Apocalypto (2006)

Director:

Mel Gibson

Writers:

Mel Gibson (written by) &
Farhad Safinia (written by)

Release Date:

8 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

When the end comes, not everyone is ready to go

Plot:

As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, the rulers insist the key to prosperity is to build more temples and offer human sacrifices. Jaguar Paw, a young man captured for sacrifice, flees to avoid his fate.

Plot Keywords:

Tribe | Jaguar | Temple | Maya | Human Sacrifice

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Rudy Youngblood	...	Jaguar Paw
Dalia Hernández	...	Seven
Jonathan Brewer	...	Blunted
Morris Birdyellowhead	...	Flint Sky
Carlos Emilio Báez	...	Turtles Run
Amilcar Ramírez	...	Curl Nose
Israel Contreras	...	Smoke Frog
Israel Ríos	...	Cocoa Leaf
María Isabel Díaz	...	Mother in Law (as Isabel Diaz)
Espiridion Acosta Cache	...	Old Story Teller
Mayra Serbulo	...	Young Woman
Iazua Larios	...	Sky Flower
Lorena Heranandez	...	Village Girl
Itandehui Gutierrez	...	Wife
Sayuri Gutierrez	...	Eldest Daughter

Also Known As:

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sequences of graphic violence and disturbing images.

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Maya

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Ireland:15A | Germany:18 | UK:18 | Australia:MA | Israel:18 | Argentina:18 | Malaysia:18PL | China:(Banned) | Indonesia:Dewasa | Thailand:R-14 | Philippines:R-18 | Taiwan:R-18 | Finland:K-15 | Hong Kong:III | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Italy:T (original rating) | France:-12 | Canada:14A (Alberta) | South Africa:16 (V) | Italy:VM14 (re-rated) (court decision) (2007) | South Korea:18 | Norway:15 (original rating) | Norway:18 (re-rating) | Poland:18 | USA:R (certificate #42915) | Brazil:16 | Hungary:18 | Japan:R-15 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | New Zealand:R16 | Sweden:15 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico

Company:

Icon Entertainment International

Trivia:

Mel Gibson makes a brief (nearly hidden) appearance in the Apocolypto trailer. Click the pause button when the screaming monkey appears (a little bit after the pregnant woman, but before the solar eclipse) then use the left arrow (button) to step the video back, frame by frame, to the guys painted white. Step back another frame or two and you'll see Mel, with a lot of beard, smoking a cigar.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jaguar Paw is in the trees and sees the torch lights of the hunting party, the close up shows his labret (lip) piercing missing. When he turns around, the piercing is back again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
title card: "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." W. Durant

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition (#4.12)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

¿He De Dejar Las Bellas Flores?

The Perfect Action Movie

I'll keep this review short. I'm dense as to what "message" Apocalypto may have been trying to send. I'm not convinced it's a message movie at all. The film's value lies in its limitless ability to pump adrenaline. The movie belongs in the action section when it goes to video. And in that genre, hardly another movie will be able to hold a candle to it.

Apocalypto delivers a rush that does not let up. Once the real action starts, brilliant images unlike any showcased in cinema flash across the screen with dizzying speed. Repeatedly and without letting up, the movie features scene after scene that hits the perfect note, which is always a high-pitched one filled with tension. Apocalypto is the perfect action film, punctuating its frenzy of activity with beautiful and surprising images.