Critic Reviews

Passion of the Christ, The (2004) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Passion of the Christ, The (2004) a score of 2.6610 out of 4
based on (408) reviews
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Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Viscerally powerful, but if this were a horror film instead of an 'edifying' religious drama, it would have been sent back for cuts or had an NC-17 slapped on it. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
An unquestionable work of conviction that should outlast the controversy and trigger constructive dialogue for years to come. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
After the beating he took, it's no wonder that Jesus hasn't returned for more than 2000 years. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for TIME Magazine (Richard Corliss)TIME Magazine (Richard Corliss)
A serious, handsome, excruciating film that radiates total commitment. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at TIME Magazine (Richard Corliss)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Oregon Herald (Mark Sells)Oregon Herald (Mark Sells)
A powerful, artistic expression of one of the most pivotal moments in the Christian religion. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Oregon Herald (Mark Sells)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)
Passion affords exactly the moviegoing experience Gibson intended: an appreciation of Christ's sacrifice via an explicit rendering of his suffering. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Daytona Beach News-Journal (Fl.) (Jeff Farance)Daytona Beach News-Journal (Fl.) (Jeff Farance)
A brave heart and staunch soul may be requirements for viewing The Passion of the Christ . But it's an incredible experience. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Daytona Beach News-Journal (Fl.) (Jeff Farance)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Supercala.com (John Venable)Supercala.com (John Venable)
The buzz is that this film is a life changing experience, and is anti-Semitic. I disagree on both counts. It is however, a powerful and effective illustration of John 3:16. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Supercala.com (John Venable)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Variety (Todd McCarthy)Variety (Todd McCarthy)
If an age produces the renditions of classic stories that reflect those times, then The Passion of the Christ, which is violent, contentious, emotional, extreme and highly proficient, must be the Jesus movie for this era. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Variety (Todd McCarthy)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Zap2it.com (Michael Szymanski)Zap2it.com (Michael Szymanski)
It's tough not to describe without using the word "powerful." For pure cinematic artistry it's a masterpiece showing man's inhumanity to man, or in this case, the Son of Man ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Zap2it.com (Michael Szymanski)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
I expected to leave my viewing of the film feeling battered and bruised, but instead I felt very peaceful. Seeing the strength required for forgiveness uplifted me. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Times [UK] (James Christopher)Times [UK] (James Christopher)
It's almost impossible not to be moved by Jim Caviezel's vulnerability as Christ, even if the idea that he is no 'mere' man is never in doubt. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Times [UK] (James Christopher)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
Powerful and heart-wrenching, gorgeous to look at, and fascinating to contemplate. All issues of religion aside, those components generally result in a film worth seeing. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Jam! Movies (Drew McAnulty)Jam! Movies (Drew McAnulty)
Gibson has succeeded in making the definitive look at the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus, with a movie that is gut-wrenching in both its violence and inhumanity. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Jam! Movies (Drew McAnulty)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Cinenganos (Luis Martinez)Cinenganos (Luis Martinez)
Una cinta por instantes hermosa, casi siempre demoledora, pero sin duda alguna, profundamente pasional. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Cinenganos (Luis Martinez)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Powerfully moving and fanatically obtuse in equal doses. The typical star rating doesn't apply, because scenes range from classic to poor and all stops in between. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Lou Lumenick)New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
A highly personal, provocative and in some ways riveting vision with an inspired performance by Jim Caviezel as Jesus. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
It's not the most flattering depiction of Jews I've seen. Still, The Passion of the Christ is something of a masterpiece, terrible to behold, unfit for children, certainly, but very much the work of a director in the throes of his own distinct passion. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Stunning in its violence and fascinating in its ironbound focus. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
It's a strange kind of spiritual movie -- one that aims for the gut more often than the heart. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Easily the most controversial film of the year, Gibson's fil is a visually bold, relentlessly violent epos that suffers from a shallow, undernourished narrative and no characterizations to speak of. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
How anyone could call Gibson's filmic account anti-Semitic is mindboggling in its confused narrow-mindedness. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for MovieCrypt.com (Kevin A. Ranson)MovieCrypt.com (Kevin A. Ranson)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
the cinematic equivalent of a Rorschach inkblot: You will probably see in it whatever you choose to see in it. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies (Greg Dean Schmitz)Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies (Greg Dean Schmitz)
I can't bring myself to condemn this film... [Gibson] made the film he was inspired to make, which included writing, directing, producing, financing and marketing [it] himself ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies (Greg Dean Schmitz)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for efilmcritic.com (Collin Souter)efilmcritic.com (Collin Souter)
