.: Roberts' Reviews - Movie Reviews :.

Apocalypto opens, there are no production credits. The film goes straight into story mode. Good idea.

Before I went to see the excessively violent Mayan adventure I worried if my mind would wander towards the drunken exploits of director Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic remarks to some men in blue a few months ago. Although as critics we are almost trained to separate the personal and tabloid exploits and just critique the work, sometimes it is harder than in needs to be to ensure the blackboard is erased before sitting down to indulge in a film.

Whether this was a conscious decision or not to keep names away from our consciousness, it was a good one. About two minutes into the film, I was already engrossed and the last thing on my mind was the mug shot of the director that showed up on every newsstand for what seemed weeks on end.

Whether or not the average movie goer can separate themselves from the real life craziness is up the individual, but if you can jump into the film and just sit back and relax in appreciation of spending two hours being told a story, then you will be rewarded with one of the better made, more interesting, and dare I say, better films of the 2006 year.

Apocalypto tells the story of a Mayan tribe under attack from another group of tribesmen that captures men and women and either puts them to work as slaves in their attempt to build temples or they are made human sacrifices appeasing both the hostile crowd and the gods to which they worship.

Sound depressing? You don't know the half of it.

The film opens with an introduction to the tribe and their culture. They run through the jungle chasing wild game and play jokes on each other no different than any civilized culture's frat boys. But first and foremost, they are family people. When they return to their homes, they are met with the love and adoration of the women and children they left behind during the hunt.

Much like a horror movie, the setting of Apocalypto gives us a sense of calm. These are pleasant people and you can't imagine the terror that is about to befall their lives.

The taking of their village happens like a rogue wave. In an instant many people are slaughtered while others are quickly bound together and herded like cattle through the treacherous jungle. In an attempt to save his family, Jaguar Paw, a tribesman to which the storyline will focus, lowers his pregnant wife and young son down a large crevasse to hide them from the massacre. When he is captured and taken away, his attempt to escape, survive and reunite with his family will be the centerpiece of this incredible action film.

Apocalypto is an action adventure in the truest sense and is arguably the best chase film since 1993's The Fugitive. When Jaguar Paw escapes a beheading ritual and then a deadly game of survival that would even turn Gladiator's Maximus' stomach, the hunt is on. His escape involved the killing of sadistic leader's son and a posse is hot on this trail through the jungle to avenge his death.

The next hour is a rollercoaster ride of adventure, violence and cunning that makes it impossible to turn your eyes away from the screen.

There was little doubt that Jaguar Paw would make it back to his wife and child, but whether they would have survived down the abyss and to what ends Jaguar would have to endure in an effort to continue is anything but expected.

And therein lies the movie's genius. The story, also co-written by Gibson, does a remarkable job of using the environments perils as a prop to further strain the tension of the chase. Whether it is the waterfalls and quicksand that must be challenged or the animals which include jaguars, snakes, toads and monkey's, Gibson ensures that elements play just as much a part of the danger as does the savage tribesmen chasing in toe.

Remarkably, through all of the stress and violence of the chase, Apocalypto is able to pack a small emotional punch at the end of the film. A rarity for a movie as violent as this.

And here comes the warning. Violent is maybe even too simple a word to use in the description of many of the blood soaked scenes. Beheadings, hearts being pulled from living bodies, animals tearing people apart. These are just simple examples of some of the grotesque moments that will make many paying customers squirm in their rented seats. Make no mistake about it, Apocalyto is the most violent film of the past year. Maybe the past few years. Add in the fact that the entire film is subtitled and you better make sure you know what you are about to experience before forking over money and investing the time (i.e. this is not exactly a 'date movie').

But that doesn't take away from the film's beauty. Majestically photographed in Mexico, the film captures the splendor of the landscape - even though the film will do nothing for the tourism trade, and through the brutality we can still experience the wonder.

Apocalypto ends up being one of the more interesting and fascinating films. And only when the film fades to black and the words, 'Directed by Mel Gibson' appears on the screen do you even spare a moment thinking about its creator.