Apocalypto (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] I was surprised at how much this film has been forgotten. Apocalypto is Mel Gibson's best film. It doesn't look like much at first glance because the trailer is not remotely interesting, and quite… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] I was surprised at how much this film has been forgotten. Apocalypto is Mel Gibson's best film. It doesn't look like much at first glance because the trailer is not remotely interesting, and quite dull. But it's actually filled with violence and a great deal of thrills and shocks. It's filmed beautifully, like Passion Of The Christ but has a clearer meaning and a more developed hero. Everything about it is more engaging, affectionate and ironically, more passionate. The environments and set pieces are positively breathtaking and the costume design is absolutely marvelous. I really liked Passion Of The Christ for a lot of reasons but Apocalypto, is Gibson's masterpiece.

• Sophie B

  
  Although slow and sometimes difficult to understand, this is truly a visual masterpiece with so many brilliant performances it's hard to choose who to credit first. A fantastic voyage of a story which integrates you with these people and allows you to feel part of the gang; but… More
  Although slow and sometimes difficult to understand, this is truly a visual masterpiece with so many brilliant performances it's hard to choose who to credit first. A fantastic voyage of a story which integrates you with these people and allows you to feel part of the gang; but then that's all spoiled by the ending which confuses my sense of time. At first it seems to be of the Mayan era but then the ships come along with a completely different period of clothing. I'm not sure if this was intentional to show that such barbarism was still in full swing in 'modern' times or to just be annoying. Good film though.

• paul o

  
  Ehhhhh, it was alright. Mel Gibson directing this doesn't really change the lack of character development and simple story. The acting from unknown actors is good but not convincing. Some of the stories flaws may also be an issue to some. A mediocre film.

• Jens S

  
  Mel Gibson's decision to start out his mythic south American adventure in a rather amusing way, as we learn about the everyday life of the jungle tribe, is a good one. The natives seem human like you and me before violence shows its ugly head in form of the invading Mayan… More
  Mel Gibson's decision to start out his mythic south American adventure in a rather amusing way, as we learn about the everyday life of the jungle tribe, is a good one. The natives seem human like you and me before violence shows its ugly head in form of the invading Mayan civilization. What follows is a very bloodthirsty and visually stunning middle part that has some really disconcerting and unpleasant yet fascinating scenes. Sadly, the last third of the film turns into a rather regular "hunted turns into the hunter"-action finale, which doesn't entirely live up to the prophetic implications of the title even with the outlook on the arriving ships from Europe. Still, a brave attempt, entertaining and well made.

• Matthew S

  
  Though noble and ambitious in its efforts to make the ancient Mayan people relatable and ordinary, with senses of humor and similar domestic worries of health and family, we are stretched a bit thin with too many characters for a "chase movie." The level of disturbing… More
  Though noble and ambitious in its efforts to make the ancient Mayan people relatable and ordinary, with senses of humor and similar domestic worries of health and family, we are stretched a bit thin with too many characters for a "chase movie." The level of disturbing violence is reminiscent of Mel's past writer/director projects. A part of me understand why he wants to show the awful brutality of men, but once again it seems he can't stop taking it too far and unintentionally making it look cartoony (yet, oddly, all of the children are ignored. Maybe even Mel has his limits?). The costume designs are captivating, but the camera work and editing is often somewhere between an episode of LOST and a reenactment production for a television documentary. Still, it was enjoyable to see a big budget film truly dedicated to the Mayan culture and this moment of history.

• Jeff "

  
  Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is a near flawless historical epic. This is easily the best film that Mel Gibson has directed since Braveheart. What can I say; I just enjoy historical epics like this and Braveheart. Apocalypto is a stunning film both in conception and the way it was… More
  Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is a near flawless historical epic. This is easily the best film that Mel Gibson has directed since Braveheart. What can I say; I just enjoy historical epics like this and Braveheart. Apocalypto is a stunning film both in conception and the way it was shot. I've always been fascinated with the Mayans and Aztecs. Apocalypto was quite a film to watch, and I enjoyed the historical significance that the film showed. This is a terrific film that will definitely appeal to people that are interested in the Mayan Culture. I thought that this film was far better than Passion of the Christ, and thought I didn't hate that one, I simply preferred this one. Apocalypto is a great film. The cast do a terrific job in their roles. Apocalypto is a phenomenal epic and is one of Mel Gibson's strongest directorial efforts. The film has an engaging story and shows some of the historical aspects of the Mayan civilization. The film is brilliant, very much authentic, and though is not 100% accurate; for the most part the film is accurate enough to give you an idea of what the Mayans were like. This is a stunning film that is a definite must see for historical buffs and should also be seen by viewers who enjoy sweeping epics. A very accurate portrait, one that is both equally brutal and beautiful of one of history's most fascinating civilizations.

