The Patriot
Mel Gibson stars in a really long, epic drama about a man who leads a revolution against the evil British empire. A man who's a great fighter and leader but whose family life has been hell and is ready to die for his beliefs.
No, I didn't copy that line from a review of "Braveheart," that's an accurate plot description to the latest wannabe blockbuster from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin - the guys behind "Independence Day" and "Godzilla." This film also tries to appeal to our patriotism with the big common enemy being the British in the late 18th century during the American Revolution. It doesn't pay off very well here because the screenplay langer on and on about Gibson's family life and the depressing hardships they must endure due to the war.
There's a lot of "Gone With The Wind"-like melodrama combined with some "Braveheart"-like battle scenes but neither are nearly as good. More concentration of the Americans' overall strategy is needed to clarify the screenplay and the human drama is laid on too thick. This is one of those films designed to kiss-up to the Academy (not unlike "Gladiator") that leaves us little guys out in the cold... sort of. One more cut and this could have been a great flick, this cut is just all right.
GRADE: B-
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