predictable plot and some melodramatic dialogue redeemed to Mel Gibson's acting and some genuine moments

Rating: 7/10 (3 July 2000)

First off, this will contain spoilers. I had high hopes for Patriot, and so I was mildly disappointed. Some scenes just didn't ring true for me. The whole subplot dealing with the lone black man in the cast was just another way to show how honorable Mel's character was. Simplistic dialogue and unrealistic for the time period. Another phony scene is when Gabriel's (Mel's son) honey gives her speech to propel the town's menfolk to take up the fight. Oh, she looks pretty, but the dialogue is lame and her acting worse. It's easy to make comparisons to Braveheart, which is a far better film. The Patriot is no history lesson, and I didn't expect it to be. But, there are enough genuine moments and exciting action sequences to make this a totally watchable film. Granted, all the set pieces are predictable: Son goes after villain, gets killed...father then goes after villian..but the cinematography is gorgeous and Mel holds it all together.
He works well with children. It's difficult when actors become stars to not compare one film to another, or one character to another. Stars become stars playing to their strengths. In one scene in particular, Mel's face is spattered in blood. I couldn't help but think of his painted blue face from Braveheart. Maybe Mel should go for the yellow next time and then he'd have all the primary colors covered. On a final note, the Patriot isn't GREAT movie making, but it's entertaining and even rousing in some scenes.