MEL GIBSON'S APOCALYPTO — *** — Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez; in Mayan, with English subtitles; rated R (violence, gore, nudity, profanity, vulgarity, brief sex, brief drugs).
Embattled filmmaker Mel Gibson's name is included in the title of his latest movie for purely commercial reasons. After all, "Mel Gibson's Apocalypto" features no recognizable actors in its cast, and its spoken dialogue is entirely in a language other than English (though there are, of course, English subtitles).
So the assumption is that this film needs some sort of cachet and that Gibson's name will be a box-office draw.
But as it turns out, the film doesn't need that sort of trickery to hold our interest. Nor does it need to be in English.
"Apocalypto" is a rousing human drama, the sort of historical epic that holds attention throughout — even if it does feature the sort of bombastic, overblown ending that Gibson's films are known for.
And it should be noted that this one is every bit as graphic — and perhaps even more so — as "Braveheart" and "The Passion of the Christ." The blood-soaked action sequences in "Apocalypto" are definitely not for the squeamish or the faint of heart.
The cast is largely made up of newcomers. Rudy Youngblood stars as Jaguar Paw, a young Mayan hunter whose way of life is threatened when fierce warriors invade his village. Fortunately, Jaguar Paw is able to whisk away his pregnant wife, Seven (Dalia Hernandez), and young son, Turtle Run (Carlos Emilio Baez), to safety during the melee. But he is captured when he returns to help his fellow warriors.
Jaguar Paw and his fellow prisoners have a gruesome fate waiting them. They're being taken away to serve as ritual sacrifices meant to appease the gods. Meanwhile, Seven and Turtle Run are trapped in an underground cavern with no chance of escape, and their chances for survival appear to be even more dire.
Gibson and co-screenwriter Farhad Safinia have created some memorably intriguing characters. Jaguar Paw's dual dilemmas fuel the story, and we really grow to care for the character.
But credit should also go to the fierce-eyed Youngblood and Hernandez for making their onscreen relationship so believable. And youngster Baez is completely natural, which is even more incredible when you consider that he's speaking an ancient language. American Indian actor Raoul Trujillo is a great villain as well.
"Mel Gibson's Apocalypto" is rated R for strong scenes of violence (hand-to-hand combat, stabbings, impalings, arrow fire and violence against women, some of it sexual), graphic gore, native nudity, sexual language and humor (profanity, vulgar slang, suggestive talk), a brief humorous sex scene (overheard), and brief drug content (use of poison darts). Running time: 138 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com