Why Is This Mel Smiling?

Nick Gillespie | December 8, 2006

Because the reviews of his new Mayan action flick, Apocalypto, are pretty damn good. Culled from Movies.com's roundup of reactions are blurbs such as: "an absorbing drama," "… astonishing, id-soaked …,", "… a first-rate epic …," " ...surprises us right from the start …," "… quite thrilling," "… pure adrenaline …," and "… a remarkable film."

And there's this from Movies.com's house critic:

Is it not enough that Mel Gibson keeps us all entertained with his religious nutjobbery, his drunk driving, his leering mug shot, his anti-Semitic remarks, his arrest resisting and his whip-smart ability to think up — while completely drunk — crazy new misogynist endearments? Hasn't he entertained us all enough? The answer is no, he hasn't. He's only getting started. Because this movie is a totally entertaining and pointless blast of the grossest, nuttiest stuff I've seen in a big Hollywood movie all year — the Jackass of ancient Mayan stunts. Thank you, Mel Gibson. You won't be getting any Oscars, but you helped me to laugh at life again.

More here.

Whatever else you can say about Mad Mel (and there's plenty), if Apocalypto does good box office, he'll be about the only director ever to score back to back hits with films in really foreign--even dead--languages.