Best Mel Gibson film ?

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

  1. Michael

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

    after watching any Mel movie I feel that's my new best! Really love Mel.
     
  2. Michael

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

    excellent! I was disappointed when he put out his directors cut...no reason for it IMO.
     
  3. Michael

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

    yea that and many other excellent movies still not out on BD....and some not even on DVD!
     
  4. alexpop

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

    Sanctuary special edition.. the best version ?
     
  5. unclefred

    unclefred Coastie with the Moastie

    Location:
    Oregon Coast
    He has been involved in so many great projects. It's been so long since I saw The Year of Living Dangerously, all I remember is I liked it a lot. I think the one I watch the most is Payback. What a collection of actors. James Coburn does a really good turn, and uncredited.
     
    steelinYaThighs and alexpop like this.
  6. Hall Cat

    Hall Cat Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Unfamiliar with it, but probably
     
    alexpop likes this.
  7. alexpop

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

    Picked up a Bounty widescreen sanctuary special edition dvd, got a dedication in the booklet from the director .. reads “Stephen.. thanks for all your help + advice .. Roger D

    Assume .. Roger Donaldson
     
  8. alexpop

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

    Top 3 films?
    Apocalypto
    Braveheart
    Patriot
     
  9. '05Train

    '05Train Crashin' & Flyin' & Livin' & Dyin'

    Location:
    Roanoke, Virginia
    I think the tougher question would be, has he made a bad film? The guy's arguably the best actor of his generation, and I'd be hard-pressed to put (m)any directors ahead of him.

    His performance in the first LW is one for the ages. His performances in the three MM films are untouchable. The things he's able to silently convey with his eyes, his face, and his body language are what elevates him above anyone else.

    His direction of Hacksaw Ridge was spectacular.
     
  10. steelinYaThighs

    steelinYaThighs "I'll be dancin' on Diamonds..."

    Location:
    U.S.A.
    Due to His well-documented personal "issues" in the 00s, people forget that once upon a time--and it wasn't all that long ago--He was the biggest movie star in the entire world, and for very good reason. He always brings His characters to life, and He's always been very good at picking good projects that fit Him--whether He's directing or acting. I'm not even sure it's possible to whittle it down to one film because He's been nothing but quality since He first started as a pro in 1976, but I'll try to make a list of ten spanning 1976 to the present:

    1 - Mad Max, 79.
    2 - Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, 81.
    3 - Lethal Weapon, 87.
    4 - Lethal Weapon 2, 89.*
    5 - The Man Without A Face, 93.
    6 - Payback, 99(Theatrical Cut)/07 (Director's Cut)**
    7 - The Patriot, 00.
    8 - The Passion Of The Christ, 04.
    9 - Apcalypto, 06.
    10 - Blood Father, 16.***

    Honorable Mention: Get The Gringo, 12.

    *It's well-established that sequels genuinely are inferior to their precursors, though there are some notable exceptions. L.W. II is an interesting case study because Shane Black's original script for it (titled Play Dirty) was a dark, vicious film in the vein of the first film. In this script, Riggs dies at the hands of Vorsteadt (stabbed and left to die slowly in the midst of a raging inferno), and there is a scene in which an airliner full of cocaine explodes, snowing coke all over L.A. and the Hollywood Hills. Black left the project due to creative differences with director Donner, and while I like the finished product--it still retained some of that darkness and viciousness--I really would've liked to've seen Play Dirty put on 35 mm.

    **I treat Payback the same way I do Iggy & The Stooges' 1973 masterpiece, Raw Power--a serious collector needs both the original 1973 Bowie Mix, and the amped up 1997 Iggy Mix. I saw the theatrical cut on opening day as a teenager, and I loved it--Mel's "Porter" was rough 'n tumble, but with a great comic/wisecracker tone. Regarding the cinematography, I loved the scenes that were filmed with a blue hue giving those scenes a surreal, dreamlike, voyeuristic quality. Some years later, director Helgeland released His original vision of the film--a darker, bloodier, less comic affair than the theatrical release, and with a grainy, gritty film stock used to give it a 70s look. In some ways, the D.C. is superior because it is a violent tale and with a downbeat 70s style ending that would've been par for the course for old B/grindhouse films. In this instance, Porter doesn't play games--He is brutal towards His opponents. That said, I enjoy both--so I own both.

