Excellent Superficially, but Unfortunately without Depth

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2007)

The film is a jarring inconsistency of some of the most well chirographed fight scene ever yet filmed, some completely over the top fantasy creaturish humans (in a supposedly historical setting), some flinchingly bad dialog, and really embarrassingly comic book scenes and caricatures.
I loved this film, and I hated the guys who screwed it up. This film had truly great potential with a far deeper plot than Braveheart, greater scope and even greater armies than Lord of the Rings.
But things were just wrong, the consummating moment for the hero of the story was cut short like it had begun and was instantly edited to the end for no apparent reason. The Introduction to the hero looked like a scene for Jungle Book, it actually had a Wolf with glowing eyes. Much of the dialog looked like it was taken off the back of a patriotic serial box and then just Greekified and repeated with no apparent rhythm, and almost comically the soundtrack seemed to try to beef up every really bad section of dialog with really grand music.
This film could have been great instead it's only good; but giving honor to whom it is due. It has what is probably a three minute sword fight complete with about twenty kills done from one camera angle. In terms of filming, it is a triumph like nothing I've ever seen; and in terms of viewing, you've got to see it! So many things in there are still that good that I totally recommend it. I just doubt it will be the best watch of your life.