THE NEW WORLD

Historical drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Colin Farrell: Captain John Smith
Christopher Plummer: the expedition leader, Captain Newport
August Schellenberg: the old chief Powhatan, king of the Native American Indians
Q'orianka Kilcher: his favourite child, Pocahontas
Christian Bale: tobacco farmer, John Rolfe

REVIEW
The movie is about the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 during the reign of King James. As you would expect from any movie that runs two hours and thirty minutes, it is slow, ponderous, and at times downright boring in part because too much time is spent with the camera lingering over beautiful scenery that does nothing to advance the story.

However, with all this time on his hands, it is surprising the Director chooses to have so many loose ends. For example, one of the settlers shoots a Native American Indian then the movie fades to black and when it reappears instead of the expected retribution and battle, you see the two of them in a canoe paddling down a river: like what happened during the fade to black that we don’t get to see?

Some of the acting is not all that good. In fact it is hardly acting at all when all you have to do is scowl a lot and mumble something occasionally which is what Captain Smith is called upon to do. Maybe he has good reason to be so sad and glum but we are never told why.

CLASSIFICATION
for some intense battle sequences.