So I went and saw it with a bunch of people from my church last night, and I guess it was what I expected.
When I bought the ticket from the box office, I was told "We have to warn you, it's very violent", but I was thinking "Well, what do you expect?" Indeed, the movie does depict graphics violence, but it doesn't seem gratuitous or exhaggerated at any time, simply what was needed to properly depict Christ's suffering as told in Scripture.
Mel Gibson did add his own spin to certain parts, including the decision to include a 'devil' character, who is seen only by the audience, while the cast are completely unaware of her presence. Despite this, the movie stays faithful to the Gospel, and the crux of the story is well portrayed.
By the end of the movie, most of the people in the theatre were either crying or sitting in awe. Nobody left the cinema until about 2 minues into the credits. Needless to say, it's not light-hearted viewing by any means.
The movie being spoken in Aramaic and Latin added to the authenticity, as I was pondering how realistic some of the scenes would have been, had they been spoken in English, and it just wouldn't have felt real.
From what I saw, the movie didn't try to preach beyond simply telling the story how it was, and I'd say it's the best movie about Jesus that I've ever seen.
Excellent performances by Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci and little-known Romanian actress Maia Morgenstern, as Mary.