MOVIES . . . “BRAVEHEART”

Mel Gibson stars in this story of ancient Scottish freedom fighters that tells us that freedom is good, despotism is bad–and that, every now and then, Hollywood is overcome by an irresistible temptation to get a couple of cute guys into kilts. The story, of 13th Century Scottish hero William Wallace, suffers from comparison to “Rob Roy,” the story of a 17th Century Scottish hero still in theaters. TIME Movie critic Richard Schickel says Gibson has directed a movie that is too long, too self-indulgent, and lacks anything to hold the viewer’s attention over its three hour running time.