Mad Mel defends Apocalypto

Gibson not surprised film's a hit

Why Apocalypto is winning audiences:"I felt strongly we had told a good story, everybody who was involved in this, and my general opinion is that if you tell good stories, original stories, people value that, and they come to the theater."Why the characters are one-dimensional:"It's a mythic thing, and that's why the characters in 'Apocalypto' are archetypes. We have the hero, Jaguar Paw (played by Rudy Youngblood), who is called upon to stand up for his family and community, the villain who is driven to destroy him to prove his power, and the women who make the men be better men. It's ancient stuff."Why the bloody violence is acceptable:"It's hard for me to understand that criticism considering that a lot of weeks, the top film is some exploitive horror film like 'Texas Breakfast Cole Slaw' or 'Chainsaw Hack-Em-Up,' you know? In any case, this film is a lot less violent than 'Braveheart' or 'The Passion.' I was merciless in 'The Passion,' but that was because it's what the story required. But I'm no sadist, you know. I'm really tenderhearted if you get to know me. I like to have fun."Comment:  I think this picture is phony, but it's worth posting because it makes a good point.