cannot over come the movies major shortcomings. The worst being how it portrays or DOESN'T the way slavery really was, ESPECIALLY ion South Carolina. Is it digusting. Movie or not, realistic or not (and this movie certainly isn't) subjects like that shouldn't be whitewashed, glossed over the way it was in this movie. Another big weakness is Mel Gibson himself. He is becoming such a one dimensional actor/director. I use the title "Braveheart fights in the Revolutionary War" because that is exactly what this movie is and how his performance plays out. Same story except in the end they win instead of Mel dying. Third shortoming is that times the movie is very slow and dull, and the slave camp scene is utterly ridiculous. Recommendation, rent it, isn't worth buying. I made that mistake. If you love Mel you'll probably love this movie, if you love fantasy's you'll probably love this movie. If you're a movie goer who loves good movies with good story lines and realism in their historical movies you won't like this film.
Rating: 
Summary: The Patriot
Review: This film is a winner. Not only is Mel Gibson at his best, but the story is realistic and one can identify with it. The cast is superb. It is a bit graphic in terms of bloodshed. However, the emotions it evokes makes one cry-I did. I recommend this film to all who love America and what it stands for.
Rating: 
Summary: Visually stunning war epic (4 1/2 stars)
Review: I'm not too much for war movies. The only war movies I really liked were "The Thin Red Line" and "Three Kings" (I haven't seen "Apocalypse Now" yet). The only reason I went to see "The Patriot" is because, when I found out that Roland Emmerich directed it, I gazed upon the film's poster with a sense of humorous irony tickling my funny bone: The guys who made "Independence Day" are making a movie about Independence Day. That just seemed too perfect for me to ignore. So I antied up and walked to the box office (by myself, frown), paid my ticket and walked into one of the stadium seating theaters. I sat down, watched the previews and laughed hysterically at the movie theater's ridiculous promotion music, then I proceeded to kick back and enjoy a terrific movie going experience. "The Patriot" is, like "Saving Private Ryan," very realistic in its depiction of war, very lushly photographed, and very well acted. Mel Gibson, as always, is charismatic and heroic in the lead role. "The Patriot" is obviously about the American Revolution. As the film opens, we see life on a farm in one of the southern colonies. Mel Gibson's character is attempting to build yet another rocking chair that turns out to be a hilarious disaster. The mail comes, and we find out that his oldest son (Heath Ledger) wants to become part of the Continental Army. Gibson refuses to let him join. The relationship between Gibson and Ledger is immediately established to be one of a son who sees his father as over-protective instead of enlightened and experienced in the calamity of war. Gibson's character is very experienced in war. He is still reverred as one of the great heroes of a battle that he won almost single-handedly. The man knows how to fight, but when it comes to fighting for a cause that is, he agrees, great, but also suicide, and taking care of his family, he chooses family. His wife has already died, and he doesn't wish to leave his children fatherless as well. Anyway, as is expected, Gibson's son gets his own way, and it isn't until the war comes literally into his family's own backyard, leaving him with a dead son and a burning house that he decides to fight. And we understand immediately why this man is seen as such a hero: He can kick Redcoat butt when he wants to. He kills twenty men almost by himself before our very eyes. WOW! (Proposed match-up: Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" character versus Russell Crowe in "Gladiator." Whaddya think?) Robert Rodat, who wrote "Saving Private Ryan," also wrote "The Patriot," and he does a job that is on a par with his previous work, but he ends up surpassing himself with the addition of a splendid villain, played by Jason Issacs, who is a renegade Colonel of the Redcoat army. (Another match-up: Jason Issacs versus Joaquin Phoenix) I loved this movie through and through. Some may say that its pace is a little too slow, but movies like this are intentionally built that way. Besides, the payoff at the end is way to good to cast this movie aside. The characters are interesting, the supporting cast is great, the battle sequences are expertly executed, and visuals are stunning. Bottom line: "The Patriot" delivers.
Rating:
Summary: It is About Time!
Review: There has been some degree of overkill with films about the Civil War(Glory, Gettysburg, Gone With the Wind, Blue and Gray, etc). It is about time that Hollywood came out with a definitive Revolutionary War film such as this fine masterpiece. I hope there will be more! This is one that is made for the big screen. I recently saw this one on Directv in widescreen, and I highly adivse anyone to watch it in nothing but widescreen format.Pan and scan will ruin such an epic. Battle scenes are some of the best since PVT. Ryan. Mel is just as effective as ever as patriarchal colonists caught up in the war for Independence.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: Finally a movie about America that can reach the masses. This movie is incredible because it shows Patriotism, Loyalty & more, things that are lost now in a modern America. Mel Gibson does a great job potraying a man who only wanted to live his life in solitude and was forced into a battle that gave USA it's freedom.
