Could have been better

Rating: Null/10 (16 October 2004)

The Iliad is a fantastic story, but unfortunately, has never been translated well onto screen. Peterson's epic is an okay film in itself, but would have worked so much better if it had stuck to the source material. Writer David Benioff wisely did away with the gods interference, but this isn't enough to make up for the major changes.
There is also a problem with the casting. There are plenty of other actresses just as or more beautiful than Diane Kruger who could be a far more convincing Helen. Brad Pitt was good with Achilles' arrogance but nothing else. Orlando Bloom's good looks can't disguise the fact that he isn't very talented. And Garret Hedlund was so irritating as Patroclus I couldn't wait to see him get killed.
On the whole, it does seem a very pretentious, gratuitous movie, but there were some parts i really enjoyed and, unlike a lot of movies I've seen this year, it was worth the admission price. Just