Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Apocalypto

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Posted by Justin Gorka (Member # 3727) on 01-05-2007, 02:24 PM:

The last half hour is good (if you can stay awake that long).

Dreary soundtrack, excelent cinematography. just very hard work, the story's a bit crap too!

Subtitles didn't matter much as there was little dialogue anyway.

3/10 could do better

[ 01-24-2007, 12:36 PM: Message edited by: Aaron Sisemore ]

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 01-05-2007, 03:17 PM:

I thought it was OK, not great, but not bad either, entertaining but not engrossing.
Apart from the stupid title - "Apocalypto" simply sounds too much like "Orgazmo" and I wonder what the title is supposed to mean, the movie has nothing to do with an apocalypse of any kind - I like that Gibson tries to create a somehow "authentic" athmosphere in his movies by shooting them in "original" languages.
But then the archaeological and historical facts seemed very confused, and the people in the movie didn't look like the Mayas I saw when I was in Yucatán at all.

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 01-05-2007, 04:26 PM:

Crazy Mel! watch the teaser trailer for the film and see if you can spot this one single frame of Mel with ajoint in his mouth.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 01-07-2007, 08:56 PM:

Saw this at the Empire Leicester Square, massive screen and 56kw THX sound really made the excellent cinematography and soundtrack stand out. Very good digital presentation. Thought the plot was decent but lacking detail, which was made up for by the gore and the action sequences. Actors were really convincing, was a nice touch with the dialect. Probably 3.75 out of 5!

"the movie has nothing to do with an apocalypse of any kind"

There are two references to an apocalypse. Firstly the villagers are captured to be sacrificed because the crops have failed, the religious leaders are trying to appease the wrath of their sun-god. The second and actual apocalypse was when the Spanish appear at the end of the film, they wiped out the civilisation eventually.

"But then the archaeological and historical facts seemed very confused, and the people in the movie didn't look like the Mayas I saw when I was in Yucatán at all."

I think you have to suspend disbelief quite a bit for this kind of film to work. Have heard this is meant to be a controversial film, it's nothing more than a well-done action piece.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 01-10-2007, 06:36 PM:

Psst....it's Apocalypto

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 01-12-2007, 12:50 PM:

This movie is ridiculous. I'm sick and tired of Mel Gibson's apparent obsession with extreme violence. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST was interesting in the sense that no one had really told that story before using the conventions of the Italian zombie movies of the 70's. APOCALYPTO, on the other hand, is just gross. I really didn't need to see a guy eat testicals. That wasn't high on my list of things to do.

Posted by Paul Burt (Member # 3743) on 01-13-2007, 11:36 AM:

I've been avoiding this film because of the reports of ultra-violence. I saw TPOTC and I thought it was depraved and disgusting. Barely a hint of spirituality, but plenty of grotesque sadism rendered in loving detail. What's with Mel's fetish for graphic violence, anyway?

Posted by Carol May (Member # 4068) on 01-23-2007, 09:37 PM:

I just saw the first 2 1/2 to 3 minutes of Apocalypto on a screener. Where's one of those little graemlins puking?

Why does anyone consider this movie to be remotely mainstream, possibly Oscar worthy, but they would never say as much about Saw I, II and III? Whatever the movie might have going for it, when it looked like that Maya man was about to eat the boar's testicles, that was more than enough for me. I'd already seen the kill and the parsing out of organs.