Apocalypto

Apocalypto [potential spoilers]

***this review discusses parts of the plot and may act as a spoiler! If you haven’t yet viewed the film and don’t want spoilers, then perhaps you should return to this review after viewing it. Sincerely, Rammfan518***

At my college, CSU Monterey Bay, they show movies that are in that strange void between out of movie theaters and not yet on video in the World Theater. However, the World Theater was being used, so we watched ‘Apocalypto’ in a walk-in freezer of an auditorium on a screen half the size. That’s ok. . .but we watched a VHS. I hate fullscreen! There’s so much I was missing on those thin sides that are brutally cut off by the fullscreen 4:3 aspect ratio! Ahhh! However, if any movie’s sides are going to be “brutally cut off,” I suppose it should be this one.

Onto the movie now.This movie is pretty dang good. I enjoyed it. . .a lot. The film begins with a nice introduction to the tribe of the good guys. We joke around with them, we see them laugh, tell stories and just have a jolly time. To me, I felt like I wanted to hang out with these people. These people are a fun and loving tribe, so when their village gets attacked, I couldn’t help but be heartbroken. I watched with sad eyes as the bad guys burned their huts, killed their elders and dragged away their women. :( I thought that Juguar Paw’s wife Seven was super-cute and thier child, Turtles Run was pretty funny. I really wanted nothing bad to happen to this family.

So, Jaguar Paw is taken away while his wife and child remain in a sink-hole -kinda-thing to hide until he returns. Jaguar Paw’s trek with his captors is just the beginning of his long journey. I was strangely not affected the sacrifice scene. I suppose I was looking at it from a historical kind of “whoa. . .that’s what it must have been like. . .” standpoint. It was a sad scene, though. . .and somewhat eerie as well. Those big masks of those angry gods and that weird, laughing, chubby boy. And it was sad to see some of the good guys go. :(

The movie gets kicked into overdrive when the Jaguar Paw enters the forest after killing Zero Wolf’s (the main bad guy) son. In order to be free, Jaguar Paw and his friends have to run and make it into the jungle while shit is being shot and thrown at them. Jaguar Paw kills Zero Wolf’s son (his son was the “finisher,” kindof like the last defensive player when you’re on your way to a touchdown) and makes it to the jungle, but the bad guys pursue him anyway. I was like “but you said if he made it to Jungle he was free!” Good thing Jaguar Paw didn’t stand around and ask about the rules. That dude ran. . .and fast. ..and a lot.

I have to say this is when the movie gets even more awesome. Jaguar Paw is already a cool guy, but we truly see his badassness in the way he outwits his enemies to return to the family he loves. Awesome stuff. With each kill he gets, Zero Wolf just gets more angry, even the point of killing one of his own men. Zero Wolf will stop at nothing to kill Jaguar Paw and “skin him alive and make him watch me wear it.” I enjoyed seeing Jaguar Paw triumph over his foes who were so relentlessly hunting him.

The ending is pretty intense, with the final fight with that asshole who calls him “Almost”, the rain, and then the scene at the beach. You think Jaguar Paw is free. . .but get to beach and you can say “awww. . .shit. . .now they’re all going to die.” :(
This movie is sad but also an adrenaline rush. It’s like a summer movie (except the action is in context in this film) mixed with a drama. Pretty cool stuff. I recommend it to anyone who likes, well, other humans and their journeys through life. I enjoyed watching Jaguar Paw return to his family. After about two hours of bloodshed and sadness, seeing the family all together again brought a bright smile upon my face.

Now I am just going to talk about the visuals. This movie is beutiful. The lush colors of the jungle, the great big, sprawling city, the mountainsides. . .everything is beautiful. The camerawork was excellent, I thought. Swooping shots and all that jazz. Another excellent thing about this movie is the language. It is not in English (movie kinda woulda been lame if it was), but in some ancient Mayan language. This totally immerses you into the movie. Awesome.

I kept wondering what I would be like in that culture. Or more specifically what I would look like. What would my hair look like? Where would my piercings be? My tattoos? My name? I’ve always wondered what my name would be. . .I kinda want to find out.
So, in conclusion: Good story, good characters, good drama, nice visuals, crazy adventure. . .I want to own this movie.

(Read Less...)

Recommendations: (500) Days Of Summer (Marc Webb, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-03-12 16:32:40 by rammfan518

Apocalypto

After some concise, simplistic character development, Apocalyptothrows our main protagonist headfirst into a nonstop, tightly paced adventure that will suck you right in from the very first moment. The movie is shot in such a way that it makes you feel as if you are along for this frightening ride with “Jaguar Paw” as he and his fellow tribesmen are tortured and beaten along the way to their impending sacrifice.  His motivation to escape is so overwhelming, that there is nothing that will stop him from getting back to his preggers wife and son, and the tension built from him looking for any opening to escape is incredible. With the use of Yucatec Maya dialogue, the amazing nobody acting and the true to history locations and costume design,Apocalypto is like watching history come to life in the truest sense.

(Read Less...)

Recommendations: High Plains Drifter , Dalkomhan insaeng , Dial M for Murder

Last updated: 2010-03-09 23:56:07 by Mattsuzaka