Apocalypto

The latest offering by the controversial Mel Gibson is an action adventure simple in its concept but well directed and acted by a cast of unknowns. The final product is riveting and gripping, violent and lyrical.

It's the story of a tribe of Mayans that is attacked by another tribe in need of slaves and sacrificial bodies to appease the Gods. Our hero, like most of the villagers, is captured. Will he be sacrificed too?

The best aspect of the movie is obviously the cinematography, which is good to the point of turning the jungle into one of the characters, living and breathing.

Apocalypto is a well made, good movie, that keeps you on edge from beginning to end, but it's not for the faint of heart, with its recurring violence and gruesome details.

A lot of people actually complained that the level of violence in the movie was mostly gratuitous, but I think Gibson offers us a pretty realistic picture of what life must have been like for the indigenous tribes living in South America before the arrival of the Spaniards.

If you think you can stomach it, see it. It's worth it.

Grade: 7