    ***Mel's managed to make a spectacular comeback both as director and actor; however, these days, He's getting great character parts, or leads in gritty B films. Blood Father is a prototype for this new chapter--He's bulkier (ironpumping), and rockin' a magnificent beard. The John Link character is roughhewn, but He's no psychopath--and He's there for His daughter despite Her sins. Absolutely heartbreaking ending on this outing. This film, along with Get The Gringo, showcases Him as a tough guy with a heart of gold--and He absolutely shines in these sorts of stories.

    Looking forward to the upcoming TV series taken from the John Wick franchise titled The Continental in which Mel will star.

    - siyt
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2022
  11. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    We Were Soldiers.
     
    sixtiesstereo likes this.
  12. MichaelH

    MichaelH Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    The Passion of the Christ or Hacksaw Ridge for directing
    What Women Want or Daddy's Home 2 for acting
     
  13. Honey Bunches of Sadness

    Honey Bunches of Sadness Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Good call on Blood Father. Tough, gritty film - it really grabbed me. Mel is very good in it. A pity it fared so poorly at the box office - about $7MM on a ~$15MM budget according to Wikipedia.

    As for the question of the thread, it'd be Road Warrior for me. "If it's all the same to you... I'll drive that tanker."

    PS: Probably Signs in the second position.
     
    steelinYaThighs likes this.
  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    Lots of great movies mentioned...

    One folks outside Aus may not be familiar with is "Gallipoli", if you haven't seen it, it is an excellent movie, but it is quite old now... I need to rewatch it myself
     
    Roman Potato Chip and '05Train like this.
  15. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    My favourite movie with Mel Gibson is Mad Max II but:
    As actor - Braveheart
    As director - Apocalypto
     
    canonlon likes this.
  16. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    Ok, well I just watched Gallipoli for the first time in about forty years (free on Pluto tv)
    I still reckon it's a hell of a movie
     
  17. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Gallipoli is great. The Year of Living Dangerously, also directed by Peter Weir, is pretty good too.

    I remember reading that Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins said the script for The Bounty was the best they'd ever read, but the movie was compromised by the studio. That bums me out, as I think it's a very good film, but it could have been a masterpiece. It was the only version of the story that even tried to humanize Bligh, who is a jerk, but is also right. It's also the most historically accurate version by far.
     
  18. Honey Bunches of Sadness

    Honey Bunches of Sadness Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Excellent film. But oh so depressing. I couldn't bear to watch it again.
     
    mark winstanley likes this.
  19. Honey Bunches of Sadness

    Honey Bunches of Sadness Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Very peripherally related side note, but the story of what happened to the mutineers is interesting, if quite grim:

    Descendants of the Bounty mutineers - Wikipedia
     
    Roman Potato Chip likes this.
  20. Jack D

    Jack D Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europa
    Braveheart and Apocalypto.

    Top 3 most popular ... Starring Mel

    [​IMG]
    1. Braveheart (1995) 8.4
    R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, History

    [​IMG]
    2. Lethal Weapon (1987) 7.6
    R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

    [​IMG]
    3. The Road Warrior (1981) 7.6
    R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

    (Only Directed by Mel)

    [​IMG]
    2. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) 8.1
    R | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History

    [​IMG]
    3. Apocalypto (2006) 7.8
    R | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
     
  21. Roman Potato Chip

    Roman Potato Chip Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Such an interesting story. Obviously so, they made three movies about it, and given Hollywood nowadays is so in love with remakes, I'm sure a Ridley Scott version will be announced any day now staring Matt Damon and Adam Driver.
     
  22. ArchFates

    ArchFates Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Mel Gibson was great as Hamlet, I wish he'd made Macbeth too, I think he'd been great in that role as well. I think because of the roles he took, or at least the movies he's best remembered for, people tend to forget great of an actor he really was.
     
  23. Michael

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

    On The Air...not his best by far, but twisted to say the least...we loved it.
     
  24. kundryishot

    kundryishot Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wales
    Conspiracy Theory is excellent, Lethal weapon films are good fun
    Mad max is awful and Braveheart is a strong candidate for the worst movie ever made
     
  25. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    Actually, I don't really like Braveheart that much.... I don't mind Lethal Weapon, though
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine