You gotta hand it to Mel Gibson...he's a guy who truly knows what to do with all his Hollywood clout. It's obvious he doesn't give a rat's ass if the films he directs (which he mostly finances himself) appeal to mainstream audiences. Yet, at the same time, Gibson has repeatedly managed to create audience pictures of mass appeal from material usually aimed at the art-house crowd. After "Braveheart" & "The Passion of the Christ," "Apocalypto" may seem slightly less emotionally wrenching, but still has much of the same visceral intensity, and a similar narrative structure to the latter.

One may argue that "Apocalypto" is simply another vehicle for Gibson to display his bloodlust, and there's plenty of evidence here to support that idea. As with his previous historical epics, few punches are pulled in the violence department, and the story itself (involving a young Mayan who escapes capture by slave-traders to rescue his wife and child) is so stripped-down & simple that a cynic could argue it's simply a springboard on which to hang various scenes of carnage. But at the same time, perhaps better than any current director, Gibson's blood-letting seldom seems overtly gratuitous, more effectively assaulting your emotions than your stomach. Though the film is sometimes brutal, we don't actually see a lot of the violence presented, but it's offered in such a way that it hits really hard. Aside from being supreme visualist, what ultimately makes "Apocalypto" such an intense thrill-ride is the painstaking attention to details. We slowly learn, simply through imagery and a few choice lines of dialogue, that the film takes place in the years when the Mayan civilization is dying, and the acts of the 'villains' reek of more of desperation than true evil. The film has been criticized by some as not very historically accurate, but this is a Hollywood epic, not a PBS documentary. From an entertainment standpoint, what really matters is that what you're watching feels real, and this movie does. There isn't a lot of characterization, but the sheer gravity of what's at stake (the life of a wife and child) provides the emotional crux of the film. The script gives just enough insight into these characters that we care what happens to them (and offers a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of the chief slave-trader, especially with regard to his own son). As with "The Passion of the Christ," the dialogue in this film is presented in the language of its characters (in this case, Mayan), which merely adds to its authentic feel. And, while "Apocalypto" initially feels like it's gonna be another grueling exercise in onscreen torture, the film ends up being a rousing & action-packed audience picture disguised as an art film.

The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and the overall image is often pretty striking. One of Gibson's gifts as a director is in his establishing shots, and they are well-rendered here. The audio is also quite good, rendered in 5.1 DTS & Dolby Digital. There's a lot of impressive clarity & balance in this disc.

Gibson & co-writer/producer Farhad Safinia give a pretty decent audio commentary, which features a lot of technical info & details about this film's obviously demanding production. Also included is a 25 minute making-of featurette, which has some cool behind-the-scenes footage, and a 2 minute deleted scene with optional commentary by Gibson & Safinia.

Those put off by the violence of Mel Gibson's previous films may not want to indulge, but violence aside, "Apocalypto" is a wonderfully rewarding experience, loaded with astounding scenes and plenty of brutal action. Though it may not be quite as though-provoking as "Passion," nor as emotionally involving as "Braveheart," Gibson continues to challenge mainstream audiences with another riveting film. Highly recommended.