| But then, there haven't really been any revolutionary war flicks. So what you get is fairly standard feel-good movie fare. Mel Gibson plays a retired war hero who has raised a family and a farming plantation, only to have the revolutionary war throw his life into chaos. The movie's battle scenes are excellent, I guess people have learned from Saving Private Ryan and The Gladiator. We are also treated to views of 18th-century Charleston, SC, which is kind of nice, although it is rather brief.
Most of the film runs in a standard thematic fashion, much like Independence Day, with all the heroes pulling together to battle the bad guys, especially the extra evil bad guy. Everyone loved the battle scenes, they were pretty intense, but the overall plot of the reluctant hero (Mel) left us with an overall reluctant feeling to really get emotionally attached to anything. Next time Mel, go for the gusto! Don't hold anything back! (Compare this to The Limey for a good example of an angry, vengeful old man who doens't hold back.)
|