When I was a little kid, I didn't get the politics from the priest and the chief. But here the priest is playing a clever game. If the boys win, the Chief's BEST warriors will be killed and the Chief would lose a ton of power. If they lose, the priest can prove the boys are not gods. In his mind, he would have won either way.

i love how the high priest could tell that they weren’t gods after one scratch but they also won an impossible game by defying the laws of physics and made a volcano stop erupting (he obviously couldn’t have known it wasn’t them)

"Don't blame me!" "I blame you!"

Those people would have died for Migel at that point. I mean after stopping the sacrifices. If they didn't love him before they do now. XD

"We need a miracle!" "No, we need to _cheat!"_

I love how Branagh goes full Shakespearean on the high priest here. He really lets his theatrical talent show!

My wife and I just got back from our honeymoon in Cancun. We had the privilege to visit the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. I grew up watching this movie as a kid and had no idea these ball fields actually existed in real life! The architecture was absolutely breathtaking which was one thing, but to stand in the middle and imagine 5-foot tall Mayan men compete for their lives by hitting a ball through a stone hoop 21 feet off the ground is incredible. For a kid's movie, it seems like they actually did their research, except in the real stories, I guess it was the man who scored the winning goal who was sacrificed. He would kneel in the middle of the field and get beheaded by the losing team's captain, as he himself proved that he was the only one fit enough to be sacrificed to appease the gods. His blood would soak the field and would seek to ripen the harvest for the coming season.

I love Chel so much, she's so cute when she tries to warn the guys by mumbling that she had the armadillo at 4:08

When Miguel says “Well I don’t see anyone here who fits that description.” :’)

If the gods were real I wonder if they would have been happy and proud that Miguel spoke against the high priest despite the fact he posed as a god.

I was the Clean-up supervisor for Tulio on this sequence among others on the film, working with the incredible William Salazar as the Animation supervisor. Some of the best animation I've had the pleasure to work on. It's lovely to see that people remember and like it. Thank you!

I don't know why, but I love the fact they showed him getting hit. It seems like it means nothing until the end of the scene and for some reason I find that as a really nice detail that does make sense for the High Priest (can't spell his name, whoops) to figure out the truth. It's cool and I love this movie.

Fun fact: the ball was made of solid rubber and weighed an upwards of ten pounds. Imagine hitting a flexible bowling ball with your hip and head and trying to aim for a hoop 20 feet off the ground, not to mention needing to wear some armor (because you didn't want to fricking die), and having a small chance of being sacrificed if you lost (and I do mean a very small chance).

If you look carefully at Tzekel-Kan when he says "all of the sacred writings say that you will devour the _wicked_ and the unrighteous" and "well as speaker for the gods, it would be my privilege... to point _them_ out", he is subtly directing his eyes toward Chief Tannabok.

I love that line Well I don't see anyone here that fits that description. This movie is so underrated.

Loved this movie so much as a kid. Got me way into Aztec culture.

Ex-CUSE me, WHO invented this GAME??

I love the way Miguel stands up against Tzekel-Kan for (NO MORE SACRIFISES!) 5:23

I've seen one of those ball courts down in Mexico in the Yucatan. Very fascinating culture.

Simple way to avoid the whole fiasco with the High Priest: Since it was Tulio who hit Miguel, who are both alleged 'gods', it could be passed that only the gods can harm each other and make each other bleed Easy

Miguel went full on hero at the end. I always love seeing someone stand up to crazy tyrants.

It would've been so much easier in real life if the native American people and Europeans spoke the same language like that

0:02 The way Tulio didn't even budge along with that Garry's Mod like sound effect still annihilates me to this day

3:03 college finals in a nutshell

2:45 *FOUL!!!* That was a foul...

"The gods are speaking for themselves now! This city, and these people have no need for you anymore! There will be no sacrifices. Not now, not ever! Get out!" I love this scene! Miguel went full badass with the speech there!

The Mesoamerican version of the NBA.

The armadillo is the actual god.

I like how Miguel tells Tzekel-Kan that there will be no more sacrifices after seeing him threaten to sacrifice the soldiers for losing the game. The only person I see who is wicked and unrighteous is Tzekel-Kan himself.

5:46 I like that scene when he realizes they are not gods. Yknow the saying: Gods don’t bleed Then the way that Tzekel walks back into the shadows, and Tulio tries to say he had a little voice tell him that Migel shouldnt have said that

I just noticed when Tzekel-Kan was saying "point them out" he was signalling towards Tannabok with his eyes. Damn bro.

2:15 Chel: *Tulio, the hip, the hip!*

The gods are speaking for themselves now! This city and these people have no need for you anymore! There will be no sacrifices! Not now, not ever! Now get out!

the difference between culture/political economies and histories between northern and southern native american civilizations has always been fascinating. it had a HUGE legacy on Spanish\French and English/American colonial practices and the current make up of the hemisphere today. i wrote my comp thesis for Atlantic Worlds/Columbian Exchange on the exact topic

No one gonna talk about the dude on the bottom right at 1:00 😂😂😂

0:20 Tulio - Yeah. Yeah, like he said.

I remember that I used to play like that back in elementary and with my dad. It was hella fun

Wow, I'm reading about the ball game that Aztecs used to play (in my Mexican history class) and how they sacrificed the losing team as a ritual. Somehow I missed the sacrifice part in this movie. Chilling!