• Eric A

  
  Wow, what a brilliant and artistic movie. The current 64% on here is wayyyy lower than what this movie truly deserves. One of the few films that engages you to the point that you forget you are watching a movie, and makes you feel like you are actually part of it.

• Melvin W

  
  Jaguar Paw: I am Jaguar Paw! This is my forest! My sons and their sons will hunt here after I am gone! "When the end comes, not everyone is ready to go" Apocalypto, after a dumb start, turned out to be a really powerful and rewarding film from Mel Gibson. The movie… More
  Jaguar Paw: I am Jaguar Paw! This is my forest! My sons and their sons will hunt here after I am gone! "When the end comes, not everyone is ready to go" Apocalypto, after a dumb start, turned out to be a really powerful and rewarding film from Mel Gibson. The movie was a lot more then I thought it was going to be. It turned out to be a story a fight to survive not for ones self, but for the ones he loves. The film, if looked at purely as one man doing what he has to to survive for his family, is actually pretty heartwarming. Which is weird because the rest of the movie is a big, violent, bloody epic. The movie is stunning to watch, with mesmerizing cinematography. There are a few scenes that really stand out from Apocalypto that are pretty much flawless. Among those scenes is an outstanding human sacrifice scene. Anyone who has studied Mayan civilization has an understanding of these sacrifices and it is brought to screen with amazing authenticity. Although there are some perfect scenes, the movie isn't perfect. It drags for good portions of the movie. If you can make it through some slow areas what you're going to get is an extremely well made film from an extraordinary filmmaker. The movie feels real and the camera work, sound and special effects just add to a great story. This is a movie I wish I had seen in theaters. If it looked this good on my little IPad screen, I would have loved to have seen it on the big screen.

• Jameson W

  
  Very good film by Mel Gibson. Good story, but even better action. I absolutely loved the fighting scenes and the chase scenes in particular. The last thirty minutes were so intense. A great movie despite the few historical inaccuracies. I really enjoyed it.

• Conner R

  
  Instead of being a historical epic, Apocalypto is just an extremely human story. It's actually a highly effective suspense plot that is strangely reminiscent of exploitation films from the 70s and 80s. However, nothing about this is in poor quality. The visual atmosphere is… More
  Instead of being a historical epic, Apocalypto is just an extremely human story. It's actually a highly effective suspense plot that is strangely reminiscent of exploitation films from the 70s and 80s. However, nothing about this is in poor quality. The visual atmosphere is completely and utterly flawless. Mel Gibson may not be everyone's favorite person, but you have to admit that he knows how to make a movie look good. In accordance with that, I actually like the simplistic nature of the plot. It allows you to soak in the setting and unfamiliar characters. Now it wouldn't be fair to mention Apocalypto without bringing attention to its extremely violent content and brutally carried message. This has more gore and disturbing mayhem than you might expect, but it was put there for a reason. There isn't much forgiveness in the jungle; no one to save the day or rescue everyone from slaughter. Sure it has a happy ending, but there's a good deal of torment before you get there.

• Tim S

  
  Damned powerful! That's the best way I can describe Mel Gibson's ancient Mayan epic. This film is brutally violent but gorgeous to behold. The story keeps you captivated from the very beginning and doesn't let go. The photography is just gorgeous, and always… More
  Damned powerful! That's the best way I can describe Mel Gibson's ancient Mayan epic. This film is brutally violent but gorgeous to behold. The story keeps you captivated from the very beginning and doesn't let go. The photography is just gorgeous, and always visually interesting. Shot from every possible angle, it somehow gives the film a semi-documentary style.

• Brad W

  
  Here is the thing, it was a okay movie. But in my opinion, it wasn't amazing. The production was great, and the makep and costumes were really realistic. But I didn't really care for the plot much and the characters were really unlikeable. This movie was good, but not… More
  Here is the thing, it was a okay movie. But in my opinion, it wasn't amazing. The production was great, and the makep and costumes were really realistic. But I didn't really care for the plot much and the characters were really unlikeable. This movie was good, but not amazing to me, Mel Gibson is a good director, we can agree on that.

• Bently L

  
  Let's start by saying "Apocalypto" is not for the faint of heart. The violence is very realistic, the gore is sickening, and the plot is very intense. Despite that, "Apocalypto" is an amazing look at the once-great Mayan civilization. The cinematography and… More
  Let's start by saying "Apocalypto" is not for the faint of heart. The violence is very realistic, the gore is sickening, and the plot is very intense. Despite that, "Apocalypto" is an amazing look at the once-great Mayan civilization. The cinematography and acting are amazingly done. Only Mel Gibson can do a movie this good.

• Dan S

  
  A pulse-pounding thriller that is one of the more underrated works of the decade. Just because Mel Gibson might be a hypocritical, nervous-talking, anti-semetic person doesn't mean he can't make a great movie. This is just an outstanding piece from top to bottom, Rudy… More
  A pulse-pounding thriller that is one of the more underrated works of the decade. Just because Mel Gibson might be a hypocritical, nervous-talking, anti-semetic person doesn't mean he can't make a great movie. This is just an outstanding piece from top to bottom, Rudy Youngblood's performance really carries this epic about a character caught in between an important transition in world history, and how the battle for his life results under enormously unfair and violent circumstances. Arguably one of the better thrillers this past decade, with a surprise ending that will catch you completely off guard.

• xGary X

  
  A Mayan tribe is raided and captured by a rival civilisation but young hunter Jaguar Paw escapes in an effort to reach his pregnant wife, still perilously concealed at their village. Anyone expecting (as I was) Dances With Lemurs is in for a big shock; Mel Gibson's name being… More
  A Mayan tribe is raided and captured by a rival civilisation but young hunter Jaguar Paw escapes in an effort to reach his pregnant wife, still perilously concealed at their village. Anyone expecting (as I was) Dances With Lemurs is in for a big shock; Mel Gibson's name being attached to the project evokes certain preconceptions, but this gritty historical drama shatters them all. For a start, in a brave move, the entire film is subtitled which no doubt wrecked a lot of its box office appeal to the hicks but adds an awful lot to its authenticity. I'm no anthropolgist but to me this film had an intense realism to it I've rarely seen; at no time was it conspicuous that I was just watching actors acting. It all seemed brutally, bloodily real and Gibson certainly didn't shy away from the blood and guts. The costumes and use of colour, particularly in the lavish and grotesquely recreated Mayan citadel is extremely effective and I liked the way the plot showed that all civilisations (not just western conquerors) were built on the blood and sweat of the poor and powerless. It did lend itself to some hollywood button pushing; having the young wife both heavily pregnant AND stuck down a well seemed like overkill and the prophesying little girl who was straight out of a J horror film was just plain daft. But as a whole its a vivid and visceral action film that is really rather unique amongst its Hollywood peers. Just try to forget that a certain anti-semitic barbie guzzler was involved and you may actually enjoy it...

• Film C

  
  i dont normally watch subtitiled movies but this is a really good movie! Mel Gibson makes a fantastic directer really worth a watch!

• Mike S

  
  Well-directed and amazingly unique. This is probably as close to real-life as anyone will ever come in depicting the Mayan people. Wonderful cast and cool action scenes, even though it feels like most of the movie consists of running and chasing. I also found the ending a bit dull and… More
  Well-directed and amazingly unique. This is probably as close to real-life as anyone will ever come in depicting the Mayan people. Wonderful cast and cool action scenes, even though it feels like most of the movie consists of running and chasing. I also found the ending a bit dull and unsatisfying, but other than that a terrific film that is visually beautiful and one of the best movies of 2006.

• Randy T

  
  I know its not in vogue or proper to like anything even remotely associated with Mel Gibson right now, but I really enjoyed this film. There, I said it, I enjoyed a Mel Gibson movie. That doesn't mean I'm antisemitic, right? (LOL)

• Alexander W

  
  Its good . Its in South America. Its definately not one for the kids and its "not" got Mel Gibson in. This epic movie based in South America has you gripped to your seat or love one throughout.

• Carlos M

  
  Gibson may have some serious issues, but his insatiable thirst for blood undoubtedly helped him to deliver here an absolutely fantastic, intense, over-violent, terrifying and realistic film.

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