Mel Gibson has become a master of making the average man feel forgettable and insignificant. “Braveheart” depicts a glorified rebellion for the greater good of a nation. “The Passion of the Christ” shows the impact that one man can have on the world. His newest film, “Apocalypto,” once again shows a tough hero living out his destiny.

The full-body tattoos, elaborate bone jewelry and a large amount of dirt are attentively applied to Jaguar Paw and the rest of his Mayan community. This along with the decision to go with never-before-seen actors make the story so much more fascinating and believable.

Unfortunately, there are too many occasions where a detached sense of reason become necessary for total belief of the story. Avoiding a debate about destiny or the existence of a higher power, I can say that the freaky child’s premonition of Jaguar Paw’s fate seems out of place with the rest of the movie. The unbelievable good luck of the eclipse that preserves J.P.’s life from sacrifice does not fit the brutal reality shown throughout. There are several other examples of unrealistic escape during the many chase scenes. Alone, these lucky coincidences that require suspended logic would easily be looked past. Grouped together, they pull the movie down.

From the beginning, this movie completely blankets the room with Mayan culture and intense violence. The comparisons between this violent culture and our own are hauntingly easy to make. It is also incredible to see how far these dehumanized actors will go to preserve Gibson’s image of this movie.