Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Apocalypto Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 2, 2008

A breathtaking account of the downfall of the Mayan civilization, Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" (2006) is a film of unparalleled imagination. Pondering the causes behind the subtle demise of the Mayan civilization while resorting to controversial themes about violence, racial superiority, and the erosion of human values pic blends perfectly heart-stopping action with stylish cinematography. In the United Kingdom "Apocalypto" is released by Icon Film Distribution.

While hunting, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) and his fellow tribesmen encounter a large group of Indians running away from an evil and very powerful clan. Unaware that soon they will also have to run for their lives, Jaguar Paw and his friends return to their village. They dance, laugh, and enjoy the gifts of nature.

Soon, their tribe is attacked and practically exterminated. Those who survive the massive carnage are taken away to a large city in the middle of the jungle. There, the captives are prepared for a ritual bloodbath meant to appease the powerful Mayan God Kukulcan. Moments before Jaguar Paw is to be beheaded, a solar eclipse occurs. His and his tribesmen's lives are spared temporarily. The captives are taken away from Kukulcan's temple and thrown into a large gaming filed. There, they are to be killed in a perverse game of survial. The game takes an unusual turn when Jaguar Paw manages to escape.

Jaguar Paw

For all the criticism Apocalypto generated immediately after it was released, it is probably fair to say that only a small percentage of it was directly inspired by the film's strengths and weaknesses; and as far as I am concerned, the strengths dramatically outweighed the weaknesses. From the breathtaking visuals, to the terrific script, to the impressive tempo the story sustains Apocalypto is indeed an epic picture of paramount proportions.

Why was Apoclaypto dismissed then? Well, the easy and politically-correct answer is because certain critics did not like the manner in which the demise of the Mayan civilization is portrayed. The gore, killings, and violence here are indeed in abundance and, as integral parts of the story, consistently brought up to the viewer's attention; one could certainly argue that they detract from the message Apocalypto harbors. With other words, the main concern was that the entertainment appeal of Apocalypto was effectively negating its ability to present credible points of view as to why the Mayan culture vanished. Fine, these are debatable points a lot of us can agree or disagree with.

The politically-incorrect answer is: Apocalypto was immediately dismissed because it was the product of a man whose off the set antics rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Some were convinced that the message Apocalypto strived to deliver was a well thought of political statement, with a completely different recipient in mind; one that had nothing to do with the Mayan civilization. If you happen to have a wild imagination, in addition to a number of very specific feelings I choose not to name, this could indeed be a valid point to argue. As far as I am concerned, however, Apocalypto not only does not promote any such sentiments, but those who accused its director of ill-political sentiments are probably just as easy to blame for instigating them, if not more, as is the Aussie director.

Now back to the actual film.

From a purely technical point of view, Apocalypto is a dazzling spectacle with so much flavor and color that occasionally it feels a tad overdone, even bizarre if you will. For example, the horror and death surrounding the Mayans are emphasized with chilling scenes unlike anything we've seen in other similarly themed films (the mass grave Jaguar Paw passes on his way to the jungle filled with beheaded bodies is gut-wrenching). Yet, strangely enough, these are also scenes full of vibrant colors belonging to a strange environment where the graphic killings are both repulsive and elegant at the same time. On the other hand, the sense of impending doom detectable throughout Apocalypto is also effectively instilled by James Horner's calming but but very dark soundtrack, which makes for an even more perplexing experience.

Finally, John Wright's film editing is one of the key reasons why Apocalypto resonates so well with different audiences. The consistent tempo of the narrative must have eliminated a lot of the concerns some expressed prior to seeing the film, particularly in regard to the use of Mayan. Suffice to say, it was the right decision for Mel Gibson to tell his story with the employment of the Mayan language as it effectively transforms Apoclaypto into one of the most unusual and genuinely original films to be made during the last fifteen years.

Apocalypto Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p, transfer Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is distributed in the United Kingdom by Icon Film Distribution.

