'Braveheart 'Fights For America This Time

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2008)

This is "Braveheart" all over again, except instead of mid-whatever-century Scotland and England, it's the United States and the American Revolution. Mel Gibson plays a similarly- heroic person he played in Braveheart but he's still fighting the British, time time as an American patriot "Benjamin Martin."
The cinematography is a high point in this movie, with lots of pretty shots outside and inside. It's just stunning at times. Kudos to cinematographer Caleb Deschanel for a job well done. It's also a terrific audio movie with a lot of surround sound that's impressive, especially when the cannons are shot.
Storywise, it's nice to see the hero praying and asking for God's forgiveness when he's too violent. Meanwhile, Jason Isaacs is brutal as the villain, "Colonel William Tavington." (The Brits complained about this film saying that character was unfair and also that Cornwallis is made to look a bit too stupid. For that reason, anyone who lauds this movie gets negative votes from the Brits.)
Yes, this is All-American flag-waving which nauseates Liberals but makes most the U.S. citizens happy and it's certainly something one hasn't seen much in films since the 1950s. Good for Mel Gibson!
Even though it's considered an "epic," I would like to have seen this cut down a bit from 165 minutes which is a tad long. Warning: this gets a little bloody in parts. It's not as gory as Braveheart, but there is still a good deal of violence. There is no problem with the language, however.
In all, a powerful story beautifully filmed.