Absolute rubbish

Rating: 2/10 (26 May 2010)

Utter bilge disguised as history lesson which plays as such a typical example of a latter-day auto-pilot Mel Gibson career effort that one could go down a checklist. Over the top violence? Check. Gibson cast as a one-dimensional character who endures a ridiculous amount of physical turmoil? Check. Cartoony villains? Check. Death(s) of major supporting character(s) to give Gibson's lead a motivated vendetta? Check. The depiction of the British army is so laughable that it seems impossible they could have ever amassed an empire at all much less won any hard fought battles. Gibson is typically and unmemorably cast as a French-Indian War veteran and widowed father of a gigantic brood (no doubt Mrs. Martin expired from prolonged stays in the delivery room). He hopes to avoid any conflict in the forthcoming Revolutionary War, but when his family is targeted and threatened by Snidely Whiplash (oops, I mean Jason Isaacs channeling Snidely Whiplash), naturally a macho man has to do what a man has to do. The late Heath Ledger is on hand as Gibson's eldest son Gabriel. He looks pretty in Revolutionary War outfits, but there is little more to the role than that. Trivia claims that screenwriter Robert Rodat penned 17 drafts before settling on the current version. He should have penned at least another 17 more because the final version is trash. The film has all of the depth of a puddle. The British are all evil and stupid, Gibson is some unholy combo of Rambo and George Washington, and to say that the film takes liberty with facts is an understatement of massive proportions. One scene involves the British army locking unarmed women, children and old people in a church (including a major supporting character) and setting it ablaze murdering all inside. Try as I might, I have researched this and cannot locate so much as one recorded incident of such a thing being perpetrated by the British army in the Revolutionary War. The film's most laughable moment features Joely Richardson, as Gibson's sister-in-law and token love interest, being placed in charge of caring for his underage brood. When the British arrive at her home to take them prisoner, she literally sneaks them out under an entire platoon's nose by hiding under tables and behind bushes, etc. My description fails to do the lunacy justice - I thought perhaps I had wandered in to a children's fantasy-adventure for a moment. Total garbage - I suggest fans of this film pick up a book and read about the Revolutionary War - it would really be eye-opening for them.