RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
50 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:259

Fresh:129

Rotten:130

Average Rating:5.9/10

Consensus: The graphic details of Jesus' torture make the movie tough to sit through and obscure whatever message it is trying to convey.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for sequences of graphic violence

Runtime: 2 hrs 22 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Feb 25, 2004 Wide

Box Office: $370,203,632

Synopsis: The Passion of The Christ is a film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film opens in the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper.... The Passion of The Christ is a film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film opens in the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus resists Satan's temptations. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is arrested and taken back to within the city walls of Jerusalem where the leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his results in a condemnations of death. Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Roman Governor of Palestine, who listens to the accusations leveled at him by the Pharisees. Realizing he is confronting a political conflict, Pilate defers to King Herod in the matter. Herod returns Jesus to Pilate who gives the crowd a choice between Jesus and the criminal Barabbas. The crowd chooses to have Barabbas set free and to condemn Jesus. Jesus is handed over to the Roman soldiers and flagellated. Unrecognizable now, he is brought back before Pilate, who presents him to the crowd as if to say "is this not enough?" It is not. Pilate washes his hands of the entire dilemma, ordering his men to do as the crowd wishes. Jesus is presented with the cross and is ordered to carry it through the streets of Jerusalem all the way up to Golgotha. On Golgotha, Jesus is nailed to the cross and undergoes his last temptation -- the fear that he has been abandoned by his Father. He overcomes his fear, looks at Mary, his Holy Mother, and makes the pronouncement which only she can fully understand, "it is accomplished." He then dies: "into Thy hands I commend my Spirit." At the moment of his death, nature itself overturns. -- © Newmarket Films [More]

Starring: James Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Mattia Sbragia

Starring: James Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Mattia Sbragia, Claudia Gerini, Luca Lionello, Hristo Shopov

Director: Mel Gibson

Director: Mel Gibson
Screenwriter: Mel Gibson, Benedict Fitzgerald
Producer: Bruce Davey, Stephen McEveety
Composer: John Debney
Studio: Newmarket Films

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • The Passion of the Christ Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Feb 17, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The Passion of the Christ focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film begins in the Garden of Olives where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.
  • Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Passion of the Christ

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating)
    Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    03/01/04
    Boston Phoenix
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
    02/27/04
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
    04/29/09
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Cinema Crazed

    A two-hour bloodbath.

    Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
    02/26/04
    E! Online

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
    03/06/05
    Independent

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat

    The Passion of the Christ is so relentlessly focused on the savagery of Jesus' final hours that this film seems to arise less from love than from wrath, and to succeed more in assaulting the spirit than in uplifting it.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment 3 Comments
    02/24/04
    A.O. Scott
    A.O. Scott
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The ultimate contradiction ... is that a film about the Prince of Peace is violent enough to earn an R rating.

    Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment 1 Comment
    02/24/04
    Andrea Chase
    Andrea Chase
    Killer Movie Reviews

    Whereas the words say love, love, love, the sounds and images say hate, hate, hate.

    Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment 2 Comments
    03/04/04
    Andrew Sarris
    Andrew Sarris
    New York Observer
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Emotional, violent, extreme and very gory, Mel Gibson's controversial The Passion of the Christ is a difficult and grotesque experience for most viewers.

    Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
    02/26/04
    Angela Baldassarre
    Angela Baldassarre
    Sympatico.ca

    May have succeeded in exploiting Jesus's death for its most highly pitched emotion and drama. But in the process, for many believers, it may have served only to trivialize and further obscure the story's most central and sacred mysteries.

    Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
    02/25/04
    Ann Hornaday
    Ann Hornaday
    Washington Post

    Beautiful, violent -- and also funny for all the wrong reasons, and boring.

    Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
    03/26/04
    Anton Bitel
    Anton Bitel
    Movie Gazette

    Jesus stumbles under the weight of the cross so many times, you begin to swear the editors are recycling the same footage over and over again.

    Full Review Source: Roanoke Times (Virginia) | comment 1 Comment
    02/26/04
    Beth Jones
    Beth Jones
    Roanoke Times (Virginia)

    The basic message of Christianity -- love your brother -- is obscured under torrents of blood to the point of benumbing the audience.

    Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment 2 Comments
    02/23/04
    Bill Muller
    Bill Muller
    Arizona Republic
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The entire event is gut-wrenching, but Mel Gibson makes a movie that gives you the guts without the wrench. His Jesus is a whipping post.

    Full Review Source: KFOR Channel 4 News | comment Comment
    03/27/04
    Blake Davis
    Blake Davis
    KFOR Channel 4 News

    Passion might be a courageous, visceral, boldly artistic motion picture, but that it doesn’t make a very convincing dramatic experience.

    Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
    03/16/04
    Brian Orndorf
    Brian Orndorf
    FilmJerk.com

    For moviegoers who don’t share Mel Gibson’s religious agenda, it’s nothing but an unpleasant experience.

    Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment 4 Comments
    02/28/04
    Brian Webster
    Brian Webster
    Apollo Guide

    This work of obvious devotion may well be the first spiritual splatter film. It makes Gladiator and Braveheart -- even Friday the 13th -- seem mild by comparison.

    Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
    02/24/04
    Carrie Rickey
    Carrie Rickey
    Philadelphia Inquirer
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    As a movie, it feels incomplete - yes, it's incredibly intense and powerful, but I wanted to see a little more about the compassionate man and a little less bloodshed.

    Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
    02/25/04
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
    TheMovieChicks.com

    The film's lack of discretion robs the viewer of his or own conception of Christ's crucifixion. It is an exploitative disservice to "the greatest story ever told," that reduces that illustrious narrative to an extended torture episode.

    Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
    08/26/09
    Cole Smithey
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating)
    Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for The Passion of the Christ

    October 03, 2008: Further Reading: Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker in Abel Ferrara's Mary
    As the NFT in London prepares a Juliette Binoche season, Kim looks at Abel Ferrara's Mary which also stars Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker. More...

    May 16, 2008: Hollywood's Prayers for Spiritual Revenue Go Unanswered Opens in new window
    As The Passion of the Christ proved, there's a lot of money in so-called "faith-based" film marketing -- but it's proving disappointingly elusive for the major studios. More...

    February 27, 2007: James Cameron's "Jesus" Doco Causes Controversy
    The James Cameron-produced documentary called "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" is causing a whole lot of stir among the religious community for trying to assert that, after... More...

    February 05, 2007: Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Messengers" Scores Slim Win Over Super Bowl Weekend
    With the Super Bowl taking males out of the picture, mothers and daughters squared off at the North American box office this weekend with the younger set earning a slim victory.... More...

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    15% 15% The Ugly Truth
    98% 98% Up
    36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
    52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
    45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    36% 36% Angels & Demons
    68% 68% Funny People
    25% 25% Four Christmases
    45% 45% Shorts

    More New Releases…

    See All

    RT On Current TV

    The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

    Learn how you can be part of the show

    More...

    What’s Hot On RT

    Total Recall

    Total Recall

    John Travolta's top reviewed movies

    Disney Countdown

    Disney Countdown

    Look back on Disney's best animated movies!

    RT's Gift Guide

    RT's Gift Guide

    Give the best movies, gear, and more!

    Ninja Assassin

    Ninja Assassin

    Learn to train like a ninja in this clip!

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
    34
    • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
    10
    • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
    1
    • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
    116
    • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
    112
    • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
    32
    • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
    64
    • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
    20
    • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
    26
    • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
    51
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
    175
    • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
    129
    • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
    97
    • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
    75
    • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
    70
    • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
    58
    • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
    32
    • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
    20
    • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Angels & Demons, Funny People, and Superman
    18
    • WB offers DVD to Blu-ray Trade-In Program
    16
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
    12
    • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
    9
    • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
    19
    • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
    6
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    15
    • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
    20
    • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    8
    • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
    28
    • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
    28
    • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
    14
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • The Passion of the Christ at Rotten Tomatoes
    • The Passion of the Christ at IGN
    • The Passion of the Christ at AskMen

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    Wes Anderson on Fox
    Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

    The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

    The New Cult Canon
    The New Cult Canon External Link

    AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

    New Moon Portraits
    New Moon Portraits External Link

    TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

    Unsexiest Men Alive
    Unsexiest Men Alive External Link

    Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.

    Promos
    Follow RT on Twitter
    Follow RT on Twitter External Link

    Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.