As a work of cinema, The Passion of the Christ possesses a majestic beauty within its horror, one that comes most effectively through a tiny, solitary teardrop. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at efilmcritic.com (Collin Souter)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Regardless of how you feel about the movie's message, you're certain to leave the movie feeling something about the movie itself. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Kansas City Star (Robert Trussell)Kansas City Star (Robert Trussell)
One thing is certain: Gibson has delivered a film so visceral, so unwavering in his commitment, that it makes most other Jesus movies look pale and tepid. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Kansas City Star (Robert Trussell)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Lost in a labyrinth of stomach-churning pugilism, the spectacle is a hefty cross for audiences to bear. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
There are scenes in The Passion that will remain forever with those who see it. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
The overriding virtue...is the film's conviction in its own material. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
Tempting as it may be to dismiss Mel Gibson as a glorified pain freak, dressing up a martyrdom fantasy in Aramaic and Latin, it would be more accurate, I think, to say that the filmmaker, a Catholic fundamentalist, presents his torture-racked vision of ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for USA Today (Claudia Puig)USA Today (Claudia Puig)
There is enlightenment -- even stark poetry -- in The Passion. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)
Gibson's passion is all over this film...but his resorting to mawkish, superficial tactics blows the tone off-course from time to time ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)
No voy siquiera a pretender revisar esta película como cualquier otra, porque no lo es. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Moviola (Jorge Avila Andrade)Moviola (Jorge Avila Andrade)
'Bien filmada, mejor actuada y sólidamente dirigida. Vale la pena todos y cada uno de los centavos de su producción y del costo del boleto de entrada.' ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Moviola (Jorge Avila Andrade)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
Working with premier cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, Gibson effectively hurls us into Christ's living nightmare, creating a mesmerizing twilight zone that is creepy and utterly unforgettable. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
The Passion of the Christ is powerfully moving and fanatically obtuse in equal doses. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Las Vegas Review-Journal (Carol Cling)Las Vegas Review-Journal (Carol Cling)
In the Gospel According to Mel Gibson, blood doesn't lie. It's the only truth that exists. Which means the agony is the ecstacy in The Passion of the Christ. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Las Vegas Review-Journal (Carol Cling)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for TheFilmJournal.com (Ohio) (Rick Curnutte)TheFilmJournal.com (Ohio) (Rick Curnutte)
I admire an artist who puts himself so fully into his work, who takes a chance on presenting a singular vision...This is a masterful film. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at TheFilmJournal.com (Ohio) (Rick Curnutte)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
You may not believe in the events that transpire in The Passion of the Christ , but it's hard to deny the grim potency with which they've been captured. ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
like a ballet where physical movements are used to show pain, heartache, evil and suffering ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Movie-Vault.com Movie-Vault.com
Opening with a night sky lit by the full moon, the dark, blue-misted garden of Gethsemane and a background of portentous music soon joined by wordless human voices, The Passion of the Christ sets the tone of a work of art of beauty and power. The ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Movie-Vault.com
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 2.88 out of 4 stars for filethirteen.comfilethirteen.com
Mel Gibson is a pretentious asshole who will surely burn in hell. He's taken the death of Jesus Christ and turned it into a "Braveheart," "Lord of the Rings," Hollywood wannabe epic shot in the shadows of cinematic special effects bloodshed. There's no ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at filethirteen.com
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
"It has begun, Lord. So be it." Movies and religion have never mixed well. Inevitably, a movie will misrepresent one religion or another and be faced with protests and threats of boycotts. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ has sparked the ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (Johnny Donaldson)The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (Johnny Donaldson)
...a two-hour wallow in torture and sadism that amounts to nothing more than a snuff film with pretensions of both art and religion ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (Johnny Donaldson)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Fresno Bee (Donald Munro)Fresno Bee (Donald Munro)
If this were any other film and any other subject, The Passion would have been slapped with an NC-17 rating faster than you can say "Council of Nicaea." ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at Fresno Bee (Donald Munro)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 2.71 out of 4 stars for musicOMH (Shawn Fitzgerald)musicOMH (Shawn Fitzgerald)
For what now seems like an eternity, we've been subjected to a multitude of media wags and religious leaders worldwide stirring up the old cauldron of controversy regarding Mel Gibson's new directorial feature, The Passion of the Christ. Many ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at musicOMH (Shawn Fitzgerald)
Passion of the Christ, The (2004) scores a combined 2.69 out of 4 stars for The Trades (Scott Juba)The Trades (Scott Juba)
Every once in awhile, a film comes along that is more than just a movie. Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of The Christ” is such a film. It becomes an intense, deeply personal experience that burrows to the core of the humanity within each of us. While ...read the complete Passion of the Christ movie review at The Trades (Scott Juba)