Movies

Apocalypto Review

The story is a simple one. A man (Jaguar Paw) is captured by a Mayan raiding party and sent to their capital to be sacrificed to appease their gods and end a drought. On his way there, a girl foretells that he is a man of destiny. He escapes from his captors and begins to make his way back to his family (which he lowered into the village well during the raid). He is pursued by his captors and he must use all his knowledge to survive. After Jaguar Paw escapes, the movie’s tone shifts to one reminiscent of Rambo: First Blood, as he turns the tables on his pursuers.   

 

Being a huge history fan and someone who loves exploring old ruins, when I heard Mel Gibson was doing a movie about the Mayans, I was really excited. While there are few shots of the Mayan city, the costumes and make-up are amazing. The actors are all people new to the set and for the most part, they are all fantastic.

 

The movie has plenty of violence and is not for young children. The violence is at times graphic, although most horror films show much more gore, as the camera angle usually changes just before someone is beheaded or sacrificed.