I thought it was crap.
Or rather, it was a passion play that lacked the revelation about grace and the new covenant that a biopic of the last days of Jesus Christ really requires. This wasn't the story of a man who redeems humanity by offering himself up as the sacrifical lamb of a new age, it was the story of a man who was jerked aound by mob rule and an indifferent government and ended up being tortured and crucified. But it didn't matter because this Jesus of Nazereth knew that he was the Son of God, and thus risked nothing and gain nothing for his fellow man by his death. Why Lord? Oh why did he have to take his cues from Luke?
What Gibson tried to do was make a "straight from the gospel" blow-by-blow account of the Passion of Christ, what he's managed is an uncomfortable spectacle of torture followed by a heavy handed "Oh CRAP! He really WAS the Son of God!" revelation for all of his tormentors.
What DID I like:
I liked the fact that it was in Aramaic, and that the costuming, make-up, sets, and actors looked and sounded authentic (with a few notable exceptions to follow). I thought that the Anti-Semitism buzz was overblown by a nervous Jewry and the PC side of the media. I don't blame the former("Christ Killer" being one of the favorite anti-Jew slurs amongst the cro-magnon set), but the latter should have known better.
What I didn't like:
There's a lot to not like about this picture, but I'll stick to a few quick points that were glaringly obvious. My biggest beef was most obvious in the King Herrod scene, and to a lesser extent the rest of the movie. Herrod was portrayed as a bumbling sybarite; someone who couldn't even sober up and get his wig on straight when judging a case that has his whole community in an uproar. Historically, the Herrod in the film was known as "Herrod the Builder", an efficient tyrant who built and managed many large public works in his kingdom. While I'm sure he enjoyed a good party, he wasn't the type to keep a court full of drunks and fools. To a lesser extent, this criticism can also be applied to Pontius Pilate, who was recalled to Rome for his brutality and lack of a subtle, careful hand with a volitile population.
Also, the nails through the hands thing...I know that it's on the traditional crucifix, but if you actually did that the person on the cross would come loose. It feels sloppy, especially when you consider how much easier it would have been to cg a nail through the wrist.
I could go on, but this post is already alarmingly long and it's geting late. If you've seen this movie already, then you have my apologies. If not, then do yourself a favor and find a copy of "The Last Temptation of Jesus Christ".