Mythical melodrama almost at it's best

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2004)

No one did this story better than Homer. We'll leave it at that. However, the movie was great for what it was, a movie. Sure it's based on the great classic and the 1000+ year old story, but no one ever said it was accurate. I do think that had the writers been closer to the original story (as told by Homer), we would have seen a much better movie but, Hollywood being what it is, great is never great enough.
It's all here: romance, deceit, love, hate, revenge, death, tortured lover etc. I went in not expecting much but great costumes, beautiful people, amazing action sequences and mediocre acting. What I walked out with was a little more. O'Toole was amazing. He does deserve an Oscar for his portrayal of Priam. Sean Bean was also a notable supporting character. I never cease to be amazed by his roles. Though I've never seen him in a starring role he is never forgettable but rather a force to be reckoned with. Bana surprised me with his talents (especially after the sad, sad mess that was Hulk) but most of all, I was impressed by Brad Pitt. Though I've always believed him to have some talent, I was a bit concerned with how well he would pull off Achilles, the greatest warrior that ever lived. I wasn't prepared for his excellent portrayal of the doomed warrior.
I did leave happy. I got more for my money than I had expected and this will definitely be a movie I will consider adding to my limited collection. If for nothing else, this is a good, entertaining movie. For me, it was a story of love and, indeed, honor.
9/10