Good, but not great

Rating: Null/10 (28 May 2004)

****CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS****
Well ladies, we certainly get some serious eye candy in this one! :) Eric Bana, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt. Running around in skimpy armor, togas & skirts no less!
Got that out of my system, so let's move on...
I'm sorry, but I just don't understand the comments about Brad Pitt's stellar (or phenomenal as some have put it) performance as Achilles. To each his own I guess, but every time he opened his mouth, I just cringed. I suppose it's not entirely his fault, though. Too much emphasis was placed on Achilles to begin with, which, in turn put Brad on screen too often. True, Achilles was a major cog in the Greek war machine, but he certainly wasn't the ONLY one. Brad Pitt just irritated me to no end...he was overly moody in his portrayal & gave no life to the character. As someone else said, in the end he was Brad Pitt as Achilles...not Achilles.
Other actors did a far better job with their roles in my opinion. Eric Bana blew me away with his portrayal of Hector. I think he captured the essence of the Trojan hero perfectly. He truly was Hector...not simply Eric Bana attempting to play Hector.
Peter O'Toole was another stroke of casting brilliance. I just wanted to reach through the screen & hug him when Priam begged for Hector's body. I also wanted to pummel Brad Pitt, I mean Achilles, but that's another story.
As to complaints about the movie not going strictly by the book, well that's Hollywood for you. Look at the LOTR trilogy. Much was left out & some rather inane garbage was added. You have to cut unless you want a 5-hour film. Still, they probably should've included the sacrifice of Iphiginia (although, that would've totally ruined the Hollywood demise of Agamemnon). It's what was ADDED to the film that probably made many mythology/Trojan War buffs cringe. For instance, Hector killing Menelaus?!?!?! Even more absurd was Briseis' murder of Agamemnon! Or, what about the fact that both Paris & Hector's infant son live?? Helen escapes to the hills?!?! Again, I guess that's Hollywood's prerogative.
I think the fact that the gods & goddesses were left out isn't overly horrible. It did serve to emphasize Hector's point when he asks his father, "and how many legions does the sun god command?" Still, there were 2 key instances where the presence of a god or goddess was required. 1) Aphrodite saved Paris from Menelaus after he is defeated in single combat and 2) Poseidon sent his sea serpent to kill the Trojan prophet who warned, "be ware of Greeks & the gifts they bear).
I realize I'm just nitpicking. Really, aside from Pitt's performance, I think it was a wonderful movie. I really hope they decide to go forward in the story & make the Odyssey (with Sean Bean as Odysseus, of course).
Apologies for the length & thanks for letting me voice my opinion.