The Last of the Mohicans feels more like a Mel Gibson movie than a Michael Mann movie. The plot follows the French and Indian War as an action movie, a romance, and a historical period piece. But it doesn't quite live up to expectations as a Michael Mann action movie because he spends too much time on the other genres, and he's much much better as an action director. It took bits and pieces from varying genres and threw them together with no regard to its target audience. In addition, there were a number of subplots that were never followed up on (e.g., the colonials defending their homeland). Because there were so many, you leave not really knowing the point of most of the movie. I felt like it could have been a 30-minute movie and I still would have gotten the same overarching message. The action was too tame; it felt like a PG-13 movie and not an R movie. Where was the Michael Mann I know and love? Also, the dialogue he fills his movies with is usually slick and cool. There wasn't much of that in this movie, and it felt like he sacrificed that for generating a mood of time and place. Which is a shame, because I love his dialogue.
And yet there are a great number of positives. It was extremely well-shot and well-edited. That is what kept reminding me that it is not a Mel Gibson movie--it looked too good. They really took advantage of their locations and sets, and shot setups and framings were absolutely phenomenal. The music, while overbearing sometimes, was overall very effective at kick-starting the action and getting your blood pumping. While there were a number of subplots, they actually fit together quite nicely. The relationship that blossomed between the two minor siblings was unexpected and unique, fleshing out the story. Also, I didn't realize it would go so in depth into the "bad guy's" background and reasons for seeming so inhuman. It was a surprising and quite welcome asset to the movie that made it a richer action movie than I expected. And there are bits and pieces that are just stand-out. One line of dialogue I can't stop thinking about because of its subtler meanings and the fierceness with which Daniel Day-Lewis delivers the line: "They're not strangers, and they stay where they lay." Overall, a pretty good movie, but it left me feeling just a bit unsatisfied.IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0104691/