Variety: "Apocalypto" is a remarkable film

[Jeff®]

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117...&cs=1&nid=2854

Mel Gibson is always good for a surprise, and his latest is that "Apocalypto" is a remarkable film. Set in the waning days of the Mayan civilization, the picture provides a trip to a place one's never been before, offering hitherto unseen sights of exceptional vividness and power...

.....Production is a wonder. Dean Semler's camera moves relentlessly through the densest of foliage and over the roughest of terrain on locations near Veracruz and in the rainforests of Catemaco, with some additional shooting done in Costa Rica and the U.K.; Gibson clearly knew the impact the lenser of the second and third "Mad Max" films could deliver. More remarkable still is that pic was shot on the new high definition Genesis camera system. Without a doubt, "Apocalypto" is the best-looking big-budget film yet shot digitally; one can't tell it wasn't shot on film.

[dialog_gvf]

Blu-ray release of the future, so not too off-topic.

[Jeff®]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Great candidate for a magnificent BD.

[PeterTHX]

Still, after what happened last summer I'm suprised they're still promoting it as "Mel Gibson's Apocalypto"

Heck, some folks might just look at the title and think it's a documentary about what happened to him...as in Mel's personal Apocalypse.

[Jeff®]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Still, after what happened last summer I'm suprised they're still promoting it as "Mel Gibson's Apocalypto"

Heck, some folks might just look at the title and think it's a documentary about what happened to him...as in Mel's personal Apocalypse.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061210/D8LU6DVO0.html

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mel Gibson's bloody epic "Apocalypto" debuted as the No. 1 weekend movie, proving the filmmaker still can deliver a winner despite his drunken-driving arrest and anti-Semitic rant last summer.
"Apocalypto," a Disney release set in the Mayan civilization and told in an obscure Mayan language, opened with $14.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday...

"Whenever I tell people I saw the movie, they'd be like, 'You saw it? How was it?' There was a huge curiosity factor," Dergarabedian said. "A movie about Mayan civilization was never destined to be a big hit, let alone a No. 1 movie. But through Disney's marketing, which highlights Mel Gibson - I believe they associated him very closely with the movie - I think that strategy paid off."

[Josh]

I was excited to see this movie (I like the whole Incan/Mayan/Aztec history deal) until I saw the reviews. 65% at Rotten Tomatoes (59% Cream of the Crop). Not high enough for my $10.

[TheForce8686]

Ignore any bad reveiws. The movie was excellent. The action was great. The story was real good. The character development was phenominal. You loved the good guys and hated the bad guys.

[Blubaru]

Originally Posted by TheForce8686

Ignore any bad reveiws. The movie was excellent. The action was great. The story was real good. The character development was phenominal. You loved the good guys and hated the bad guys.

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Mel may have problems of his own but he is a terrific filmmaker.