Advantages: GREAT movie
Disadvantages: not much extra stuff

...I have not long finished watching the Patriot on DVD and I thought I may as well write an op, and tell everyone what its like. But just as important earn myself 10p! INFO ~~~~ Movie Runtime: 158 mins Director: Roland Emmerich THE STARS ~~~~~~~~~ Mel Gibson - Benjamin Martin Heath Ledger - Grbriel Martin Jason Isaacs - Col. William Tavington Tom Wilkinson - Gen. Cornwallis THE MOVIE ~~~~~~~~~ The movie part of the DVD features a Wide Screen playing of the film in either English or Hungarian. Capable of relaying in surround sound. The norm for DVD's. Benjamin Martin was a viscous war hero and ruthless killer turned into a heavily devoted family man with the aid of his late wife. Now with seven children he opposes a call to arms against the British 'RedCoats' in the Revolution War in the late 18th... Read review

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Advantages: Great visuals and great acting by Mel Gibson
Disadvantages: weak storyline

...of being called a coward. His eighteen-year-old son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), however is of the opposite opinion. He is highly patriotic and he joins the fight for his homeland. This displeases his father but he lets him go to the battlefield. Gabriel returns home wounded one night and Benjamin takes it upon himself to look after him and the other hurt soldiers. When the Green Dragoons led by the English Colonel Tavington (Jason Isaacs) come to mow about this they come up to Benjamin’s house. Gabriel is captured and Thomas (Gregory Smith), Benjamin’s 15-year-old son is cold bloodedly murdered. Lord Tavington also threatens the whole family and the murder and all things put together makes Benjamin furious and the warrior in him takes over and he decides to fight the Green Dragoons and exact a justified revenge. Then follows a plan to rescue... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing film
Disadvantages: none

...The Patriot is America's version of Braveheart! I guess Mel Gibson hates the English... The Patriot is an epic movie, in a sense. It's about 2 hours 45 minutes long, but you never want the movie to end. The battle scenes were spectacular, as well. Some of the scenes are filled with gore, just like Braveheart was. One bad thing is that there really aren't many big battle scenes - most of the stuff is small skirmishes. There are even some pretty funny jokes in the movie. Another bad thing was that it was obvious that some of the scenes were left out of the movie. At the end of the movie, someone is carrying a baby and it seems that baby came out of nowhere. Anyways, if you liked Braveheart, you'll like The Patriot.... Read review

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Advantages: Good action-packed viewing!
Disadvantages: Historically inaccurate

...to fight an honorable battle. On the other hand, Tavington is not. He believes the rebels are scum, and slaughters civilians, women, and children. Isaacs is a good villain, but somewhat one-dimensional. He has beady little eyes and sneers through the entire movie. The murder of one of Martin's son is what sets Martin off the edge. Martin joins the fight, not necessarily for freedom, but for revenge. Martin will not stop until he personally kills Tavington. The role of Martin is not a stretch for Gibson (remember Ransom?) Gibson is effective as Martin, but not spectacular. A lot of time is spent initially having Martin display his love for his family. He believes family is his responsibility, so he will not fight. The Patriot pushes this strongly, to ensure the believability of his entrance into war. However, watching Gibson ride in slow... Read review

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Advantages: Great Movie
Disadvantages: Similar to Braveheart

...Aimed directly at a mainstream audience, The Patriot qualifies as respectable entertainment, but anyone expecting a definitive drama about the American Revolution should look elsewhere. Rising above the blatant crowd pleasing of Stargate, Independence Day and Godzilla, director Roland Emmerich crafts a marvellous re-creation of South Carolina in the late 1770s (aided immeasurably by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel), and Robert Rodat's screenplay offers the same balance of epic scale and emotional urgency that elevated his earlier script for Saving Private Ryan. Unfortunately, Emmerich embraces clichés and hackneyed melodrama that a more gifted director would have avoided. Instead of attempting a truly great film about the most pivotal years of American history, Emmerich settles for a standard revenge plot with the Revolutionary War... Read review

