Deserved Better Fate/Reviews but...

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2005)

I waited for the DVD to come out because of the overwhelmingly bad reviews - the reviews disappointed me so much that I just didn't want to think about the film. Of course, its always a mistake not to see a film on this scale in a theatre and I will never make that mistake again. I liked the film very much - loved the way that Stone mostly followed Lane's account, loved the presentation of Babylon but I did have the following problems: 1. Structure was a mess should have simply opened with Phillip's assassination. 2. Way too much Angelina Jolie. I didn't think that possible but man, that bad accent - didn't it seem like some kind of Russian, Boris and Natacha accent? 3. My biggest problem is that we never, ever get a real sense why Alexander was followed and is called Alexander the Great. Stone should have included his being made a god in Egypt and found a way to get in the idea that he might have even inspired Christianity. The couple of speeches in front of the troops seemed like bad ripoffs of Shakespeare or Braveheart. Stone gives us the guy in the flesh but we should have gotten some idea of the guys incredible personal appeal.