Well, director Mel Gibson is back to tell another one, and it's quite an astonishing one when you see it on paper.
I was instantly excited to see this, as I like Gibson's work and war films, when they're done right. While I think his most successful film Braveheart is not as good as the Academy thought so back in 1995. I still think it is a pretty good film. I actually prefer a later project of his called Apocalypto. It does not get enough credit, and I hope people can discover that in build-up to see his latest feature.
It is safe to say that I was pretty impressed by it, and deserves all the awards recognition it is getting. The first act while solid, does get cheesy at times. But as soon as the action starts, boy does the film get very good and highly captivating. It is non-stop exciting and thrilling and the general feel of the film is extremely uplifting and inspiring.
It is an amazing true story in the some of the harshest environments known to man.
I loved the old school style of structuring and story-telling. It always puts me at ease. Also, it just goes to show that you don't have to be current to tell a story to modern audiences. It felt like I was watching a war film from the 1960's, but obviously with better budget and technology.
Andrew Garfield is terrific in this. He has been in two big films this year, and I think his performance in this was comfortably better then in 'Silence'. In terms of his best of all-time, I still think 'The Social Network' is just a fraction better.
Teresa Palmer was great in it, and her chemistry with Garfield really worked well.
There were a lot of surprising performances from Vince Vaughan, Sam Worthington and Luke Bracey. They were all great. With Vaughan not known for his serious roles except for in 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park', it was great to see him back in this zone. As for Worthington, he gets a lot of undeserved hate for his past work. Yes he's no Laurence Olivier, but I think he's perfectly fine. This was definitely one that took a few by surprise. I can definitely agree with Bracey not being that memorable. But the character he was playing definitely seemed to work for him. I hope this is the start of something big for that man.
Another performance that is worth mentioning is Hugo Weaving. This actor rarely gets mentioned anymore. It is easy to forget how great he has been in films like The Matrix trilogy, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Captain America: The First Avenger and two of my favourite films of all-time, Cloud Atlas and V For Vendetta.
The films strongest aspect is easily the action sequences. They are so on point. I have not seen such brutal battle scenes since Saving Private Ryan, and I am not exaggerating.
Mel Gibson has done another great job with this story. With Gibson directing, you should always expect him to never let up on the violence. I am fine with that, as it shows that are not concerned on appealing to the widest possible audience. As for the violence in the film, it felt true to the environment, and there are moments that are hard to look at.
Another thing you usually see in his films, is religion. I felt there was enough to not de-tract from the main story.
But sadly Gibson can over-the-top, and the violence does that at times for me. It is only a minor criticism, as the heavy majority of the violence is so well executed. Also, the ending felt a bit abrupt. I would have liked a more satisfying scene to end the movie.
It is great to see Gibson back directing again, and he is made another treasure for all of us to enjoy. There are plenty of great moments in this film that I will always look back on, including some incredibly tense moments towards the end. The performances are great, the action is some of the best I have seen from 2016 and the score works well with the visuals.
I know there are some people that are always curious as to how "true" these 'true story' films are. There is a bit at the very end that certainly cements the content you see on screen to not be 'Hollywoodized' at all.
Rating: 8/10
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