“The Patriot” — There’s a good movie buried somewhere in this Revolutionary War yawner, but neither writer Robert Rodat or director/editor Roland Emmerich are quite able to find it. Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) seeks revenge against a particularly evil Redcoat (Jason Isaacs) for killing his son, all the while pretending he’s a patriot. The theme is trying to decide if it wants to drip with nationalism or to be an ironic commentary on the fine line between revenge and freedom fighting. Meanwhile, the strained love between Martin and his kids is presented languidly, wasting Gibson’s talents. The cinematography of the Colonial South is frequently beautiful and there are a handful of great scenes (particularly the battles), but much like “Braveheart”, the time between them is far too long. C+
—John Hansen, NDSU Spectrum, Sept. 15, 2000