FREEDOM!!!...and more blue paint while your at it.

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2010)

I do not usually enjoy historically accurate period piece movies, but this one really worked for me. Probably had something to do with the fact it was rather violent and had good action scenes. Still, I even liked the parts of the movie that had little action as the ending to this one was rather emotionally powerful. How Mel Gibson did not win an academy award for acting is beyond me as he did just as good a job or even better (in fact I say better) than Russell Crowe would do in the movie "Gladiator". Still, he got best director and best picture during the days when he was not crazy (or the days when he hid it better). This film tells the tale of Wallace a man who tried to break Scotland free of English rule back in the days. Why did he begin this crusade, well this is established in a early scene where Wallace's new wife is killed by the British guy in charge of the area. Well William Wallace quickly gets his revenge and soon begins his quest of trying to liberate Scotland from the Brits. You have a couple of rather good action scenes that involve the standard arrow attacks and the charge of two factions. Very well done and there is a bit of humor to this one as well. The movie though is not all action as we get to learn of things about the king who rules England and his son who is married to a very beautiful lady, but for some reason he does not seem to care for her much 'wink'. The final scenes of William Wallace are very emotionally charged and powerful and despite a somewhat sad fate for the main character, the film ends with one final charge. In the end a grand movie that I am always surprised did not make more money than it did as it did not even break the 100 million dollar barrier despite being a very good film.