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| The Patriot | 
 enlarge | Category: Movie
Buy New: $9.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  820 reviews
Sales Rank: 1705
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video Download
Running Time: 169
ASIN: B000O19EW0
Theatrical Release Date: June 27, 2000
Release Date: July 7, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 815 more reviews...
 Now with the cherry on top!!!! May 13, 2006
105 out of 111 found this review helpful
My review for the original version of "The Patriot" can be found under its respective title. This review is merely for those who may already own the movie and are wondering if it's worth buying a second time around for an additional 10 minutes of footage. For those who have never bought this title, then I can say emphatically to choose this version. For those who already own it . . . well . . . I suppose you'll need to read on and decide.
First of all (thank goodness), the extra 10 minutes of footage are not merely tacked on as "Deleted Scenes" at the end of the movie. In fact, it would be nearly impossible to do so since some of the extra footage is not found in separate scenes, but rather additional footage of already established scenes. In these situations, the extra footage may be as long as an additional minute or as little as a few seconds. How do I know? Well, for one, I'm a high school history teacher and show it every year during our unit on the Revolutionary War. Given that I teach five classes a day of the same subject, I'd say I've gotten quite familiar with the movie.
Now, one particular extension of a scene is quite riveting in that Benjamin Martin's youngest children get their first taste of the horrors of war prior to the death of Thomas. This comes just before the evening when Gabriel stumbles home after being wounded in a nearby battle. Something (the viewer is unaware) catches the attention of the Martin children and they stride over to a nearby creek/river to investigate. What they discover are the bodies of several soldiers floating downstream. Martin then comes over and ushers the children back into the house.
Another noteworthy scene extension is found in the "ambush" scene following the death of Thomas--you know, the famous "aim small, miss small" scene. Well, in the original edited version of the film we soon observe the infamous Tavington interviewing a dying witness of the event in a battlefield tent hospital. It is in this scene that the witness compares who we know as Benjamin Martin to a ghost. The problem is, as far as we knew, there were no survivors. We had to accept at face value that perhaps one must have escaped. In this version of the film we now know the facts! You see, after Martin does his bloody hack job on a would-be escapee, the camera pans in on one particular Redcoat as he lays wounded in a nearby swamp. We then get a peek at what he sees through his one dying eye: an eerie glimpse of Martin flitting through the dim light of the heavily-wooded forest. Then the camera focuses again on the bloodied face of this dying witness. It is not long thereafter that we discover that this poor chap actually survives (he's the one in the hospital tent).
One particular scene left off the original is the burial of Thomas. Although the scene is short, it nevertheless reiterates that Benjamin Martin has a tender, loving side (remember, a few scenes before he was hacking and slashing away at every Redcoat in sight).
Of particular note are the additional scenes involving Cornwallis and Tavington. Here, the viewer witnesses Cornwallis scolding Tavington in the presence of other officers --- the viewer should be delighted to see the arrogant and villainous Tavington being humiliated in front of others. In the scene, Cornwallis sarcastically remarks that Tavington has earned himself the nickname "The Butcher." This scene is important in that it helps establish and underscore the motive Tavington has for eliminating "The Ghost," Benjamin Martin. Further dialogue between the two is found later in the movie as well.
In short, the additional footage is not just added fluff. Indeed, the additional footage adds substance to every scene where it was originally found. Now, if the original version is a perennial favorite of yours, then by all means go out and get it. If, on the other hand, you may only watch it once in a blue moon then you could probably live without it.
