Apocalypto

Theatrical Release Date: 2006 12 08 (USA)

UPC: 786936705089

Studio: Touchstone / Disney

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Graphic Violence, Gore]

Summary: As the foundation of the Mayan civilization begins to crumble, one man's previously idyllic existence is forever changed when he is chosen as a sacrifice needed to appease the gods in director Mel Gibson's mythic, end-times adventure. The Mayan kingdom is at the absolute height of opulence and power, but leaders are convinced that unless more temples are constructed and more human sacrifices made, the crops, and ultimately the people, will suffer. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is a peaceful hunter from a remote forest tribe whose life is about to be changed forever. When Jaguar Paw's village is raided and he is prepared as a sacrifice that the Mayan deities have demanded, the brave young hunter is forced to navigate a horrific new world of fear and oppression. Fearlessly determined to escape his captors and save his family from a harrowing demise, Jaguar Paw prepares to risk it all in one final, desperate attempt to preserve his dying way of life. However, few who have seen the sacrificial alter of the Mayans have managed to live to see another day. Now, in order to rescue his pregnant wife and young son, Jaguar Paw will have to elude the most powerful warriors of the Mayan kingdom while using his vast knowledge of the forest to turn the tables on those who would rather see him dead than set free. Inspired by such ancient Mayan texts as the Popul Vuh, Apocalypto marks a comprehensive collaboration between director Gibson, Cambridge-educated screenwriter Farhad Safinia, and world-renowned archeologist and Mayan culture expert Dr. Richard D. Hansen -- whose services as a special consultant on the film lent the production an unprecedented degree of historical accuracy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Action

Awards: Best Foreign Language Film – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Foreign Language Film – null Best Foreign Language Film – London Film Critics Association Best Foreign Language Film – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Foreign Language Film – Satellite Awards Best Cinematography – Phoenix Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – Online Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – American Society of Cinematographers Best Foreign Language Film – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Makeup – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Makeup – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Mixing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Mixing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Mixing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Foreign Language Film – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: "Becoming Mayon: Creating Apocalypto"
Deleted scenes with optional commentary by writer/director/producer Mel Gibson and writer/co-producer Farhad Safinia
Feature audio commentary by writer/director/producer Mel Gibson and writer co-producer Farhad Safinia

Apocalypto

Format: DVD

Release Date: 05/22/2007

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DTS-ESM Digital Theater Pseudo 6.1 System, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 138 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Mel Gibson's Apocalypto
1. Hunters [:00]
2. Safe Passing [:00]
3. Fear [:00]
4. Sacred Gathering [:00]
5. Ravage [8:18]
6. "Don't Be Afraid" [4:44]
7. Safe From Harm [6:13]
8. Cut Loose [3:52]
9. Prophecy [9:24]
10. Place Built of Stone [5:10]
11. Sacrifice [10:42]
12. Day Becomes Night [8:10]
13. Runi [4:13]
14. Man Who Brings the Jaguar [8:20]
15. "I Am Jaguar Paw" [7:40]
16. Reborn of Mud and Earth [1:17]
17. Warrior's Death [5:02]
18. New Beginnings [6:38]
19. Credits [2:17]

Jason Buchanan

An artfully crafted chase film that is as breathless as it is brutal, Mel Gibson's end-times tale of peril is, when all is said and done, a typical action film with some decidedly atypical qualities. Jaguar Paw is a good-natured hunter from a peaceful forest village, but his life is turned upside down when invading Mayans emerge from the trees seeking sacrifices to appease their angered gods and entertain the masses. Despite managing to usher his pregnant wife and young son to safety before being spirited away to an uncertain fate, Jaguar Paw remains determined to escape his captors, rescue his family, and return to the forest where he hunted with his father, and will one day hunt with his children. His desperate quest is complicated, however, by a sadistic group of Mayans who will hunt him to his dying breath. While the subtitles and sweeping trailers may have given some the impression that Gibson's follow-up to The Passion of the Christ was a grandiose epic richly detailing the downfall of a once-powerful kingdom, the fact is that, despite surface appearances, Apocalypto is about as typical an action film as they come. All of the pieces are perfectly in place here -- from the noble young hero on a mission to save his loved ones to the intimidating villain who simply seems too powerful to overcome, his sickeningly sadistic sidekick, and adrenaline-soaked action scenes that will have viewers gripping their seats as they duck to avoid lethal projectiles. It's an absorbing tale of survival punctuated by an extended, expertly crafted chase sequence that will likely elicit sweat from the palms of even the most skeptical of viewers. The fact that the cast is largely comprised of unfamiliar faces and that the film is spoken in an unfamiliar dialect goes a long way in allowing viewers to lose themselves in the story, with Gibson's and co-screenwriter Farhad Safinia's strong eye for character offering colorful details for even some of the most inconsequential of supporting players. In an unusual move for such a seemingly serious-minded film, Gibson and Safinia allow the characters to define themselves not only through their actions in times of great danger, but their humor and warmth in times of peace as well. It's an interesting move, and one that makes the horrific massacre which sets the plot into motion all the more effective. Artistically, the film is a feast for the eyes with awe-inspiring sets, fluid jungle photography, and an appropriately primal score by James Horner punctuated by chest-thumping percussion. Assured editing keeps things moving at a brisk, satisfying pace that stealthily belies its somewhat intimidating running time (well over the two-hour mark). For multiplex viewers willing to give a subtitled action flick a fair shake, Apocalypto delivers the goods with fierce abandon and forceful intensity. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Ned Dowd  Executive Producer 
Mel Gibson  Director 
Mel Gibson  Producer 
Mel Gibson  Screenwriter 
James Horner  Composer (Music Score) 
Bruce Davey  Producer 
Farhad Safinia  Screenwriter 
Vicki Christianson  Executive Producer 
Sergio Miranda  Producer 
Rudy Youngblood  Actor 
Dalia Hernandez  Actor 
Jonathan Brewer  Actor 
Morris Birdyellowhead  Actor 
Carlos Emilio Baez  Actor 
Amilcar Ramirez  Actor 
Israel Contreras  Actor 
Israel Rios  Actor 
Isabel Diaz  Actor 
Espiridion Acosta Cache  Actor 
Mayra Serbulo  Actor 
Iazua Larios  Actor 
Lorena Hernández  Actor 
Itandehui Gutiérrez  Actor 
Sayuri Gutiérrez  Actor 
Hiram Soto  Actor 
José Suárez  Actor 
Raoul Trujillo  Actor 
Gerardo Taracena  Actor 
Rodolfo Palacios  Actor 
Ariel Galván  Actor 
Bernando Ruíz  Actor 
Ricardo Díaz Mendoza  Actor 
Richard Can  Actor 
Carlos Ramos  Actor 
Ammel Rodrigo Mendoza  Actor 
Marco Antonio Argueta  Actor 
Javier Escobar  Actor 
Fernando Hernandez  Actor 
Maria Isidra Hoil  Actor 
Aquetzali Garcia  Actor 
Abel Woolrich  Actor 
Antonio Monroy  Actor 
Nicolas Jasso  Actor 
Ronaldo Eknal  Actor 
Miriam Tun  Actor 
Rafael Vélez  Actor 
Diana Botello  Actor 
Joaquín Rendón  Actor 

Country: USA