Over the top but superb acting and historic artistry make this film work

Rating: Null/10 (6 July 2000)

Although this film sometimes feels like yet another Braveheart, the Revolutionary war setting and historic significance give it a fresh look. Mel Gibson is superb and all of his co-stars supplied interesting characters. Especially intriguing was Jason Issacs sinister depiction of Col. Travington and Heath Ledger's convincing performance of Gabriel Martin. The battle scenes kept my interest at all times and the anti-war sentiment hit hard throughout. My only dissatisfaction was that the movie seemed to be a bit over the top and longwinded. Although the emotional outbursts were present--including feelings of revenge, love, and patriotism, which was the most effective--the overabundance of tear jerking scenes downplayed the overall impact of the movie. My personal favorite part of the movie was the fantastic score by John Williams that renewed my faith in film music, and showed that Williams still knows how to pull at the draw-strings of the audience.