It seems that Mel Gibson has intention to bring to screen all the palette of torture and human sufferance.
Like in Passion of Christ, this movies shows the Golgota of the main hero. It specializes further to depict humiliation, hate, basal instincts of killings and torture.
It seems that there are many similarities with 300. The same violence, blood spurting from venae, macho guys. The same ridiculousness and caricature: for example describing chasing by animals: in 300 we have rhino and an elephant, here a leopard and snake. Darius and the Mayan ruler look similar. Conclusion: it uses the same caricatured methods to attract adolescent audiences and above all, sell in theatres. No matter that lowers your i.q.( if that is possible :) ).
The good things about movie is that it has action and creates tension towards the end.
Also some things don’t make sense: the eclipse has duration of 3 minutes, why the hero has to hide his wife in a hollow in earth when he could sent her in jungle…