© Getty Images

Highs -

What follow are some of Gibson's best movies, according to critics.

© Getty Images

'Lethal Weapon' - The Chicago Sun-Times: "In a movie with the energy of this one, we're exhilarated by the sheer freedom of movement; the violence becomes surrealistic and less important than the movie's underlying energy level."

© NL Beeld

'The Passion of the Christ' -

L.A. Weekly said: "Gibson has made a big, bold, nightmarishly beautiful film not just about the dawn of the Christian faith, but about the awful tendency of human communities (wherever and whenever in the world they may exist) toward self-preservation, intolerance and mob rule."

© NL Beeld

'Mad Max' - Newsweek said: "Junky, freaky, sadistic, masochistic, 'Mad Max' has a perverse intelligence revving inside its pop exterior. It's a crazy collide-o-scope, a gear-stripping vision of human destiny careening toward a cosmic junkyard."

© NL Beeld

'Braveheart' -

The New York Times said: "One of the most spectacular entertainments in years."

© NL Beeld

'Blood Father' - Entertainment Weekly said: "A violent, grungy, Peckinpah-lite action thriller that’s worth checking out just to be reminded how powerful an actor Mel Gibson continues to be even—if the parts aren’t coming like they once were."

© NL Beeld

'Maverick' - The Boston Globe said: "Entertaining set pieces, the lively give-and-take of Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner and a playful affection for old Westerns carry 'Maverick' past some soft spots and emphasize its adult wit and intelligence."

© NL Beeld

'Hacksaw Ridge' -

The San Francisco Chronicle said: "'Hacksaw Ridge' is one of the best films of 2016. And the victory is all the more sweet for Gibson in that he succeeds on his own weird terms."

© BrunoPress

'Apocalypto' - Variety said: "Mel Gibson is always good for a surprise, and his latest is that 'Apocalypto' is a remarkable film. Set in the waning days of the Mayan civilization, the picture provides a trip to a place one's never been before, offering hitherto unseen sights of exceptional vividness and power."

© NL Beeld

'We Were Soldiers' - The San Francisco Chronicle said: "One of the best war movies of the past 20 years."

© NL Beeld

'What Women Want' - Entertainment Weekly said: "Gibson, in a disarmingly nimble, fast break performance, makes Nick's new hyper empathy look like the essence of virile panache."

© NL Beeld

'Signs' - The New York Post said: "A beautifully crafted, white-knuckle, roller-coaster ride of old-school filmmaking—the kind that believes that the less you show, the better."

© NL Beeld

'Chicken Run' -

Entertainment Weekly said: "A delightful, perceptive, funny, detail-perfect fable."

© BrunoPress

'Ransom' - The New York Times said: "Mr. [Ron] Howard has made 'Ransom' in the same clean, swift, logical style that sent his 'Apollo 13' into orbit, resulting in a spellbinding crime tale that delivers surprises right down to the wire."

© Getty Images

'The Beaver' - Salon.com said: "I suppose the perfect ending to the chapter would be to report that 'The Beaver' is a masterpiece. It isn't quite, but it does offer an astonishing and resonant performance by Gibson, who spends most of the movie playing two simultaneous characters, often in the same shot."

© NL Beeld

'Pocahontas' - Variety said: "The Disney artists have created a vivid palette for the picture."

© NL Beeld

'Lethal Weapon 2' - The Chicago Sun-Times said: "'Lethal Weapon 2' is that rarity—a sequel with most of the same qualities as the original. I walked into the movie with a certain dread. But this is a film with the same off-center invention and wild energy as the original."

© NL Beeld

'The Patriot' - Rolling Stone said: "A thunderous spectacle."

© NL Beeld

'Who Killed the Electric Car?' - The Hollywood Reporter said: "A potent hybrid of passion and politics fuel this energetic and highly compelling documentary."

