Excellent performances, but why can't they stick to the book?

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2004)

I won't post any spoilers but the body count ignores who is really dead and who is still alive at the end of the story, as well as leaving out a few characters that would have added a little more dimension. However, Peterson might have been looking to avoid making this film any longer, knowing the average attention span in this 21st century.
Having said that, the actors in this film give their all and most of them do an excellent job. Possibly because a few of his lines are rather silly, Orlando Bloom gives an accurate portrait of the naive Paris who never considers the ultimate consequences of his actions. He's a perfect contrast to Eric Bana's Hector, who is both wise and noble beyond his years. He is truly the most admirable character in the film.
Brian Cox's Agememnon is the least admirable, of course. His greed is the real reason for this war; Helen is only an excuse, a pretext. He is a barbarian in the proper sense of the word.
Brad Pitt's Achilles is definitely a loose cannon and a bit of a wild card in the story. His performance is on point, making Achilles the flawed hero that is a key element to the outcome of this tale. Of course it must be also said here that Pitt is now in his prime; he has never looked or sounded better.
For me the one major disappointment in this film is that Sean Bean's Odysseus should have had a bit more screen time. Personally, I would love to see him star in a production of The Odyssey. This would have to contain the supernatural elements that were absent from this film.