The Patriot

Critics Consensus

The Patriot can be entertaining to watch, but it relies too much on formula and melodrama.

61%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 135

81%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 423,165

Where to watch

Show all services

Other Movies

Rate And Review

User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

The Patriot Videos

View All Videos (9)

The Patriot Photos

View All Photos (49)

Movie Info

Mel Gibson portrays Benjamin Martin, an unassuming man who is forced to join the American Revolution when the British threaten to take his farm away from him. Together with his patriotic son, Gabriel, the pair faces the vicious Redcoats with a heroism that reflects the stubborn pride of a young country's most dedicated supporters.
  • Rating:
    R (Strong Violence)
  • Genre:
    drama, war, history, action
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Roland Emmerich
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     original
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $$113,330,342
  • Runtime:
  • Production Co:
    Mutual Film Company, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Centropolis Entertainment
  • Sound Mix:
    SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Mel Gibson
Benjamin Martin
Heath Ledger
Gabriel Edward Martin
Joely Richardson
Charlotte Selton
Jason Isaacs
Colonel William Tavington
Chris Cooper
Colonel Harry Burwell
Tchéky Karyo
Jean Villeneuve
Rene Auberjonois
Reverend Oliver
Lisa Brenner
Anne Howard
Tom Wilkinson
Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis
Donal Logue
Dan Scott
Roland Emmerich
Director
Robert Rodat
Writer
Roland Emmerich
Executive Producer
Ute Emmerich
Executive Producer
William Fay
Executive Producer
John Williams
Original Music
Caleb Deschanel
Cinematographer
David Brenner
Film Editor
David Bloch
Casting
April Webster
Casting
Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for The Patriot

Now Streaming: Pirates of the Caribbean, How to Survive a Plague, And More
12 Facts About 2012
Critical Consensus: "Jackass" Kicks; "King" Is Dethroned; "Fearless" Is Action-Packed; "Flyboys" Is Grounded
View All

Critic Reviews for The Patriot

All Critics (135) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (83) | Rotten (52)

View All Critic Reviews (135)

Audience Reviews for The Patriot

  • Dec 22, 2015
    It's certainly watchable (if nothing else, Emmerich can stage large scale battle scenes quite well) but thematically muddled. On the one hand it's a corny action epic filled with sentimentality and anachronisms and on the other, it's a brutal revenge thriller about the personal costs of war. Rather than fully commit to either of these narratives the movie awkwardly splits the difference between the two. The only thesis embedded in the screenplay that comes out intact from this mess is that if you have principles, you'd better be ready to kill for them . . . which is troubling to say the least.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Oct 27, 2012
    I'm ashamed to admit that I really, really like this film considering who the director is. So let me say that the film drags in lots of places. And the acting, while good, is not excellent. I encourage rental as opposed to purchase.
    Christian C Super Reviewer
  • Sep 12, 2012
    It was one of those slow days when I decided to watch Mel Gibson's The Patriot which I oddly like enough for a positive rating. While historically inaccurate and misrepresentations of events, I found it enjoyable. The Patriot is a melodrama that follows one man's revenge against a British officer and it just so happens his vengeance helps American in the American Revolution. Which I kid you not is the actual plot of this movie and drags out to a three hours movie which is too long. The movie plot is so-so, we often get characters that are important to our protagonist but are never truly develop nor worth caring about. The best way to define this movie is propaganda, I've done actual research on the actual historical figure that Gibson character is based of and he was a awful person. He repeatedly raped his slaves and killed Indians for fun, yet in the movie he's portrayed as a family man who fights for noble cause so historical accuracy is absent here. I've found a total of ten mistakes from watching the movie before the thirty minute mark, so strictly watch this as a movie and don't seriously take in anything this movie tells you. What it does do right is having Gibson in the main role. His acting is good here and actually makes this glorification of a awful man in history tolerable to watch. The rest of the cast are also good, though some characters just appear in the movie at random whenever the movie wants them too. The actors make this watchable and are the best part of the movie, to bad the script plot wasn't as good. The battle scenes are done well, though this is the American Revolution so don't expect anything worth caring from these also inaccurate battle scenes. The imagery is good, but again, it is propaganda and a glorification of a awful historical figure. The Patriot.... historically inaccurate and despite my problems with it, it was good enough to get a positive rating from me. While it's a good time waster I wouldn't recommended to anyone no matter how much free time they have, just to much glorification for anyone take in a single day.
    Caesar M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 04, 2012
    The Patriot is a magnificent and compelling Revolutionary War epic. The film follows the story of Benjamin Martin, who reluctantly joins the American Revolution in order to save his family. The cast is spectacular, and includes Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, and Tom Wilkinson. The actors all give excellent performances and have good chemistry together; which makes the story all the more dramatic and moving. Additionally, the costumes and set designs are quite elaborate and help give the film an authentic feel. And the battle sequences are breathtaking. The Patriot is a powerful and thrilling war epic that delves into the American Revolution as never before.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

The Patriot Quotes

View All Quotes

Movie & TV guides