10. Troy (2004)
The Ensemble: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Peter O'Toole, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Diane Kruger, Rose Byrne, Julian Glover, Julie Christie
Troy should have been a triumph for pretty much everybody involved, and not just the money men. Coming off the back of movies like
Gladiator, financial success was all but guaranteed (it made $500 million). Though with Wolfgang Peterson in the driver's seat and with Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Peter O'Toole, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Diane Kruger and Rose Byrne in starring roles, here's an epic that should have been a certified critical hit, too. As a sword and sandal epic in the vein of classic movies like
Ben Hur, it's an underwhelming venture that does nothing for the talents of its cast. In fact, for most of them, it emphasises all their worst traits as actors. And at almost three hours, it eventually begins to feel like a sort of punishment exercise, as it flitters between serious and campy to disastrous effect. In the end, it's all daft cliches and CGI battles. Everybody deserved a lot better.