AllMovie

Although this war epic covers perhaps too much territory -- both historical and personal -- director Roland Emmerich keeps the pace buzzing and preserves his much-lauded skill at seamlessly blending sweeping vistas with cutting-edge, digital special effects. Traveling much the same narrative ground as he did in his Oscar-winning Braveheart (1995), Mel Gibson once again assays the role of a humble farmer drawn irrevocably against his will into a political conflict during which he proceeds to unleash a torrent of violent fury and strategic skill. Although Gibson's Ben Martin is more of a character type than a character, the actor portrays him with the same steely resolve and glint of good humor that made his William Wallace an international favorite. Co-star Jason Isaacs sinks his teeth into the part of the evil, atrocity-committing Colonel Tavington, a role that stirred up controversy in the United Kingdom for its cartoon-like villainy. The Patriot meanders down the paths of too many subplots, which detract from the film's main action, but the satisfying climax ties all the loose ends up neatly with a slam-bang finish that smacks of as much historical accuracy as Hollywood is able to muster in modern times. Although screenwriter Robert Rodat intended the film to be a portrait of legendary real-life guerrilla leader Francis "The Swamp Fox" Marion, later drafts of the script excised most of the textbook figures in favor of fictionalized heroics designed to make Gibson's character more sympathetic than the controversial Marion.