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Advantages: Great acting, well crafted plot, enjoyable in the extreme
Disadvantages: Some may take it as historical reference, rather than a story

...us closer to the terrors of war, and to make us realise that it wasn't at all pleasant. Films like 'Saving Private Ryan' and other similar efforts gave us a truer picture of war – dirt, noise, blood, and people dying. The Patriot is one such film – it shows war in all it's gory and horrifying details. And it also shows how war can affect everyone – no matter where their standing in the battle, be it on the front lines or in their homes. War is universal in its scope – it affects all and spares none. This film shows this to great effect, and leaves you in no doubt as to what war meant to the people of history. So, to the film itself. Based in the times of the American War of Independence with the British, in the 1770s. The story centres around Benjamin Martin (played by Mel Gibson), who, after fighting bravely... Read review

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Advantages: history lesson, well acted, excellent special effects
Disadvantages: Definitely not suitable for kids - some battlefield scenes are much too gory

...I can watch Mel Gibson any time, and yet again he's made another brilliant movie. Seems as if he's really picking his parts now. This was definitely an enjoyable two and a half hours watching yet another of his epics. This time, "The Patriot". It was brilliant. And there were a few twists that were totally unexpected - where you think you know what's going to happen because of the pre-movie synopsis. I was thinking, ok this is where this happens - and it didn't! This was filmed on location in South Carolina, where I now live, and it brought American history to life in all it's gory reality. The stupidity of the old-fashioned way that men fought wars, lines of infantry marching towards each other. The brutality of what men will do to each other if pushed far enough. Or if he relishes the act of killing. The strengths... Read review

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Advantages: Good acting
Disadvantages: Weak plot and storyline

...Maybe this film should have been called Braveheart 2 I think personally that this film is overrated, maybe it is because I am british and I don't like the thought of our american cousins getting one over us. On the other hand maybe its because the storyline was in my opinion weak and therefore it was dragged out too far over the length of the film. I had great expectations of The Patriot as Braveheart was such a great film, its unfortunate that this film wasn't made before Braveheart, that way I wouldn't have been that dissapointed with it. As other people have said there were alot of similarities between the two films and because of thatthis film was very predictable, Mel Gibson's acting was again excellent as were the rest of the cast, its just a shame that the storyline didn't do them justice. The fight scenes were varied, some... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing story, outstanding acting
Disadvantages: Can be a bit graphic in places

...The Patriot is the story of one man's forced entry into the American Revolution, following the death of one of this son's at the hands of a British Redcoat. It is a brutal and harrowing tale of the change that the events of the time could have on one man who had a past firmly entrenched in conflict and hostility and wanted to leave it far behind, but found that the world around him didn't feel the same. Pushed into the conflict, Benjamin Martin, finds himself commanding an army of militia and doing what nobody expected him to do, turning the tide of the war with an army of "farmers with pitchforks". Throw in the over-zealous British commander, played with superb malevolence by Jason Isaacs, some absolutely outstanding scenery and locations and you will be drawn into a saga that runs for just over 2 hours 30 minutes and doesn't get... Read review

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Advantages: great epic action, Mel Gibson at his best
Disadvantages: a bit over long

...Mel Gibson is 'The Patriot' - a film set during the American War of Independance in the 18th Century. Directed on a grand scale by Stargate's Roland Emmerich Gibson is a legendary 'war hero' who does not want any part of the War against the English redcoats, just wanting to look after his family and farm. It gets personal when one of his sons gets killed by an evil Redcoat officer and another son is taken prisoner. He singlehandely - well with the aid of two sons aged around 10 and 12 - he wipes out a troop of 20 men, rescues his eldest son and sets out to avenge his other son's death. The film at 2 hours 45 minutes long is a bit too long, I feel. The story is long drawn out - we have the highs and lows, the action, the teerherking parts etc. It is an excellent film, drawing on much ground that Braveheart covered before, plus much... Read review

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