Mel Gibson: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

The onscreen highs and lows from the career of Mad Mel.

By Scott Campbell /

Although some heavily-publicized issues in his personal life have damaged his reputation almost beyond repair, Mel Gibson had long established his Hollywood legacy before his high-profile meltdowns. One of the biggest movie stars in the world throughout the 1980's and 90's whose movies have earned over $3.7bn at the box office, Gibson is an Academy Award-winning director that is also responsible for The Passion of the Christ, the highest-grossing independent film ever made. Regardless of what people think of his personal beliefs and issues, there is no denying that on the top of his game Mel Gibson is one of the most magnetic and charismatic screen presences in the industry, not to mention incredibly versatile. Although best known for his work in big-budget action movies and violent thrillers, Gibson has also done Shakespeare with Hamlet, romantic comedy with What Women Want, science fiction with Signs and of course, voiced stop-motion poultry in Chicken Run. However, following yet more controversy in his personal life the actor has struggled to make a genuine comeback. To coincide with his villainous role in The Expendables 3, in which he is coincidentally the best thing in the movie, our weekly 5 Awesome and 5 That Suck article will cast its eye over the 35 year big screen career of Mad Mel. As always, let's kick off with the awesome...