The Patriot (R) No Rating

Mel shouts out another history lesson in this cornball colonial confection.

Story

The Devlin/Emmerich team returns this Independence Day, but this time

the only aliens getting their butts kicked are the British. In what’s

more a traditional action flick than historical drama penned by "Saving

Private Ryan" scribe Robert Rodat, Mel Gibson plays a widower tending to

farm and family during the American Revolution. His eldest son (Heath

Ledger) is itching to enlist, but pacifist dad puts the kibosh on that

plan. When an absurdly evil pack of Redcoats kills one of the brood, the

gentle farmer takes his idealistic son and his trusty hatchet to dish

out payback to the King’s army.

Acting

Don’t bother showing him the script. Crowd-pleaser Gibson won’t need it,

since he’s going to do his badass rebel/hero thing anyway. Thrill as

this colonial super-soldier wastes 20 Brits with a hatchet and smirk!

Weep as his sulky infant daughter spurns her absentee papa! Fall in love

all over as our hero romances his dead wife’s sister (Joely Richardson)!

Then again, don’t bother. And Ledger is certain to set hearts aflutter

in the ’N Sync crowd.

Direction

No one’s expecting subtlety from the team that brought us "Godzilla,"

but "The Patriot" relentlessly wrings the bitter last drop of emotion

out of every scene of this predictable 2 1/2 hour "epic." Emmerich

deserves some credit, though, for the impressive battle scenes that

often make this flick seem like an unauthorized prequel to "Private

Ryan."

Bottom Line

Better than a bayonet through the stomach, but ultimately a

star-spangled bore.