© Getty Images

'The Man Without a Face' - The Washington Post said: "Mel Gibson reminds us that he doesn't need one-liners and explosive special effects to warrant our attention. Gibson, as actor and first-time director, is not only self-assured in these dual roles, but he seems relieved to let the drama carry him, rather than the reverse. The result is a movie that's both heartwarming and heart-wrenching."

© NL Beeld

'Hamlet' - The Chicago Sun-Times said: "It's a strong, intelligent performance [by Gibson], filled with life, and it makes this into a surprisingly robust Hamlet."

© NL Beeld

'The Year of Living Dangerously' -

The Boston Globe said: "The movie masterfully evokes, through stunning direction and magnificent performances, the heat and passion of desperate people living in desperate times."

© Getty Images

'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' - The Chicago Sun-Times said: "This is a movie that strains at the leash of the possible, a movie of great visionary wonders."

© NL Beeld

'Gallipoli' - The New York Times said: "Mr. [Peter] Weir's work has a delicacy, gentleness, even wispiness that would seem not well suited to the subject. And yet his film has an uncommon beauty, warmth and immediacy, and a touch of the mysterious, too."

© NL Beeld

'Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior' - The Chicago Sun-Times said: "The experience is frightening, sometimes disgusting, and (if the truth be told) exhilarating. This is very skillful filmmaking, and 'Mad Max 2' is a movie like no other."

© NL Beeld

Lows - Now for some of Gibson's films that left a lot to be desired.

© Getty Images

'Daddy's Home 2' - The AV Club said: "Like the passable original, this formulaic comedy can’t stop teasing the possibility of a funnier, smarter movie being made with the exact premise, central conflicts, and stars."

© NL Beeld

'The Expendables 3' -

The New York Post said: "Time to pull the plug on this brain-dead franchise."

© NL Beeld

'Tequila Sunrise' - Time said: "As handsome and slack muscled as a surfer past his prime, the movie renounces ambiguity for confusion. In the end, like an old set of tires or a frayed friendship, 'Tequila Sunrise' just wears out."

© NL Beeld

'Lethal Weapon 3' - The Chicago Tribune said: "They once again trot out the same cynical, numbing formula: bullets, bonding and bravado tempered with self-congratulatory humor."

© NL Beeld

'Machete Kills' - The Playlist said: "Like its predecessor, 'Machete Kills' is never less than busy with ridiculousness."

© NL Beeld

'Edge of Darkness' - Common Sense Media said: "The thrills are few and far between, and the rest of the movie consists of complex but not particularly clever dialogue."

© NL Beeld

'Payback' - Rotten Tomatoes said: "Sadistic violence and rote humor saddle a predictable action premise."

© NL Beeld

'The Singing Detective' - The Washington Post said: "Unfortunately, apart from Downey's convincing contribution, the movie feels too contrived, stagy and inorganic to draw any pleasure."

© NL Beeld

'Paparazzi' - The New York Times said: "Amazingly arrogant, immoral film."

© NL Beeld

'Conspiracy Theory' - ReelViews said: "In the end, 'Conspiracy Theory' fails to work as an action film, a romance, or a mystery—all of which it aspires to be."

© NL Beeld

'Air America' - The Boston Globe said: "The concept of 'Air America' is refreshing, but its enactment goes nowhere fast."

© NL Beeld

'The Million Dollar Hotel' - The New York Post said: "Pretentious and trite."

© NL Beeld

'Lethal Weapon 4' - Rotten Tomatoes said: "Jet Li's arrival breathes fresh life into a tired franchise formula—but not enough to put 'Lethal Weapon 4' on equal footing with its predecessors."

© NL Beeld

'The Professor and the Madman' -

TheWrap said: "What a superficial and tedious motion picture, never quite bad enough to be campy, never remotely good enough to justify watching it instead of reading the book’s Wikipedia page."

See also: Highs, lows, and Indiana Jones: Harrison Ford’s best and worst films

© NL Beeld