I didn't really mind Apocalypto as a "chase him through the jungle" thriller. Death, it seems, is the ultimate escape for Gibson - and violent death at that. I respect his decision to film in archaic languages, too; though I'm not sure what the purpose of that is beyond general mannerism. Still, it's better than Spielberg's "put on a fake accent even though we're still speaking English" kind of authenticity.

But it's always bordering on pornographic; it's not grim at all - it's lavishly brutal, and it likes being brutal. It's stirringly brutal. It's not off-putting. It's baroque. It's arousingly violent. Not only do these people kill each other by throwing spears, but the spears have to go through the heart each and every time and the blood has to splatter the screen. If Gibson wasn't rich enough to fund these projects, they'd be straight-to-VHS B-movies that you pick up in garbage cans on the street.

Passion of the Christ is hilarious.

He's very masturbatory, and I don't like the taste of his cum. He needs to take a course in when and when not to shoot in slow-motion; his politics are repugnant - though I've not really viewed them beyond the surface; Passion is one of the worst films ever made; Braveheart is dull in its grandeur; Apocalypto has promise unfulfilled.