Troy - The Director's Cut (2004)

I knew this would happen.

I knew it.
I knew it.
I knew it.
Hollyweird gets a little taste of success with Gladiator and sure enough, now we have a slew of swords and sandals movies.
The usual cheesy knock off movie, I knew going into it I wouldn't like it and sure enough I didn't.
Is it just me or is Brad Pitt's acting just getting worse and worse.
He started out great, he was awesome in True Romance and Interview With The Vampire.
But ever since he got REALLY popular, his acting has gotten really lazy.
He can't pull off this movie he's not a good enough of an actor.
Crowe did fine in Gladiator, but like I said, Gladiator's success was an oddity.
Troy is just poorly acted, poorly directed.
The usual cardboard cookie cut out characters running around throwing spears and swinging swords.
YAWN!!!!!!!!!!
I watched it once, never again.
If you're looking for a good movie with swords and sandals go with 300 or Gladiator.
This movie is just a mess and should be avoided.
Your eyes and ears with thank you.
Pass.
July 9, 2008

Pitt Rules

Pitt rules. He makes every movie his own. You can't deny his power, or his intimate relationship with the camera.

The battle scenes are tight and dramatic. The giant slain is my favorite scene. That, and when our hero is felled. July 5, 2008

Petersen's majestic Troy

I previously owned the HD DVD copy of this epic but traded it when I heard that there would be a Directors Cut which would be an improvement on the previous one as far as the video. If you're a fan of this film as I was, then I would recommend this epic whole-heartedly. Some of the dialogue is a little too contemporary for a film of this type and Diane Kruger seems somewhat wooded as Helen but a great beauty nevertheless but Pitt and Eric Bana do excel as the rivals in the war and they're supported by a fine cast of veteran actors such as Brian Cox & the great Peter O'Toole. This film doesn't quite fall in the classic status like "Gladiator" but nevertheless Wolfgang Petersen has delivered an enjoyable, entertaining epic with awesome battle scenes that DeMille would be proud of. Definitely a must if you have a HDTV that is 50" or more!! June 30, 2008

GREAT MOVIE!!

I believe this is one of Brad Pitt's best movies. I though Orlando Bloom was beautiful but a real wimp! Eric Bana was Great too! I know you will love this movie! June 29, 2008

Brad Pitt as Terminator

In my opinion this is the best movie yet produced on what is, arguably, the greatest story ever told. Granted, it is a Hollywood interpretation of the famous epic and is, therefore, inaccurate. The screenwriters, however, clearly love Homer's tale and try to do justice to it. They've just tried to tweak it a little.

We see remorseless Agammemnon sacrifice his only daughter so that favorable winds will blow for the Greek fleet. We see near-immortal Achilles playing with his women prior to deadly battle. Actually this scene doesn't accord with the Iliad. Achilles, who has been warned of his death at Troy, has dressed up like a woman and is hiding with them.

We see Paris and Helen too weak to subdue their fatal desire. We see Hector and old Priam--for reasons we never completely understand--refuse to discipline the wayward couple and return fair Helen to her husband.
We see the mechanical Achilles slaughter ranks of his enemies.

Still, the story does diverge from the Iliad. There is a duel between Helen's husband, Menelaus, and Paris. Menelaus proves victorious but, when he goes to kill Paris, Hector intervenes and slays the cuckolded man. Not true. In the story Paris is whisked away to the arms of Helen by the Goddess Aphrodite. Menelaus lives to reclaim his wife after the fall of the doomed city.

The other, more fundamental change the scriptors made, was to minimize the supernatural component of the story. Most of the events have natural explanations whereas, in the Iliad, events are dictated by bickering Gods.

No matter. Hector, both in the movie and in the Iliad, is sympathetic as the doomed hero fighting for his city. He's a mighty warrior but he must fight against the Achilles demi-god. He almost prevails but, in the end, there is no escaping death at Achilles' hand. It is, after all, fate.

I love the story so I liked the movie. We are witness to events 3,200 years ago still we take sides and--even though we know what the outcome must be--we hope things will turn out differently. It's remarkable in its own way. Since the fall of Troy countless cities and civilizations have fallen but Homer's tragic tale makes us weep.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God" on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. June 16, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...