Alexander (Colin Farrell)

REVIEW
Ambitious, overlong, technically proficient and emotionally unsatisfying, director Stone's historical and biographical epic of Alexander the Great, the 4th-century BC king of Macedonia, has moments of tremendous appeal but is sabotaged by its near three-hour running time, a sometimes convoluted story line and curious lack of sweeping passion. Alexander (Farrell), the young prince of the Greeks, is torn between his father, King Philip (Kilmer), and mother Olympias (Jolie), who each conspire to gain their son's allegiance. When his father is murdered, Alexander becomes king, and sets forth to finish his father's battle with the Persians, a striking 12-minute battle scene. Upon victory, Alexander ventures out into the known world in a quest of conquest, victorious in fight after fight and conquering each land he invades. The story concentrates mostly on Alexander's wars in Persia, Asia and India, the in-fighting within his inner circle, his marriage to a "barbarian" woman (Dawson), and the relationship with and love for youthful friend Hephaistion (Leto), a romantic affair that is suggested but not explored. The ensemble is competent but not exciting, though Farrell does try to carry the weight of the film with an animated portrayal of the conflicted king. However, the screenplay decrees this Alexander to be all talk and little action. To ably convey the fable of a king who conquered half the world, a little more achievement and a lot more fervor is required.