Egotism, Jingoism, and all that cal

Rating: 4/10 (22 August 2005)

There really is little else to say other than the subject line. This movie is pretty much Braveheart during the revolutionary war. A Mel Gibson film starring Mel Gibson as the ultraviolent, vengeful hero, who's life is warped by atrocities committed by the English to the point where he goes nuts killing people and seeking revenge. Scotland has a parliament now, but this movie has absolutely nothing to show for its existence. I was surprised that The Passion of the Christ didn't star Mel Gibson as Jesus himself fighting off English troops.
In summation, this movie has an extraordinarily tenuous relationship with history and with reality, and even offers little entertainment value beyond a few scenes of bloodshed. It's Mel Gibson once again in the formulaic good vs evil battle where evil is the English and good is Mel's hero. Let's just forget about this one and get on with our banal lives.