Wasted effort

Rating: 6/10 (5 July 2000)

I was hoping that this movie would be an American Revolution "Braveheart", but no such luck. This film was simply a load of boring schmaltz. They needed more battle scenes and more excitement and less standing around.

The most exciting scene was when Mel got all fired up, because one of his sons had just been killed. What he did in immediate retribution is what I'm talking about as far as the type of exciting action that I think this movie merited.
Also holding this film back was the score. I was expecting them to break into "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandee" any second. It was all just too corny.
Mel Gibson did his usual good job of trying to hold it all together, literally, as the movie had nothing else to hold the viewer's interest EXCEPT him and figuratively, as he, of course, was the hero and was trying to lead his little band of followers to defeat the bad guys. I, being female, personally missed getting to see Mel get sexy, as that is one of his main appeals and was not exploited in this movie at all. How many times did his dead wife's sister have to give him longing glances until he got to do anything about it??!!! Let's get it on, already!!
Basically, I feel this movie was barely a 6 and was a wasted effort that could have been a very spectacular film with more special effects and deeper human drama. #1 film of the season still, in my opinion, is "Gladiator" by a long shot.