Not being one for mainstream cinema on the whole I watched this for the first time the other day, mostly because family want to watch the next one but couldn't really remember this. Good things, if the allegory was intended, European invaders destroying the stable, animistic lives of Native Americans. Mostly, they destroyed them by introducing European diseases I believe, but there was also brutal oppression and murder. The world created in this film is pretty amazing, hugely imaginative, some of the details are just lovely. Bad things; the writing and plot are abysmal, corny, just embarrassingly so; far to much violence, oh, it's just dross. What a wasted opportunity. There is a wonderful film lurking in here, if the studio and director had employed some decent writers and edited it properly there could have been something truly magical. Instead we sadly have a James Cameron ego trip, well that's how it seems to me. Family may watch the newer version but I'll be strategically absent, I have better things to do with three precious hours of my life!
