Mel continues to shine

Rating: Null/10 (6 September 2004)

Mel Gibson is back better than ever doing what he does best; entertaining the audience. Gibson stars in "The Patriot," his best film since "Braveheart," the masterpiece which he also directed.
"The Patriot" surrounds a father and retired war hero who is thrown back into war after the death of one of his sons at the hands of an evil military officer.
Co-starring Heath Ledger, "The Patriot" is an excellent look at the brutality of what war does to a family. Ledger portrays Gibson's eldest son who enters military service to follow in his father's footsteps.
I was very impressed with the maturity level of Heath Ledger because he turned out to be the perfect choice for the role of Gabriel. Ledger contained the qualities it took for a good performance such as integrity and screen presence. Ledger is destined to become a true star.
"The Patriot" begged the question: How far would you go to protect your family? The way "The Patriot" answers this question unlike anything I've ever seen before.
"The best part of "The Patriot" is the development of the relationship between father and son. I have never seen a movie of this magnitude who has so much devotion, love and protective instinct that Gibson has shown in "The Patriot." Gibson has shown that he is not just an actor but a family man as well.
The storyline is great, the performances are outstanding and the direction is among the best. For these reasons, "The Patriot" deserves every bit of success it gets.