The transfer for this release appears to be identical to the one seen on the US release by Buena Vista. Detail is breathtaking, contrast absolutely astounding and clarity amongst the best I have seen on Blu-ray. The color-scheme is equally strong: the lush colors seen throughout the film are so impressive that at times it is nearly impossible to focus on the story (or reading the subtitles). The rich greens of the jungle, the blues, browns and yellows prevalent at the Mayan city as well as the deep blacks (the well fragments) are all simply perfect. Grain on the other hand is practically unnoticeable. Given the manner in which Apocalypto was shot, the sharp, at times piercing, visuals are indeed a byproduct of Mel Gibson's stylistic and technical preferences. This being said, during fast-motion scenes, occasionally you will notice a tiny dose of blurring, but I must assure you that this is also something that is inherited from the original master elements. The effect is by no means related to the actual Blu-ray transfer. Finally, I must also note that the actual quality of the transfer provided by Icon Film Distribution is nothing short of spectacular - it is free of dirt, specks and debris. (Note: This UK-produced disc is region-B "locked". Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Apocalypto Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Apocalypto boasts a terrific uncompressed audio track: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) in addition to a standard 5.1 Dolby Digital mix. It has been awhile now since Mel Gibson's film was released on Blu-ray but to this day I remain convinced that what Buena Vista delivered, and in this case what I hear on this UK disc, in terms of audio quality is amongst the top-jobs we've heard from the majors. There is terrific depth, excellent surround effects, and clarity of sound that you will hear on this PCM 5.1 mix. Furthermore, everything appears to be balanced extremely well and even during some of the more problematic scenes (the temple executions) where there are multiple lines of noise arriving from all directions the mix handles everything very well. To those of you interested in nuance I recommend that you listen very carefully to the release scene where the main protagonist and his fellow tribesmen are thrown into the playground and asked to run for their lives. The subtle movement in the surrounds here is incredible and it truly feels like flying stones, arrows, etc are falling right next to you. The actual dialog on the other hand is handled just as impressively, it is crystal clear and very easy to follow. The ambient soundtrack by James Horner is the icing of the cake as it effectively grants Apocalypto with a distinctively dark flavor that compliments the impressive visuals superbly. To sum it all up, the audio treatment here is practically flawless and truly indicative of what Blu-ray is capable of. Optional English, French, Spanish, and English HOH sub-tracks are offered.

Apocalypto Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In addition to a "Movie Showcase" where one gets direct access to what the producers of this release believe are the most impressive scenes on this disc there is also a large deleted scene with an optional commentary by the director of Apocalypto Mel Gibson as well as writer and co-producer Farhard Safina. I don't believe that the scene adds substantially more to what the film achieves easily but the comments that are provided with it are quite interesting. Next is "Becoming Mayan: Creating Apocalypto", a massive documentary tracing the history of the Mayan civilization as well as focusing on a lot of the challenges Mel Gibson and his crew faced while working on the film. The authentic footage from the sets is very interesting as it shows the degree of detail that was demanded and achieved by the producers of Apocalypto. The costumes, body language, and accessories are all important elements to keep an eye here. Finally, this Blu-ray disc offers a full-blown commentary with Mel Gibson and Farhard Safinia where the two go discuss in detail the message of the film, its history, how it was made a reality, the enormous difficulties they faced, and most importantly how specific scenes were shot (the bloody temple scene comments are indeed worth every penny).

Apocalypto Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For better or worse, the release of Apocalypto inspired a lot more critics to talk about Mel Gibson's persona than his film. In fact, it got downright embarrassing to listen to the never-ending streaks of disclaimers explaining how the director's antics were more indicative of his work than his...work. I hope this is all over now. This said, after The Passion of the Christ, and now Apocalypto, it is clearer than ever that Mel Gibson is just as effective behind the camera as he is in front ot it. Very Highly Recommended.