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The Patriot Customer Reviews (76 - 78 of 119 Reviews)

Above average for Roland Emmerich, I suppose.
With so many good to brilliant historical epics out there (the magnificent-Braveheart, Gladiator; the great-Glory; and the good-The Last of the Mohicans), I was hoping perhaps The Patriot could reach to one of those levels. Well, it doesn't really happen, but the movie still happens to be quite decent and fairly good.

I suppose I was quite bothered by the movie's dull and predictable storyline, along with some unneccessary subplots and an at times overwrought score from John Williams. I might be a little too harsh on this film, but it's only because it squandered a superb first 40 minutes. I suppose it's never good when the movie's highlight occurs a quarter into the movie's running time, which is the case with The Patriot. The ambush sequence where Mel Gibson and two of his young sons try to rescue Heath Ledger is such a frenetic, powerful, heart-pounding, and simply intense action sequence, it made me think I would be watching a masterpiece. The setpiece features Gibson attacking 20 British soldiers, using rifles, flintlock pistols, a hatchet, and a knife. It's made so believable, you never question that Gibson's character could falter in the slightest against these soldiers. This sequence matches the best battle scene of any historical epic, but unfortunately the movie goes a bit downhill afterward.

I couldn't believe writer Robert Rodat would actually include sappy subplots, overdone cliches, and some manipulative drama into the film. That's not to say that after those first 40 minutes, the movie is terrible. No, there are still some dramatic highpoints, one in particular featuring a great encounter between the characters Benjamin Martin and Lord Cornwallis, and another involving an event that surprised me completely involving some certain characters' deaths) and the two full-scale battle scenes that Emmerich choreograph are impressively done.

Speaking of the battle scenes, the last one, which runs nearly 10 minutes in length, is exciting but not masterful, mostly due to an unwise choice from Emmerich of featuring Mel Gibson waving his flag, somehow convincing retreating soldiers to push on ahead (there were even some soldiers who didn't even see the flag but magically knew to turn around). The battle finale of Glory was more impressive due to its emotional power, something which seemed to be missing in The Patriot's last several minutes. The fighting may get the adrenaline pumping, but it's curiously slightly less involving without true emotion.

And yet, despite all the battle scenes, ambushes, and skirmishes (at least half a dozen shown in all), The Patriot moves at a surprisingly slow pace. At some points, it even threatens to bore the viewer.

I suppose I'm complaining a bit too much, but I did have high expectations, and The Patriot only managed to meet some of those. Most everybody else I know seem to love this film, so I suppose Emmerich's "crowd-pleasing" standards seemed to have come through again. Still, this year's best epic is still Gladiator (or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon if you count it as one).

Not All Blood and Gore Epic
As a follow-up to the amazing success of Saving Private Ryan, its creators decided to try their hand at the American Revolution. Their idea turned into another amazing epic. Mel Gibson shines brilliantly as a soldier-turned-father who must decide whether to join the ranks of the Americans fighting for freedom from British tyranny or to remain away from the field of battle and raise his seven children following the death of his wife.

A relative newcomer (to me anyway) Heath Ledger is also amazing as the son, Gabriel, who joins with the American forces. Gabriel fights along with his comrades and also falls in love with a girl from his youth.

There are epic battles, daring escapades, romance, and even some light-heared comedy in this sweeping epic. There is so much more to this film than the nomal shoot 'em up war movie. The Patriot has heart, soul, humor, an so mch more. A father is torn between his duty as a father and the duty to the values he holds dear. Although some of the characters in the movie are fictitious, I found it very refreshing that a great deal of historical data was presented throughout. This is one amazing film!!

The American Revolution brought to life!!!
Having read other reviews here, I am curious as to why people think this is unreal?, it is one of the most realistic & authentic movies about the Revolution, our history books only tell so much about this particular time, just because you didn't read certain aspects of this movie in history class, doesn't mean that some of it didn't happen, Set in 1776 in South Carolina during a time in which the British attempted to take over the eastern seaboard with their war against the settlers & I guess you could say decendents or deserters, the film clearly depicts a time in which the freedoms of this country was founded upon, Mel Gibson is Benjamin, a man who has seen war up close & personal in the french & indian war, & knows first hand its horrors, here he has settled for a normal quiet life with his seven children after his wife has died, in town, a meeting is being held in which British occupying forces will soon be upon them, Benjamin totally opposes the inpending war, that is until British forces invade his home & attack his family led by Captain Tavigton, played by Jason Isaacs(Armageddon) who is ruthless & brutal in his pursuit for victory,& a villian you just love to hate & can't wait for him to get his, Benjamin finally takes matters into his own hands & avengingly kills as many British troops as he can, he finally decides to take up arms against the British & leads a militia against the British, like Kevin Costner's "Dances with Wolves" this film really shows the beauty of as many landscapes as it can, & the strengh of men & the quest for the meaning of life & all we hold dear, Gibson gives one of the best performances of his career as a man with personal loss & patriotism, the viewer feels his anguish & his unrelenting behavoir to preserve the freedoms we have today, & that we take for granted, without those like him in this time, we might have all been British today, it was the ordinary men who fought alongside the Colonials that won our Democracy that we have today, & this film really makes that point clear, even if the history books don't, watching it, you realize that human behavoir hasn't changed much in 200 years, but is a winner & depicts the Revolutionary War in a positive light with a lot of accuracy, even if history don't, & one of Gibson's best movies!!

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