Its a good time at the Movies (Contains possible Spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2000)

It seems a great many of the negative comments here are the rather simpleminded idiocy that comes from the usual people that take any excuse they can to do some America bashing (probably out of jealousy). I'd like to remedy this a little bit.
CAUTION: This contains material that some may consider spoilers
This was an enjoyable (if graphically violent) movie about the bloodiness of the revolutionary war in America, and its impact on the "regular people". War is hell as Sherman said later - and this shows it.
A few points that were missed by those of you who apparently went in with an axe to grind rather than a movie to watch.
You must remember that the "Martin" character had fought for the Crown in the "French and Indian Wars" (See the movie "Last of the Mohicans" for a semi-historical but bloody tale of that), which were savage and brutal fights right in amongst the families of the American frontier (with casualties from the families including women and children). Thus his character was quite reluctant to bring the same down on his family -- which might explain the reluctance shown by that character at the beginning. And as "corny" as the "daddy dont go" stuff was, it actually happens and is often said just that way - as it did to many of us leaving for the Gulf War.
Secondly, the "Tavington" character was based on Lt Col Tarrington I believe, whose nickname was "The Butcher". The English were capable of atrocities in the name of the crown - from the Scots to the Irish to the Americans to Indians (India and the Sepoy rebellion) to the "Wogs" in colonial Africa and again to the Irish. Britain's record as a near savages in war is unabated from the early ages of the nation up though the early part of this century (the Irish being the last major victims of British slaughtering the unarmed). Americans are rightly sensitive about their behavior in Vietnam, but at least they eventually owned up to it, unlike perfidious Albion whose despicable record speaks for itself.
Thirdly, the slavery issues were admittedly "softly" handled considering that it was S Carolina and slaves were a solid part of agrarian culture in the southern colonies (and few had things as easily as those shown). But most people overlook that Washington decreed that any slave that served in the war for 12 months was to be given his freedom and paid for his service. If you want a movie that addresses slavery and war, try renting "Glory" and learning about that American war.
Finally, if you are looking for an accurate historical movie that explains the American revolutionary war, this isnt it. Its a "period piece" that tells a story set in that time period, that's much like Gone in the Wind in the limited respect that it tells a story of a family swept by a bloody American war.
Go into it with those expectations, and you will like the movie. Go in carrying the heavy anti-American bias or bigotry that a lot of posters here have - or expecting "Gettysburg" - and you will likely not enjoy it.