8 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
A mythic action-adventure set 600 years ago against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When his idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.
Starring: Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Jonathan Brewer, Morris Birdyellowhead, Carlos Emilio BaezEpic | 100% |
Action | 83% |
Period | 75% |
Drama | 43% |
Foreign | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Mayan: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Mayan: LPCM 2.0
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Mel Gibson likes violence. It’s mother’s milk to him, especially with most of his directorial choices. There was 1995’s “Braveheart,” which hid tremendous bodily harm behind a traditional historical drama, also testing rear-ends with a three-hour run time. Gibson was rewarded with big box office and Oscar gold, empowering him to go deeper into the darkness of human behavior with 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” where he tried to visualize biblical suffering by showcasing all manner of torture and death. Gibson was once again rewarded with huge box office, with most of the bucks going directly to him after a self-financing leap of faith paid off enormously. Trying his luck once again with history and horror, Gibson captures Mayan mayhem with 2006’s “Apocalypto,” looking to mix cultural imagery with a B-movie-style survival/revenge picture, keeping up his interests in screen pain with another marathon of men facing certain doom from the ruling class.
Originally released on Blu-ray in 2007, "Apocalypto" has been reissued by Samuel Goldwyn Films. A remaster doesn't appear to have occurred, but the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation only really struggles mildly with delineation, finding periodic solidification with dense hair and dimly lit cave survival scenes (HD cinematography limitations are noticeable as well). Detail comes through impressively at times, delivering a sharp view of skin particulars, and makeup achievements are crisp, picking up on fleshy ornamentation and jagged hair design. Costumes are also quite textured. Jungle travel and temple gatherings are dimensional, with a full look at swelling crowds. Colors are exact, offering significant skintones and more decorated characters, including blue paint and red blood. Greenery is lush. Source is in good condition.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides an immersive listening event for "Apocalypto," which uses surrounds for evocative jungle atmospherics, capturing wildlife and wind movement. Crowd bustle and rushing water also pushes out. Dialogue exchanges are clear, preserving emotional performances and more active scenes of panic. Scoring cues handle with distinct instrumentation and comfortable position, supporting suspense needs. Low-end delivers some thump with violence and pounding waterfall jumps.
The Samuel Goldwyn Films release puts "Apocalypto" back in circulation, only without most of its original supplementary features and subtitle options. There doesn't seem to be any significant improvement with A/V offerings, but for those who aren't interested in paying big bucks for the 2007 Disney release, here's a chance to acquire Gibson's adventure tale for a much more affordable price.
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