Figures like Robert Duvall called it perhaps "the best movie I've seen in 25 years".
Mel Gibson aimed for a high degree of immersion by using a cast consisting entirely of indigenous people from the Americas and filming in the Yucatec Maya language . While praised for its cinematography and action, the film has faced criticism from historians for its portrayal of the Maya as a purely bloodthirsty culture and for blending different historical periods of Mesoamerican history.