Best Mel Gibson film ?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by alexpop, Mar 4, 2021.

  1. skinnyev

    skinnyev Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    That is completely fair, there was certainly chemistry with Danny Glover, but the 2021 version of me was just not feeling it the same way I did back in the day. I love 80’s and 90’s culture, but it can also get awkward from an adult perspective and the Lethal Weapon franchise doesn’t age well for me.
     
  2. fretter

    fretter Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Used to love Lethal Weapon, thought LW 4 was ridiculously overblown, but actually enjoyed it recently.
     
  3. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    I get that. There are definitely films from my childhood that I saw years later and was like, how did I like that so much as a kid? Haha.
     
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  4. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Aside from their chemistry, I always thought it was a cut above the rest because it was willing to tackle issues you don't see in any other buddy cop films, including the sequels. The issues of depression, suicide, PTSD, and grief in Riggs' character. His recklessness isn't Hollywood, it has a reason. It's because he has nothing to lose, and Mel absolutely sells every second of it. His attempted suicide scene while Looney Tunes Christmas Carol is playing is genuinely chilling, and powerful. Stuff you don't see in other movies in the genre. The scene where he confesses to Murtaugh that the only thing he ever felt good at was when he was killing in the military is harrowing as well. It's all down to Gibson's performance. The Christmas setting only backs it up, and creates even greater emotional stakes for his instability and sense of loss.

     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2021
  5. Protoolned

    Protoolned Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peculiar, Missouri
    For me, one of Gibson's best performances was in the much-derided film, The Professor and the Madman. I've watched the movie twice and can't understand why this troubled production is so despised. The story involves the formation of the first collection of English words and their derivatives for the massive Oxford English Dictionary. When the research stalls, a physician, suffering from paranoid-schizophrenia and in jail for murdering an innocent man, attempts a small redemption by submitting word-derivatives to Gibson who is overseeing this near-impossible task. Just wrapping your head around the idea of compiling all the words for the first dictionary of its kind supplies an interesting drama right off the bat. But I guess such topics can't compete with today's overly-distracted audiences. Critics slammed Sean Penn's over-acting as the doctor which I found completely unfair as he portrays a paranoid-schizophrenic who also suffers from overwhelming guilt for his crime. Apparently, critics forget that people with these conditions were institutionalized and subject to terrible conditions at the time. Penn's performance is dead-on as I have a close friend who's mother also suffered from paranoid-schizophrenia and behaved identically during her flare-ups. Do we forget that mental illness wasn't understood at all - mostly just feared? Mel Gibson's performance fully captures the spirit of an obsessively determined, bright man who constantly has to prove his mettle with the stuffy, highbrow Oxford academics. Beautifully shot, wonderful score, outstanding cast and interesting story. People think of me as one of those really hard-to-please critics but I certainly enjoyed the film and give it the good word. Kudos to Gibson.

     
  6. Geithals

    Geithals Forum Resident

    Location:
    Reykjavik
    Braveheart, so regarded by the Scots, he actually became the image of William Wallace.

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. SoporJoe

    SoporJoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    British Columbia
    I have to agree. Last year Santa film was awful.
     
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  8. JohnG

    JohnG PROG now in Dolby ATMOS!

    Location:
    Long Island NY
    Gallipoli
     
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  9. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    A very tough choice for me between Lethal Weapon and Braveheart. The Mad Max movies were also good.
     
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  10. J. R.

    J. R. Cat Herder

    Location:
    Kansas City, MO
    Boss Level - he plays a bad guy very well.
     
    Brenald79 likes this.
  11. Big Jimbo

    Big Jimbo Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    “The Bounty” because it is reasonably close to the historical record.
     
  12. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    Ha! Real William Wallace was 6‘6“ :)
     
    unclefred and Geithals like this.
  13. Gramps Tom

    Gramps Tom Forum Resident

    We Were Soldiers

    In the same league:

    Braveheart
    Patriot
     
  14. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Gallipoli
    Road Warrior
     
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  15. Geithals

    Geithals Forum Resident

    Location:
    Reykjavik
    Never knew that, I thought they were all mini me sized in them days. I suppose then, Mel's shoe lifts would only go so far to bridge the gap :)
     
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  16. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    There’s a blue plaque of William Wallace in London detailing his history, mentions death by being hung drawn and quartered that’s factual.
     
  17. JoeOnWheels

    JoeOnWheels Forum Resident

    Location:
    Loveland CO USA
    Young Mel: The Year of Living Dangerously
    Old Mel: The Professor and the Madman
    Director Mel: Passion of the Christ
     
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  18. Geithals

    Geithals Forum Resident

    Location:
    Reykjavik
    Hung drawn and quartered after he was stripped naked and dragged for 6 miles through London with his ankles tied to the back of a horse.

    Much of Braveheart was shot on location in Ireland. Since then, Mel is good friends with the then minister for culture Michael D (now President of Ireland)
    Michael D is about 5 foot tall, on his tippytoes.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    Braveheart?
    Still an iconic role from Mel Gibson.
     
  20. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    It's worth a look if you're a film buff. It's pretty fascinating how some fairly minor changes can completely alter the mood of a film. Payback is fundamentally a modern remake of Point Blank and the director seems to have really taken that aspect to heart in his original vision. If it had been released as such, I don't think it would have been as fondly remembered. The studio, or somebody, changed it up to emphasize the comedy aspect of it and turned it into much more of an action/exploitation type thing and for once, they definitely made the right call. I agree though - unless you are a film mechanics geek (like me), you're probably better off just sticking with the theatrical version.

    I think this may be the movie that made me fall in love with Lucy Liu too. She could kick the crap out of me anytime...:love:
     
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  21. Protoolned

    Protoolned Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peculiar, Missouri
    He was quite good in Shakespeare's Hamlet. He held his own very admirably against some fine co-stars.

    When you think about it, he's made some very good movies. I'd also like to see The Beaver since it didn't play in theaters near me.
     
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  22. Holerbot6000

    Holerbot6000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    The Beaver is so frickin' weird and it just gets weirder as it progresses. I would have loved to have been in the room the first time the studio heads sat through that one...
     
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  23. Protoolned

    Protoolned Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peculiar, Missouri
    Weird... Last weird movie I saw was David Lynch's What Did You Do, Jack? on Netflix. I've probably watched it four times, at least. Not sure why but it appeals to me. Since I like that monkey maybe I'd also like The Beaver.
     
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  24. clayton

    clayton Senior Member

    Location:
    minneapolis mn
    Road Warrior
     
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  25. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I was excited when they announce the DC cut! after I purchased and watched it I was pissed on how much it royally sucked...Lucy Liu indeed one sexy woman..
     

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