A great movie that is full of drama that manipulates you into feeling exactly what you should.

Rating: 7/10 (20 April 2008)

The Patriot takes place in South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. The main character, Benjamin Martin, is a revered man in who fought bravely in the French and Indian war, but has become a family man and does not wish to go to war with Great Britain.
Once the basis is set, the movie gets right on to the drama. Benjamin's son, 18, joins the soldiers to fight for America against the wishes of his father. Shortly thereafter, the son stumbles home injured and is miraculously healed by their slave lady who happens to be a Medical Doctor or something. (Oh yeah, it's supposedly OK he owns a slave because she's happy). Benjamin has his house burned down because the slave lady is healing soldiers from both sides of the war. Ben's 18 year old son is sentenced to be hanged. To add to the drama, Ben's 15 year old son tries to save his 18 year old brother and is shot in front of his family by a redcoat who does everything in his power to be as evil as possible. He even calls Benjamin's son a "stupid boy" as he dies in Ben's arms.
That's when Benjamin goes berserk, takes his 6 and 7 year old kids, who are expert marksmen or something, and kills 20 bumbling redcoats in order to save his son who is being led off to be hanged. It's a cool scene, but it's a bit ridiculous. Benjamin runs in with his little ax and kills at least 8 guys who have guns before hacking up the body of a random redcoat in front of his little children just because he's angry.
After this, he decides to go to war (surprise surprise) where he leads a militia and uses his high rank to advance the rank of his son (because he knows the woods). They split up for some arbitrary reason, taking different paths in the woods, and meet back up in what seems like 5 minutes. The inexperienced kid retains his high rank but never uses it to do anything. Their group runs around killing and outsmarting many redcoats despite the fact they are just a posse of farmers lead by a smart man. Eventually the British illegally pursue Ben's militia's families. One crazy fat man finds his home burned down with his wife and child laying outside the fiery houses, dead with their bodies in perfect condition. He of coarse kills himself, because that's the most dramatic thing that could happen.
Speaking of drama, the British soldier's lock all of the movie's familiar towns people in a church and burn them alive (including the 18 year old son's wife that we hardly get to know). Speaking of never getting to know characters, the 18 year old gets stabbed by the same evil redcoat who killed Ben's other son. You have a hard time caring when he dies though, because although he has been present during the entire movie, you barely know him.
Oh, I forgot to mention the one black guy in the entire militia is there to gain freedom from slavery (which was actually a deal offered by the British rather than the Americans). Only one man in the militia gives him trouble for being black but they of coarse become friends in some single cheesy quote of respect during the final battle.
The final fight between Ben and the evil redcoat who he's been seeking revenge against the entire time is really drawn out (it's also in slow motion). Ben of coarse wins and leaves the evil dead redcoat propped up on his musket. It was a clichéd scene that had a fun and clichéd ending.