OK, so i was too curious and i downloaded the movie and watched it yesterday. Overall, it was a good movie and i will probably end up getting it on DVD. Some parts i thought were a little too long for my taste. The saddest part of the movie was during the cruxifiction scene when the murderer asks Jesus to remember him. I didn't cry though and i wasn't expecting there to be some funny parts in the movie as well. I don't see how anyone could call it Anti-Semitic. Yes, the Jewish ppl looked bad, but the Romans didn't look so hot either (ok well Ponitus Pilate did lol). Still, it is history and yes bad Jewish people did and do exist. I don't know how that is controversial. There was a lot of gore and i thought the cruxifiction was the most cringeworthy scene. The only other movie that made me cringe like that was Reservoir Dogs (the ear scene) lol. Really though, worse than the gore were the sound effects that went with it. The sound was really worse than the actual blood. Some of the parts of the movie had me scratching my head because i didn't remember reading about them in the Bible. I didn't realize Mel used some artistic license until i went online looking for an explanation.
Here is a site with an explanation of the scenes that aren't in the Bible. All in all, it didn't change my life ,but it was probably the best Jesus flick i have seen so far.
As for the mass merchandising, i think that is wrong.
I mean is this really necessary? I understand if the movie proceeds went to the people that made the movie and i don't have a problem with that. Gibson is talking about possibly making more Bible movies since this one was so successful. What i have a problem with is the tie-ins and other crass commercialism that have nothing to do with the movie. It didn't say anything on the site about donating to charity. But then again i guess, Mel decided not to because he didn't want to create another controversy.