Did Homer really write this?

Rating: 7/10 (4 July 2004)

I remember a time in eighth grade when Eddie F. challenged me to a fight. I was class monitor, charged with upholding the values of decency and honor. (My main job was to keep kids in their seats when teacher was out.) Eddie F. was the leader of kids who wanted out of their seats. Anyways, about 25 people gathered around in a littered alley as Eddie F. beat me to a pulp because he received too many demerits. I guess that's the same scenario in "Troy", when in the middle of a pitched battle, 100,000 sweating, bloodied and ferocious warriors ceased stabbing each other to watch Hector and Patroclus(thought to be Achilles)fight to the finish. Sound reasonable?
In another scene, Achilles comforts the beautiful cousin of Hector, who is now a captured "guest" of Achilles, and who has just been beaten and tossed about by sweaty, hell-bent Greek soldiers. "Are you hurt?" he asks while attempting to wipe her blood-covered face. Another example of inane dialog is when Helen of Sparta/Troy says to Trojan prince Paris, her illicit suitor of the past two nights: "That was a mistake."
I think Homer must be summoning the gods for a sign that this was really the Iliad that he envisioned.
However, I sheepishly must admit that I was entertained nevertheless. Brad Pitt looked good, leaped handsomely around the set during fight scenes, and gave the suggestion that the film should have been called "Achilles" instead of "Troy." The computer-generated armies looked convincing, and the acting was at least better than average. 7* out of 10*.