In a front page article, the USA Today has labeled Gibson's Passion a grotesque nightmare.
"Most movies primise to deliver us from the profound." claims the article. This noble cause is contrasted with the aim of Gibson, which will "test viewer's ability to stomach endless beatings in the name of either art or religion, depending on the beliefs moviegoers bring to the theater."
Apparently there are only two classes of viewers: those who watch endless beatings for art's sake and those who watch endless beatings for religion's sake. Either way, all viewers are clearly sadists. There is no profound aim to this film.
Nor, it seems, for future films. They are sure to be "Old Testament staples featuring a demanding God."
His audience? "There are 2 billion Christians worldwide, roughly one third of the planet. That's a lot of movie tickets. This army is responsible for the strong early ticket sales for The Passion."
It seems to me this media outlet has a dislike for Gibson's movie, but I don't see a valid reason in it. Grab a copy and tell me what you think.