Thank God Wolfgang Petersen turned down Gladiator

Rating: 6/10 (31 May 2004)

First things, first. The fact that this movie is not an epic like it should be is entirely Wolfgang Petersen's fault. We are all grateful to him for passing on the opportunity to direct Gladiator - the honor of which was finally bestowed on Ridley Scott. The movie falls short in many respects. First of all, the romance between Paris and Helen is not fleshed out enough to justify the war. Second, most of the actors like Brad Pitt as Achilles, Orlando Bloom as Paris and Diane Kruger as Helen are miscast. Although a good actor, Brad Pitt cannot bring life to the average script like a non-American Thespian like Russell Crowe would. He has the body, the looks and the moves of Achilles but he lacks the passion in his voice. Diane Kruger plays Helen but she also lacks the strength and presence necessary for the role. The script is lacking in many ways too. There are no memorable moments or dialogs that stick with you after you watch the movie as with Gladiator. The music is passable too. There are no musical themes for Troy, the Greeks or the heroes that add to the movie experience and that develop the characters or make the scene. On the positive side, Peter O'Toole and Eric Bana are both outstanding as are some other British actors.