Just as I expected

Rating: 10/10 (2 July 2000)

I went into "The Patriot" expecting a great movie portraying the Revolutionary War as it was and not overexaggerating on a fictional storyline which would totally ruin it. I got exactly what I expected. "The Patriot" showed me the horrible times of the Revolutionary War in the only way that it would work---Mel Gibson style. After Gibson gave one of the greatest performances ever in 1995's "Braveheart", I was hoping there would be another movie like it where Gibson just goes berzerk. Finally "The Patriot" arrived. Mel Gibson gives a riveting performance as a South Carolina farmer named Benjamin Martin who is a widowed father to 6 children. After one of his children is killed by a British officer by the name of Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs), Gibson gets a little wired. But once his eldest son Gabriel (played by Heath Ledger in an Oscar-worthy performance) decides to fight for the States, Gibson realizes he is losing his family and decides to join his son and fight for the States. This film also stars Chris Cooper (October Sky,Great Expectations) as United States Colonel Harry Burwell, Tcheky Karyo (Wing Commander,Bad Boys) as French soldier Jean Villeneuve, Joely Richardson (Return to Me,Event Horizon) as Gibson's sister-in-law, Rene Auberjonois (Inspector Gadget,Batman Forever) as Reverend Oliver, Lisa Brenner (MTV's "Undressed") as Gabriel's love interest, and Tom Wilkinson (Shakespeare in Love,Rush Hour) as British General Cornwallis. I give this movie a strong **** out of ****.