PASSION REPLAY

REVIEWED - THE PASSION RECUT: IN THE secular world it's what we call a marketing gimmick. Mel Gibson, having been alerted by acolytes that Aunt Mollie and Uncle Ned nearly passed out during the graphic scenes of butchery in The Passion of The Christ, has recut that film to accommodate easily spooked members of the congregation.

Six minutes or so have, apparently, been excised, though the only missing scenes I noted were the one where the scourge pulls Jim Caviezel's flesh into bloody pyramids and the one where his shoulder is violently dislocated to enable crucifixion. The children with the faces of demons are still there, the grey wraith that lunges at Judas is still about, and the attendants at the foot of the cross still get showered in blood.

In short, cinemagoers of a nervous disposition are still going to have the living, erm, bejesus scared out of them.

As before, those, such as this writer, not inclined to regard the film's viewing as an act of devotion are in a poor position to accurately assess its worth. Readers who feel differently are advised - and this is not meant facetiously - to ignore the star rating above.