It Could Could Have Been a Contender

Rating: 3/10 (13 December 2004)

Oliver Stone's "Alexander" had the potential to be great. Unlike the films protagonist, who in history realized his potential by conquering most of the known world, this film's steed stumbles and throws it's hapless rider to the ground. The casting was extremely weak on just about every level. Colin Farrell does not have the presence to play a character of this magnitude. He appeared very out of place and small at the head of his Macadonian hoard. This character needed to be a little more, for lack of a better term, "larger than life." And what's with the heavy Scottish brogue....."Alexander, we luv ya! We'll follow ya ta the ends of the earth laddie." Com'on man! Not to mention Farrel's Irish lilt and Angelina Jolie sounding like Count Dracula's mother. What was Stone thinking. Well...he wasn't. He was too wrapped up in getting every word of his boring laborious dialog into the film. Battle scenes...good, costuming and set design good. If Ridly Scott had directed this, perhaps we would have had an "Alexander" at full potential.