A man's man does what he must. Not enuf of this happens now.
The movie also has a great picture, with no noticable "artifacts". The sounds is also top-notch.
I also really enjoyed the extras, great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: The Patriot is an Awesome Movie!!!!!!!!
Review: Mel Gibson is such a powerful, and amazingly talented actor...The Patriot is a spectacular movie, and it has a little of everything in it: love,honor,courage,action,intensity,self-discovery,and passion,,,i loved The Patriot,,,and Mel Gibson is so awesome!!!!!! I think Mel Gibson should win another oscar for his brilliant performance!!!!!! i recommend The Patriot to everyone,,,watch it,,you will love it!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great movie to watch, and get into
Review: I'm not sure what the people who wrote a bad review about this movie were watching. This is a great epic. Yes it may be a wee bit long, but its worth the 3 hours to watch it. This movie tells a story of a man named Benjamin Martin. He at first opposes to fighting the british, but then seeks revenge on them for killing his son. So what if this movie seems a little "hollywood-esque" its a great thing to watch. No one really cares if it was historically correct or completely realistic and accurate to those times. Just watch it and have fun with it. Thats what it was meant for.
Rating:
Summary: An ambitious but disappointing war epic
Review: In "The Patriot," director Roland Emmerich tells the story of Benjamin Martin (played by Mel Gibson), a colonial landowner whose family becomes involved in the American Revolutionary War. The film wants to be a sweeping historical epic with a heart, but its flaws weigh it down. The film aims at "Saving Private Ryan"-style realism in its warfare scenes, but this goal does not fit well with the childish humor and high school-ish romantic subplots that mark the rest of the film. In terms of plot and characterization, the script piles one stereotype and cliche upon another. Particularly ill-served are the British characters. With the exception of one amoral sadist, the British are all basically ridiculous fops. Many of the movie's scenes are blatant ripoffs from scenes in better films. Pay attention and you'll see scenes ripped off from "Star Wars," "Aliens," and more. "The Patriot" has been harshly criticized for its whitewashing of the issue of slavery. I must admit that this is one aspect of the film that I found most unsettling. It is ironic that while the film aims at realistic battlefield carnage, it presents an insultingly simplistic, "fairy tale" view of happy colonial African-Americans. And it is just too convenient that all of the blacks on Martin's property are freemen. That said, the film has some good points. There are some effective performances. In particular, Jason Isaacs is electrifying as the ruthless British officer Tavington. The film has outstanding production values (it picked up Oscar nominations for cinematography, sound, and score). Give "The Patriot" a try, but watch it with a critical eye.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Classic, but still decent
Review: It would appear the general reviews have been all good or all bad for this movie. Personally, I found it neither "great" but not "poor" either -- it's supposed to entertain, and I was entertained. I think too many people feel that "war movies" must be epic in scale and very grandiose. I don't know if the bar was raised too high with "Saving Private Ryan" or what, but it's unfair to a movie like "The Patriot." It's better than the much of what's out there, but it's not meant to be a classic. Some reviews also seem to imply that it's a "cookie-cutter" movie of what movies have been like in past years. True to some extent, but I'd say it's more a "cookie-cutter" movie of a Mel Gibson role. You know: man fights for peace, man forced to fight, man kicks butt. But there's more to it than that. He has a family to protect and fight with on occassion, with some very harrowing scenes. Like when in order to save his oldest son's life, he must employ his two younger sons (around the ages of 10 and 12) to fight with him and kill men (the British soldiers) right after seeing their slightly older brother just killed by the British. Very hard to watch and gripping, especially when Gibson's hatred and bloodlust kicks in at the end, and then later when Gibson tries to talk with them about it afterwards. Yes, to the critics out there, it's not at all likely that Gibson and his two young sons could have taken out all 20 soldiers, but your gonna find elements of Hollywood in there at different points, yet it doesn't have to ruin your enjoyment of the movie. So if you're looking for realism everywhere, you won't find it, but it's not a terrible stretch of the imagination. A final word of warning -- there are some rather bloody scenes (especially one predominant one in the scene I mentioned above) so it's not the type of movie for young kids. I won't buy the movie myself, but I rented it and I'm glad I did. If it were allowed, I'd actually give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5.
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