Braveheart goes colonial

Rating: 5/10 (3 July 2000)

The comparison to "Braveheart" is unavoidable, so why resist. "The Patriot" has much the same ingredients; a family man reluctantly drawn to fight the yoke of English oppression, inspires his neighbors to turn the tide in what seemed a hopeless cause. The sadistic foe is confronted on the open battlefield, but this time with the more modern weapon technology of the 18th century. The English have overwhelming force, but the rebels have Mel. He manages to outwit them and this time he even wins, and he does it without mooning. When will those English learn not mess with this Aussie?
I should have enjoyed this movie more. It had the right amount of gentle comic relief. I still laugh thinking about the rocking chair and the black ink. There was all sorts of love, the kind between a young man and woman, between a father and son, between a husband and the memory of his dead wife, and between an English lord and his dogs. There was the wonderful recreation of the setting and dress of colonial times. With the aid of the computer, the effect was better than Williamsburg. There was the shocking horrors of war, complete with the perfect villain.
But the plot did not match the standard set by the rest of the movie. The actions were illogical, inconsistent and impossible. Such a weak script might be forgiven for the typical summer movie. But in a movie which showed so much promise, it left this viewer disappointed. It's like crafting a beautiful rocking chair, only to have it break when you sit on it.