 Makes me ashamed to be an American :( June 7, 2002
90 out of 111 found this review helpful
Even though this horrible, historically inaccurate fantasy/ slapstick comedy detracts from what actually happened during the American revolution, it is my hope that our British counterparts won't let sleazy hollywood dictate how they should feel about us Americans as a whole. A majority of us "yanks" are actually a decent, intelligent lot who can think for ourselves. We are not the racist, David Duke, nationalist flag-waving goons as portrayed in movies like "The Patriot". Unfortunately, there are those in this country who share the similar ignorant views of Mr. Scott that America is the sole savior of the world, out "to help other nations". It's this kind of dangerous thinking that had us barely running out of Vietnam alive with tails between our legs in the first place. It was more than enough to unite a 4th world nation of mostly rice farmers to defeat what was supposed to be "the greatest and most powerful nation in the world". That's how much they love us. The phrase "Gao thom con chuon chuon" just
doesn't have the same ring to it when spoken in english, either. Having said all that, I would like to convey my sympathies along with many other Americans to our British friends here. Movies like The Patriot, Saving Private Ryan, U-571, Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down are not only an insult to Britons, but also to American intelligence. You know it's crap when Mel Gibson runs amok and single-handedly killing every enemy he sees in sight. It's so sickening that it makes me feel ashamed to be an American.
Paralegalweasel June 17, 2002
80 out of 89 found this review helpful
This is the dopiest war movie I have ever seen. It is full of drivel and pap. If you are a Mel Gibson fan, stick with Braveheart and forget this [stinker]. Any American history buff should also avoid this movie. It is a waste of time
 Historically Flawed July 28, 2005
45 out of 52 found this review helpful
This movie was fun to watch but at the same time irritating from all of the flawed history. What this film does is to incorporate all of the bad teaching many received on the Revolutionary War and then invent some of its own.
I gave it three stars just for the costumes and settings which were fun to see. Also from the perspective that aside from being so flawed it was fun to watch.
Historical flaws: It was the British not the Colonists that offered slaves their freedom for fighting. Remember George Washington was a man of his times and was a slave owner. I still believe he was a great man and an even greater general. He alone devised the strategy to defeat a much more powerful force through attrition, economics, and political stalemates.
The British did not fight cruelly like this movie portrays. Except for remote instances where the offenders were duly punished the British fought with honor often times allowing colonists to retreat amidst certain annhilation. If anyone fought "dishonorably" it was on the U.S. side but war is hell isn't it?
The French did not join for La Libertad! The French have never done anything that doesn't directly benefit the French. They joined because of ongoing struggles and unresolved issues with the British and to help protect their sugar interests in the West Indies. They also only helped at the extreme end when it was an almost certainty that they would not have to unfurl their honored and distinguished white flag.
If anyone wants to read about the realities of this war I would recommend Shaara's Glorious Cause and Rise to Rebellion. Also the Founding Brothers is a good read. These are just a few to start out with but there are many more good books that reveal what factually happened without falling into the trap of becoming liberal revisionist history.
Jumping from the Swamps to Freedom. January 14, 2005
34 out of 69 found this review helpful
Director Roland Emmerich is used to direct big budget movies. He usually delivers good pieces of work as "Independence Day" (1996) and "The Day After Tomorrow" (2004).
"The Patriot" (2000) is arguably his best film up to today.
The story centers on a peaceful American that abhors war due to his past experiences. In an incident, one of his teenage sons is murdered by a British officer. This event drives him mad and he launches "all-out" guerrilla warfare, rallying his neighbors into active resistance.
Mel Gibson is fleshing again a patriotic hero enraged by injustice as in "Braveheart" (1995). He has the knack for doing it; viewers will empathize with his character. His performance is high quality.
The supporting cast is very good, all his sons & daughters especially Heath Ledger and Skye McCole are great. Joely Richardson as Charlotte Shelton his sister-in-law and later fiance; Tcheky Karyo as Jean Villeneuve the French officer; Jason Issacs as Col. William Tavington the "bad guy" of the film; Adam Baldwin as Capt. Wilkins and last but not least Tom Wilkinson as Gen. Cornwallis flesh their characters very believable.
Reconstruction of the period is very accurate. Battles are filmed with sure hand, very good visual effects and outstanding coordination of mass movements.
It is a great movie for history buffs and general public.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
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