Top Five: Mel Gibson Movies
3) Apocalypto (2006)
Mel didn’t star in this movie, but it’s still a Mel Gibson movie. This film a masterpiece and I wouldn’t call that exaggeration. It’s a testament to Mel’s star power that this and Braveheart aren’t even in the top two. The edge I think it has over Braveheart is the sheer brilliance of its pacing. This film changes gears at the perfect rev. Braveheart, as amazing as it is, drags its feet at certain points. It’s nitpicking for the sake of arranging where to put both on this list. What I love about this movie is the hero, Jaguar-Paw, lets raw, protective instinct take over when it comes to his woman and children.
With revenge or patriotism there is the luxury of rest or even dying. But not when fending off threats to your young. Mel expertly builds up the bad guys as the intimidating enemy for this role, and it works all the better when Jaguar finally goes apeshit-alpha after they follow him back home. The lead, Rudy Youngblood, is completely convincing but also vulnerable in the face of brutalising menace. And by the way it’s never violent for the sake of violence. Every frame is beautiful. This is the movie Cameron would never have made (Not couldn’t have) with Avatar.
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