I don't know where the comment "the gods are left out" started. There's numerous references to the gods, what happens after death, temple shots and the like.
My wife loved the movie. She's a real Pitt fan and a conservative. He's buff for the movie and speaks lower, sometimes resembles Russell Crowe's voice.
The battle scenes are not up to Braveheart in gore, but are good in military strategy, The one on one scenes are okay but Brad's movies seem a little far fetched.
The guy that plays Hector did a great job. Real screen heroic presence and the brains behind the Trojan military.
The babes are window dressing. Some skin, but not r-rated stuff. Don't know where folks are getting the homo stuff, unless they think the skirts are doing it.
I'll leave the historical accuracy stuff to others except to say that I thought Achilles died earlier in the book.
Peter O'Toole is in the movie and some of the other actors playing kings do a good job. Orlando Bloom as Paris is a geek and not worth the whole thing, I'd have kicked his butt out the gate and Helen with him.
Of course Helen is pretty, but there's no there there. A twinge of guilt on the face near the end.
I recommend it for a mid day diversion. No Oscars, unless O'Toole gets a nod for supporting.
There may be references to the gods, but if there is not direct participation of the gods (Hector was killed by Achilles with help from Athena, for example) then the story is really not the same.