'PATRIOT' BLURS HISTORY.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

It would be easy to rattle off all the failings of ``The Patriot,'' but - to quote a former president - that would be wrong. Wrong only in the sense that, while the Mel Gibson movie has a number of historical inaccuracies, it is about something important - the American Revolution.

This, of course, leads to the modern conundrum: Because many Americans know so little about their own history, anything that may raise their interest - like a movie - would seem valuable. However, because Hollywood history is altered for dramatic purposes (which usually means more fiction than fact), there is always the danger that audiences might think what they see on the screen is true.

There's no question that ``The Patriot'' is rousing entertainment. The Aussies - Gibson as Benjamin Martin and young heartthrob Heath Ledger as his son, Gabriel - are dashing leading men. The German director, Roland Emmerich (``Independence Day''), knows how to stage harrowing battle scenes. The script by Robert Rodat (``Saving Private Ryan'') provides a monstrous villain in British Col. William Tavington (Jason Isaacs), and the good guys win - but you knew that.

Martin, who reluctantly joins the Revolution, is a fictional figure, somewhat based on Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox. Marion, however, was a slave owner. The African-Americans on Martin's plantation are free. This, of course, makes Martin a nicer guy (thank you, Hollywood). Though there were numerous acts of barbarism during the war, there was no British officer as villainous as Tavington.

The film, on the other hand, is accurate on other points, particularly the conflict that many Colonists felt fighting against their mother country.

We could go on playing fact or fiction, but we suggest you watch ``The Patriot'' and then rent the excellent PBS series ``Liberty,'' which delves into the real Revolution.

FULL 'NOON': Because some of the best things about the brainless but enjoyable ``Shanghai Noon'' are action scenes of martial-arts star Jackie Chan, some of the best things about the new DVD are deleted scenes included of Chan in action. (Doesn't this guy ever stop whirling?) This buddy comedy about a minor outlaw (Owen Wilson) and a member of the Chinese imperial guard (Chan) out to rescue a kidnapped princess (Lucy Liu) is made amusing by Wilson's loopiness (he reportedly improvised many of his lines). Mishearing Chan's character's name, Chon Wang, as John Wayne, he scoffs, ``That's a terrible name for an outlaw.'' Wilson's off-the-wall linguistic tap dances and Chan's remarkable balletic stunts make them almost as much fun as Fred and Ginger.

'PITCH' IMPERFECT: Director David Twohy keeps the action moving so fast - while providing plenty of jolts - that you hardly notice the derivative nature of ``Pitch Black.'' The story is about a spaceship crew marooned on a planet with three suns and no night. Unfortunately for them, they arrive in time for an extended eclipse, which is when the planet's inhabitants - hideous razor-fanged beasts - come out to snack. A fine ensemble cast led by Vin Diesel as a murderous prisoner and some nice twists make ``Pitch Black'' a Halloween horror pick - but not for the faint of heart.

``The Patriot'' (Columbia) is $111.99 on VHS and 27.95 on DVD, which includes commentary by Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin and two featurettes. ``Shanghai Noon'' (Disney) is $106.99 on VHS and $29.99 on DVD, which includes commentary by Chan, Wilson and director Tom Dey, a music video, deleted footage and three featurettes. ``Pitch Black'' (Universal) is $106.99 on VHS and 26.90 for the DVD (either rated or unrated). Both DVDs feature audio commentary by Twohy and a making-of documentary. The unrated director's cut features three minutes of additional footage.

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Mel Gibson leads the charge in the rousing but historically inaccurate ``The Patriot.''