Rating: 
Summary: A Beautiful War
Review: If you happen to be a fan of Homer's epic, be warned that it is time, place, and character that are the same but not truly the story. Filled with beautiful people, scenes and clothes, this movie misses the mark. Helen could no more inspire me to go to dinner than to war and I need to eat to live. Orlando Bloom as Paris, is so beautiful of a boy that it is unbelievable that he would have the requirements needed to steal another man's wife, no matter how usavory the other man proved to be. Yet he would be just the fool to wage a ten year war over a woman. Only in the movie the war accounts for slightly over 12 days worth of action.
How the Greeks managed to be so hard up that after 12 days or so of war they need to build a wooden horse to enter the city is beyond me.However Hector is amazingly played as are most of the other roles, with the exception of Achilles who falters here and there. You manage to be blinded by the beauty of the spectcale presented to you, and when you begin to object to the brusing of Homer's great works you see Brad Pitt semi-naked and forget all about it. For that alone I give this move 3stars and well worth seeing. You should know, that if you plan to see this move instead of reading the book you will fail. Neither is this movie a match to the TV movie of the Odyssey which manages to capature the book and you along with it. But Brad Pitt naked should not be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Forget historical context. Enjoy the spectacle. Great fun!
Review: If you like old-fashioned epics with casts of thousands and a storyline full of heroes, this 2004 film is for you. It's almost three hours long but the time does fly. There are battles and swordsmanship and characters spouting lines that are so overdone that I burst out laughing. But who really cares about historical context in a film like this? And if the nuances seem a little modern for this 3000-year-old myth by Homer, it doesn't really matter. When he wrote it, little did he know that it had all the makings of a Hollywood spectacle, including a romance at its core. This is when one of the princes of Troy, after a couple of nights of stolen passion, whisked away the beautiful Helen who was married to the King of Sparta. Later, Troy would eventually be destroyed because of this and everyone watching the film probably knew that but yet, it's great fun to see how it all plays out.
Brad Pitt is cast as Achilles, a warrior for the Spartans who is having second thoughts about the wisdom of serving his king. It's obvious he's been to the gym because of his defined muscles and a body shape crafted by a personal trainer and vitamin supplements. He's also been trained in swordplay and there is one scene in which he is teaching his younger male cousin to fence which might be viewed as homo-erotic. However, there are other scenes in which he defines himself as a man who loves women, especially in the scene in which he seduces the young female cousin of the King of Troy.
The performance of the woman cast as Helen and her Prince lover plays like amateur hour. However, Eric Bana, an actor I have never seen before, is cast as Hector, the prince's older brother. His performance is masterful and his presence dominated every scene he was in. But as far as I'm concerned, the very best performance of all was by Peter O'Toole, cast as the King of Troy. There is one scene in particular, in which he begs Achilles, who has just murdered the king's son Hector, for the right to give his Hector a dignified burial. Shakespearian in nature, this is a scene I will long remember.
This film can be enjoyed only if you don't think about historical reality and just relax and watch the forces of lust and revenge and warfare and pomp and glitter let you forget that this film is downright silly. Of course Troy falls far short of my highest recommendation, but frankly, I recommend you see it anyway. It's a pleasant diversion and an evening's entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Wannabe Epic Heavy on Spectacle, Light on Heart
Review: In a post-"Lord of the Rings" age, it's nothing if not ballsy to even attempt crafting a large-scale, old-fashioned epic, especially when you know it will be a mere candle when tested against that trilogy's blinding torch of greatness. Still, Warner Bros. and Wolfgang Petersen have tried anyways, casting Brad Pitt as Achilles in an adaptation of certain events from Homer's epic poem "The Iliad". The end result is an entertaining, but woefully overlong and empty wannabe epic. The story is set into motion when young Paris of Troy (Orlando Bloom, cast accurately as a fancy pretty boy) swoops off across the ocean with Helen (Diane Kruger, beautiful, but as hollow as her porcelain doll looks suggest), who is wife of the Spartan king Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). The spurned husband responds by enlisting his brother, Greek king Agememnon (Brian Cox, who chews on scenery as if it were tough meat), to help launch an offensive against the whole of Troy. In command of the Greek army-or, at the very least, its inspirational mascot-is Achilles (Pitt), a warrior of amazing skill but questionable loyalty. He openly despises Agememnon, and refuses to get involved in this war until a personal loss forces him to do so. At the head of the opposing army is Hector (Eric Bana, in a meaty performance), eldest son of the Trojan king (an excellent Peter O'Toole), and brother of the philandering Paris. He's rumored to be as great in battle as Achilles, and when the two finally meet for some one-on-one action, it's truly an awesome, intense moment. Sadly, any such intensity in "Troy" fades soon after the swords and spears stop flying. The love story between Paris and Helen is less than involving, and, really, it's just as hard to get into the personal plights of any of the other characters, except for maybe Hector, but that's only because Bana is so damn good. Meanwhile, Achilles is presented as a quiet but cocky man, full of many pretentious musings, all delivered in Pitt's unnecessary and bothersome attempt at a slight British accent. Yet we can never really get inside this man's head, or even begin to understand what he's feeling, even though the movie makes a half-hearted attempt at doing so. Of course, this film's real selling points are the special effects and many battle sequences. Yet, while impressive, they have a been-there, done-that feel, thanks to another epic about ancient times, 2000's superior "Gladiator". In fact, Wolfgang Petersen, a great director in his own right ("Das Boot", "Air Force One"), seems a little too "inspired" by the Ridley Scott Best Picture winner, and no scene here feels like a truly memorable original. Still, when all the dust settles, "Troy" stands out as an above-average summer popcorn flick, with plenty of grand action set-ups and an easy-to-follow story that, while never entirely interesting, doesn't exactly bore. However, it also stands out as a below-average epic, marred by a lack of depth and too many scenes that drag. I mean, when a 162-minute movie starts feeling as long as it is, you know things are far from perfect, especially when even the star himself begins to look bored in his surroundings.
