Overrated and Inconsistent

Rating: 6/10 (3 July 2000)

The Patriot is a film with flashes of brilliance and powerful performances intermixed with a bevy of cliches, melodrama and saccharine human interaction. This film had the potential to be great. The screenplay was daring, but tried to hard to hit on all cylinders of human emotions much like another overrated movie - The Cider House Rules.
The touch of the director, Roland Emmerich, known for creating such cookie cutter Hollywood cheese such as Independence Day and Godzilla, could be felt in this film. There was little subtlety in the film. It felt like immature and oversimplistic filmmaking. It is a summer popcorn movie in the guise of a heroic epic and serious film and the result is a bloated and stilted production.
Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger (the eldest son) do shine in the movie. The scenes with them really work as they are able to dominate the screen. However most of the other performances in the movie are weak.

6/10