[fireheart]

This movie does not contain anything of historical value for the audience. Gibson is a liberal capitalist who makes movies for the same reason as all the other liberal capitalists in Hollywood: TO MAKE MONEY!! ( He couldn't exist long without financial success.)
This movie tries to equate Mayan mistakes with the problems of the present world. It delivers an unrelenting barrage of violence in McLuhanesque style which no historian, Roman Catholic, or any other God-fearing individual will find entertaining or enlightening. Mel did some great work in the past, but this movie will endear him to the druggies from "Rolling Stoned" magazine much more than the inhabitants of main stream christianity. Simply pandering to Hollywood and Disney's needs here, he is. The film would be more aptly titled "Marshall McLuhan does East LA Gangs."
Sorry, he is not on a good track here in my opinion.

[Varda]

You can save your hyperventilating. The movie does have some historical value although the society Gibson builds is a composite of Meso-american cultures in different time frames. This makes the people and their actions fictional but based on historical accounts. On the other hand, buildings, art, costumes and a very interesting Taotie motif on the pyramid are all things from a real historical past. The movie tones down the violence from the reality of human sacrifice at the time of the Spanish arrival. The reality was far far worse.

As for the movie merits, you apparently don't see many movies. This one breaks no ground on violence even though unlike most "action" movies the violence is not purposeless.

Whether you find this entertaining or enlightening is up to you. The idea that our present society will be subject to the same judgments for the same reasons is a position that many "mainstream" believers say they accept.