You could see the end before it began

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2006)

***SPOILERS ABOUND HERE*** Note with the rating: I rated it because I like period pieces and Jason Isaacs. That's the only reason.
The movie itself is crazy predictable. The one part in the movie with Heath Ledger aiming a wild shot at Isaacs, only to have Isaacs hit the ground 'wounded' (puh-lease, grazed his side at best) and then, when dear Heath wanders over as the music swells, he gets stabbed in the chest but holy-wow-he-is-not-dead Isaacs.
That becomes the movie, folks. A series of 'I saw that coming a mile away' moments, intermingled with an overly zealous orchestra and lots of special effects.
Another 'touching' bit of trash: Mel Gibson's decision to take up with his dead wife's sister, in the middle of the war, with 6 kids (one of whom is not speaking to him), in the late 1700's. I'm sorry, that made me nuts!
By all means, if you like period pieces too, don't care about historical accuracy in your big budget Hollywood films (is there such a thing as accuracy in those movies?)and/or have a fetish for Mel Gibson/Heath Ledger/Jason Isaacs, go for it! You'll probably be able to overlook those cringe-worthy lines and stamps of IMPORTANT on the US flag/toy soldiers/etc. I know I could enjoy it from that standpoint (and I did, I truly did). But be warned that aside from the fact there was an American Revolution, almost nothing else is true.