This movie is golden

LOL! I found it hilarious when Miguel runs into Tulio and how stiff Tulio is like running into a wall. and only flinches when the ball hit him in the head XD

At 0:32 Don't blame me at 0:34 I blame you

2:16 The animators knew what they were doing here

I remember doing a PowerPoint on the Aztec Ball Game back in Middle School back in 2012, and wow. I can't believe it's been a decade.

0:33 when you leave the toilet seat up

0:06 I Don't Know Why Chel is So Angry She Was The One Who Let Miguel Go

Just went to an excursion to Chichen itza and saw this Court in person. It’s amazing after 1500 it’s still there, inscriptions and all!

If you listen closely to the music that plays from 2:10 to 2:52 you can hear that they are basically chanting their names, Tulio and Miguel, with some occasional changes but still the same.

In reality, if you really made it into the hoop it was an instant win

0:44 Me before a Ballgame. Every. Time.

I love how Tulio, Miguel, Chel, Bible, Altivo, and the Chief see right through Cortes and Tzekel Kan.

3:38 Altivo pushes the players back, I've never noticed that lol :p

teacher forgets to give us homework That one student: what about homework The class: 0:31

Uuuuuh... wow! What a surprise! Gods do have blood after all! You learn something new every day!

4:01 And at that moment, she knew she fucked up.

Historically speaking, knocking the ball in the hoop is an automatic win. Edit: At least, that is what I remember from my school’s unit on Mayan history

Years later the voice actress of Chel would later portray Renee Montoya in _Birds Of Prey_ with Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) and Ewan McGregor (Black Mask)

2:15 dont mind me just a checkpoint for the scene that is most in my mind

Lesson from the movie: one of the biggest flaw of building your reign through fear is that you leave yourself wide open to liberators (or just someone that make promises of liberations). Once you let one sneak through your suppressions, you may find all your power taken away in a blink of an eye.

Sacrafice the wicked Miguel: alright we'll throw you in it

Considering how sadistic and bloodthirsty the main villain was, it's funny that it took that long for him to realize that they were never gods.

I just love it when the cheif waves goodbye to the priest (5:43)

From what I can understand, The High priest has an issue with The Chief and wants to get rid of him along with any of his followers (like the ball players here) so that the High Priest can be in charge and have more power. That’s why he’s so keen on pointing him out as wicked and unrighteous at 5:20

One of the few times the Bad Guy roots for the Good Guys.

"don't blame me . . . I BLAME YOUUUUUUUUU" XD

(Dipper and Mabel couldn't get the ball to hoop, they tired, Wendy had an idea, bouncing ball) Wendy: Guys! Dipper: Good idea!

TULIO: You’re In Big Trouble 😈

0:32 XD

*THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE*

Not again. Look, Tzekel-Kan, forget the sacrifices! We don’t want any sacrifices!

Tzekel-Kan: But all of the sacred writings say that you will devour the wicked and unrighteous Miguel: Well, I don't see anyone here who fits that description 1. This is a Spanish con artist speaking to a delusional and very violent Mesoamerican high priest with confidence 2. Miguel, Tulio, and Chel are not necessarily wicked, but they are sort of unrighteous in this scenario, so what Miguel says here is a double layer quote: he’s speaking for the Mesoamericans but if you think about it, it's ironic that he says that

tulio gotta have the world’s strongest neck. he took a hit in the head from a heavy rubber ball and a chunk of gold earlier in the movie

You don’t see this in the NBA.

who els just imagines dan and arin when watching this movie

I'm surprised he didn't check if tulio could bleed.

0:05 WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU DOING

Juego de pelota mexicano Es de la mejor 😘

Don´t tell me the girl isn´t dummy thick

Miguel: I Can’t Explain!

TZEKEL-Kan: Surprise 😯

1:53 "Excuse me, who invented this GAaammmee?"

I think I like Chel's outfit a lot better with the Tube Top not too tight or loose, the Sides of the Skirt not too thick or thin, the Hairband with Chieftess Feathers, a Necklace, a Bracelet, 2 Earrings, and an Armlet.

"It's not about victory, it's about fun."

Simple history got me here

doing some research from meso america and came across a picture of the hoop on the wall and instantly remembered this movie lol. i forgot about this whole movie. needs a major rewatch.

Gym teacher: girls vs boys The boys: 0:56

There was a movie that I forgot the title that showed this game. It was an animated movie about kids with spirit creatures who would go back in time to fight something or get, I don’t remember. Any clue anyone?

The captions "15 male models - two goals"

I used to play that game in my school. The ball used for playing that game is made pure rubber and it weighs like 12 to 20 pounds

Miguel for president

(People cheered, players lifted Dipper and Mabel) Mabel: Hey, bro! Not bad for my first commandment, huh? Dipper: You did good, sis!

Miguel was a god on this

When I was little I always thought they were calling them “guards”, not gods. 😂

Even though the meso-american ball game they play in this isn't totally historically accurate it's still really nice to see it depicted at all

i played the game when i was 10. Thank you for reminding me about the game

"Hey, not bad for my 1st commandment, eh?" - God to Moses, probably

2:16 this is the scene that instilled a deep rooted attraction to shapely hips when I was a kid.

0:06 WHAT......DO YOU THINK....YOU'RE DOING!!!!????? 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

THAT WAS A FOUL! Chel😂

2:15 god I wish I was that armadillo

Tzekel Kan's dating profile would say "I enjoy human sacrifices and contact sports."