A good friend of mine once told me he got really tired of the excessive flag waving in Saving Private Ryan. I'm here to tell you that Spielberg's masterpiece has nothing on The Patriot in that department. There are flags a plenty in this new Revolutionary war epic starring Mel Gibson.

Gibson plays a recently widowed man who refuses to take part in the war. Instead, he decides to provide a decent home life for his several children. Things quickly change, however, when Gibson's oldest son (played by Heath Ledger from 10 Things I Hate About You) enlists so that he has an opportunity to fight. Unconcerned with the cause, Gibson joins the war to protect his son.

The inconsistent screenplay was written by Robert Rodat (SURPRISE! He also wrote Saving Private Ryan), and he takes this story from hints of sheer power, to moments of complete absurdity.

Mel Gibson is the driving force behind this picture. He plays a common man with so much humanity and heart, that you want to see him take down the enemy. Although this is a variation of his role in the far superior Braveheart, he does carry this film on his charismatic shoulders. Ledger shows potential but seems a little uncomfortable in a film of this scale. The villain is played by Jason Isaacs, and his character is a little too extreme, killing anyone who gets in his path. In fact, that is one of the major problems with the screenplay. Rodat goes a bit overboard with death and carnage, and all for the sake of dramatic effect. Someone should have told him, that sometimes less is more.

Perhaps the most mind blowing aspect of The Patriot, is that it was directed by Roland Emmerich the man responsible for the ludicrous American remake of Godzilla and the overrated Independence Day. It seems only fitting that he makes yet another 4th of July ready film. He's a bit over the top with his battle sequences. They don't capture the visceral and energetic heights of similar such battles in Braveheart and Glory. Surprisingly, however, Emmerich does a more than competent job, bringing the human story to the forefront.

Like Gladiator, The Patriot does tend to be more hollow than you might think, but with Mel Gibson at its center, spectacular production values, and another incredible score from John Williams, The Patriot does have many stirring moments.

The Patriot is certainly not a masterpiece, and it doesn't leave you with a lingering sense of inspiration like Gibson's Braveheart, but it is a milestone on the resume of Roland Emmerich. Maybe there's hope for this guy after all.