One Of Mel Gibson's Best Films

Rating: Null/10 (4 November 2002)

Now that Mel Gibson has finally finished what I like to call his "unsuccessfully going out of character" trilogy ("Forever Young", "The Man Without A Face", "Maverick"), I can finally go back to seeing him as the action man that I know him best for. The time, setting and overall plot are considerably different here but the result is a film that stands out as one of Gibson's finest hours (or three hours in the case of its running time). He portrays William Wallace, a brave and determined Scotsman who leads a rather small but equally determined Scottish troop in a revolt against the English oppressors. Very bloody and brutal at times but if one can stay strong and patient through it all, it's well worth it. Gibson also seved as this film's director and producer (a Paramount film released through Gibson's Icon production company) and does well on all counts. The first of Gibson's ultra violent and lengthy war epics trilogy (followed by "The Patriot" and "We Were Soldiers").