Blood, guts, and not a lot else

Rating: 1/10 (2 January 2001)

I was surprised to see so many people give this movie such high praise. A mon avis, a movie is special when it sets a mood, has good character development, great settings, good cinematography, and does not have a lot of useless dialogue, violence, sex, and gore. Bottom line, the movie flows and you become lost in the magic that it is trying to create. Lofty ideas, but very attainable.
Movies such as The Big Blue, Blade Runner, Last of the Mohicans, Gladiator, Grosse Point Blank, LA Confidential, Boondock Saints, Get Real, Room With a View, Good Will Hunting, and yes Braveheart, to name a few, are what I call don't watch the clock and yes that movie is worth a second, third fourth look and eventually to be purchased.
The Patriot is one of those movies when you wonder when it will end. We have heads being blown off, legs being blown off, Mel being a cross between William Wallace, Martin Riggs and a dash of Tristan from Legends of the Fall, and overall a movie that is just plain sappy. The only saving grace was the convincing performance of the bad guy.
I could say more and go on; however, that would be about the same pain that this movie inflicted on my wife, a friend and myself. Mel, you should have stopped with Braveheart. Now that was well done.