Yar, you be here: The Patriot > Customer Reviews

The Patriot Customer Reviews (82 - 84 of 119 Reviews)

Stirring and Heartwarming
This epic tale of the Revolutionary War and it's affect on one man's family stars Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, "The Patriot," and costars Heath Ledger as his son.

The story opens in 1776, and South Carolinian Martin is arguing against war. He feels his priority is the safety of his family. However, when his fifteen-year old son, Thomas, is senselessly murdered by the odious red coat, Col. Tavington, (deliciously played by Jason Isaacs), he joins the militia with another son, Gabriel.

Their campaigns against the British, and against Col. Tavington, in particular, show the Americans' courage, determination, and pride in their cause. The grand-scale battle scenes are intertwined with intimate vignettes about the individuals in the militia: Gabriel falls in love and marries, Martin has romantic feelings for his sister-in-law, and his traumatised daughter speaks for the first time.

The final scenes are visually stunning, especially those where Martin runs through the battle waving the tattered American flag and urging his comrades to victory. Mel Gibson is wonderful as the honorable and loving father and soldier. Heath Ledger is the stuff teen-idols are made of, and an actor of depth. Jason Isaacs almost steals the show as the arrogant and brutal Col. Tavington. When he faces Martin, whose son he murdered, he sneers, "Did he die, hmmm?"

The Patriot is a rousing tale of our early history, with excellent actors, script, and soundtrack. You'll enjoy The Patriot.

The Patriot
"The Patriot" is a fine action/adventure drama about a South Carolina farmer in 1776 (Mel Gibson) who reluctantly becomes involved in the American Revolution. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich who gave us "Independence Day", "Stargate" and "Godzilla". Those films were popcorn events whose only purpose was to entertain audiences in a loud fashion. Love them or hate them, those films succeeded in that respect. "The Patriot" is produced with the same flair as Emmerich's previous efforts, but this film succeeds remarkably where those films could not. This film is an exciting popcorn event film written and acted expertly. "The Patriot" may be Hollywood's first Oscar worthy popcorn film.

The heart of the film is Mel Gibson's performance as Benjamin Martin. A hero of the French/Indian War, Martin is now a content farmer overseeing his brood of seven children. His oldest son; Gabriel (Heath Ledger) signs on to fight the British agianst his father's wishes and before long Martin himself is fighting along with Gabriel. While Gabriel fights for freedom, Martin's quest is far more dark and more personal as he tries to both protect his son in the war and seek revenge against a blood thirsty Redcoat played by Jason Issacs.

This film has all the aspects of a great summer event blockbuster. It has spectacular action sequences, villians and noble heroes, a strong supporting cast, a sweet romance and good hearted humor. It is also the first solid film by Roland Emmerich. He proves with the right screenwriter, in this case "Saving Private Ryan"'s Robert Rodat, that he can be a very effective filmmaker.

William Wallace's long-lost grandson?
I have a feeling that Mel Gibson was hoping to recreate his Oscar-winning experience that he had with "Braveheart" when he agreed to act in "The Patriot." Either that or he *really* has it in for England.

Unfortunately, he didn't quite hit the mark. "The Patriot" is a good movie. There's lots of blood, guts, gore, and swearing (for the men) along with a sweet story of the love a father has for his children (for the women). But it's not "Braveheart." Although I did start to wonder in a couple of scenes - Mel Gibson, atop a horse, waving an American flag... I expected him to shout out "Sons of Scotland!" or the repeated shots shown in the previews of Mel Gibson running towards the camera, grimacing. Perhaps this character is some descendant of William Wallace!

But that aside, this movie *is* worth watching - on video. I thank my lucky stars I didn't waste the money to see it on the screen. There's just a certain something lacking from this movie... a certain spark. And for some reason, I found the war scenes more disturbing than I did in "Braveheart." Maybe I'm just getting squeamish in my old age.

"The Patriot's" saving grace is Heath Ledger, who is, I'm sure, going to become the new Mel Gibson. Or maybe he'll even rise above that. Heath is an incredible actor with a great grasp of depth and emotion. And he's not all that bad to look at, either. I loved him "Ten Things I Hate About You," and I loved him in this movie. Go out and rent "The Patriot," if only for: 1. Heath Ledger's acting, 2. Mel Gibson's crying (makes you want to cuddle him, doesn't it?), and 3. warm and fuzzy nostalgic "Braveheart" memories. Oh yeah, and England gets her butt kicked.

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Next Page