Rating: 
Summary: pathetic
Review: Is it so hard to respect the original ( Homer's Iliad ) ? At least on when some of the characters are really supposed to die. I mean, I understand omitting the Gods, but he just made his own little story! With a very effeminate Achilles, an horrible Agamemnon, Helen might as well just stood there and save the acting for another movie 'cause she added on the lousiness of the whole thing (although very nice looking). The only nice thing was the horse, nothing else. If you really like epic movies, skip this one ( it'll give you an ulcer). The battle scenes were sorry! And the duels were worse, specially Achilles with that little girly side jump that he kept on doing, never mind the cheesy sprints that he used to near the enemy on any engagements. Do yourself a favor and buy Gladiator or Braveheart instead.
Rating:
Summary: Why can't I give it zero stars???
Review: This film is the most gargantic lump of human-secreted filth that has ever graced anyone's presence. Greek myths are not stories that I enjoy seeing butchered by naked hasbeen Hollywood hunks and new emotionless pretty boys. The actress who played Helen was quite unstunning, and the raving reviews I've heard about this film disgust me. This film disgusts me, and if you like it, YOU ALSO DISGUST ME.
Rating: 
Summary: A Forgettable Epic
Review: This is not a great film, it is far too long, and it is just about void of any great acting. If I had to choose "Best Actor" for this film, it would be Eric Bana. Really an excellent job considering the script he had to work with. Apart from that, the other actors would have been just as convincing if they were on a Greek stage holding dramatic masks to their faces. It seemed Brad Pitt was always trying to act but just couldn't jive with the character. I actually wanted to laugh at some parts, such as when he was "acting" angry while calling Hector out to fight. Terrible. Peter O'Toole, though once a great actor, is just too old, and I hate to say that. I sincerely believe that Brad Pitt and Peter O'Toole were recruited because the producers wanted some "big name" appeal. Shame. To set the record straight, I do not dislike Brad Pitt. I thought he was great in "Fight Club" and other films. But perhaps he should avoid the epic.
Rating: 
Summary: Whew!
Review: Troy was an excellent movie. It was well made and sucked you into the plot. I didn't really want to see this movie as past ventures into history movies are boring...but this one changed my whole perspective! I was wide eye and alert the whole time! Brad Pitt who plays Achilles is such a strong actor that you hate Achilles at the same time you love him! Especially when he helps to take over Troy. Orlando Bloom and Eric Bana along with all the other actors also give excellent strong performances. I think for me personally the battle scenes were the best and they were the most powerful! Yet, the romance between Achilles and Orlando and Eric's cousin was extremely powerful with the take over of Troy. I also thought the scene where Achilles (Pitt) challenges Paris (Bloom) and Paris wimps out and his brother (Bana) takes the battle on and ends up losing his life over it was powerful! And the treatment Achilles gives to Bana and then the talk with King Priam (Bana's father) was just excellent. You really become attached to the characters and you will feel like you are there because it is so well made. I recommend this movie for anyone who wants a plot that follows through and acting/scenery that is amazing!
Rating:
Summary: Homer And Hollywood: An Epic Movie
Review: Wolfgang Petersen's film adaptation of the Illiad is good material for a traditional blockbuster movie. It's the number one film in theatres right now. Wolfgang Petersen has made several movies loosely based on novels before, including the children's fantasy The NeverEnding Story in 1984. Starring Brad Pitt as Achilles, Brenda Gleeson as Helen, Orlando Bloom as Paris, Eric Bana as Hector and Peter O Toole as King Priam. It's a visual masterpiece, big battle scenes and epic sweep, but it's a big cake with no substance. He has completely changed Homer's classic Illiad and cut out several significant characters and made alterations to suit a Hollywood epic starring of all people Brad Pitt as the warrior hero Achilles. Women are not portrayed in a good light, eventhough in the Illiad this remained true, but many important female characters did not feature in the movie. Queen Hecuba, the wife of Priam, is no where to be seen and we are lead to believe King Priam (Peter O'Toole) is an old widower. The blind prophetess Cassandra, who predicted the fall of Troy, is not in the movie either and neither is the old prophet Laoocowom who warned the Trojans of the danger of the Trojan Horse the Greeks left on the shore. The Illiad is completely butchered. Ajax, another warrior is not supposed to die in combat either. Brisceis is a princess and not a temple priestess, something to which even Wolfgang Petersen's script contradicted. In her first meeting with Brad Pitt's Achilles, he tells her she is royalty eventhough she's been a priestess in the temple. With a lot of inaccuracies, this film merely serves as a big Hollywood version of Troy. There have been many versions, in old films and in the summer of 2003 a made for cable series. This film is enjoyable to watch at a purely Hollywood level- brand name celebrities like Brad Pitt in a role he's not used to doing. Impressive yes and good music. Oh, and the gods do not make any appearances, and the gods- Athena, in particular, had a very prominent role in the Trojan War. Also, it's assumed everyone has read the Illiad because there is no explanation for Achilles dying when Paris shot an arrow on his heel. Read the classic Greek legend
cycle instead...it's superior in every way and a treasure of Greek historic literature. Homer would not be proud of this movie even if Hollywood audiences are.
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