Mel Gibson�s latest helmer is a riveting yarn set in the jungle that fairly whacks you about the head from the beginning and then never lets go till the credits roll some two hours later.

Its set in the rainforests of the last years of the Mayan civilisation where a native tribe is faced by oncoming marauders and it particularly follows one fit loinclothed young man Jaguar Paw (played by the sinewy actor Rudy Youngblood) who gets separated from his family but is determined to attempt to survive whatever is thrown at him and that is about to include some of the worst horrors imaginable (ie. blatant savagery, primitive forms of sacrifice).

The film was singled out supposedly for being too violent, but probably only by those with a low threshold for violence. Providing you can stomach the sight of blood and spears and knives being used in a good few frames, you�ll be ok. The good news is its all in context and the violence is a part of the depiction of the world represented so it only illicits feelings of shock or horror merely because this is a victory for authenticity (even the lingo as in Gibson�s The Passion of The Christ, is authentic with Yucatec being subtitled bravely here).

It�s a portrayal of what is a thin line between barbarism and the dawn of civilisation, and at it�s most basic level, its a rousing action thriller and just on those terms, Gibson�s film is first-rate.

The film raced to the top of the US Box Office charts and should do the same here, and that�s pretty impressive given that the cast is largely made up of unknowns. Think �The Last of the Mohicans� and you�ll be on the right track, and certainly the best thing about it, is the fact that Gibson is a fine action director and providing you don�t read too many reviews, you won�t really have an idea of what�s coming next so if you get into it, its roaring edge-of-your-seat stuff.