Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7308 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-08-01
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, English, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish
• Dubbed in: German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 156 minutes

Synopsis
With soaring photography that circles from above then swoops in for the action, TROY is Wolfgang Petersen's majestic presentation of the classic Greek legend. It tells the story of an epic battle over Helen (Diane Kruger), the queen of Sparta, who is kidnapped by her lover Paris (Orlando Bloom), the prince of Troy. This infuriates Helen's husband Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), whose brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox) convinces him to invade Troy and kill Helen. They recruit Achilles (Brad Pitt), the best warrior in Greece, whose bravery, quick feet, and remarkable swordsmanship (not to mention tan biceps, short kilts, and blond locks) have earned him a reputation that is almost as impressive as his ego. Achilles agrees to fight for Sparta, if only for the fame it will bring him. Even Achilles' mother, in a touching scene, advises him to forget mortal achievements and become a hero who will be remembered throughout history. Along with the invasion of Troy, a series of duals must also be fought: Paris, who is heartbreaking in his lovestruck naivety, must go up against the enraged Menelaus; and Achilles must settle a score with Hector (Eric Bana), who is fiercely dedicated to protecting his brother Paris and their father, the frail king Priam (Peter O'Toole). When the war finally ignites in its massive proportions, the action is awesome. And as the increasingly dramatic events play out, TROY earns its own timeless reputation among other action-adventure epics such as GLADIATOR and SPARTACUS.

Customer Reviews

I hated it at first, but I was wrong....
This is not Gladiator. This story does not have that simple driving narrative of righteous revenge which allows the Scott classic to rise above its flaws and inconsistencies. Also lacks Russel Crow !
And yes, it is not true to the epic poem. But the story is well told. It has pace. It has energy. It has quiet. It has reflection. It is photographically beautiful and is satisfying as a movie.
I do not agree with those who castigate Brad Pitts' performance. He plays Achilles perfectly. His movement and demeanor act more than his words. The character is a supreme man of action. That is why his dialogue is terse. The three female leads are beautiful. Diane Kruge brings depth to Helen, but it is subtle. You have to watch her face and listen to what she says because her sheer plastic beauty is a mask. But that is the whole point about her story, isn't it.
Eric Bana, brilliant, believable, likeable Hector. Orlando Bloom has also been panned. But watch it again and the dynamic is there,the youthful innocence, reckless and foolhardy. and in the right balance for the movie. Peter O'Toole, awesome as always. Such a great actor and what a face. Brian Cox, nobody does this sort of blood-chilling character quite like him. Sean Bean, just right, understated.
It flirts with the pagan mythology in a tantalising way. Was Julie Christie a goddess ? The only two blondes are the semi-divine Achilles and Helen. Interesting. I would have preferred more of the Gods,pagan ritual etc. Maybe the directors cut has. Maybe i will get it too.

Entertaining enough
For me this was an attempt to remake Gladiator on a grander scale. The same sort of etheral music is used. It has a very impressive cast list and uses a director who has made some excellent films in his time.

That it succeeds partially is a tribute to most of the cast. Brian Cox and Peter O'Toole both give fine performances as the respective Kings of Greece and Troy. Eric Bana is pretty good as Hector and even Brad Pitt is reasonable as Achilles. The battle scenes are well done, although the over reliance on CGI effects is painfully obvious in places.

However, Brad Pitt is not Russell Crowe (who when it matters is a really good actor), and for that matter Wolfgang Peterson is not as consistently a good filmmaker as Ridley Scott. In Gladiator I sympathised with Russell Crowe's character, and I hated Commodous. In Troy Hector was the most likable character but his future in the film was blatently obvious after a short period of time. Achilles was not a sympathetic character and sometimes I found Pitt a bit robotic. In fairness some of his fight scenes are very well done.

So its well worth watching, and at the right price I might buy it to watch again in five years time. BTW forget completely about any historical accuracy, its just a film.

I expected the worse and was pleasantly suprised
This film doesnt exactly keep faith with Homer's mythical epic poem. Troy has been Hollywoodised, but despite this I still enjoyed the movie. Eric Banna and Brad Pitt are excellent as Hector and Achilles and their duel had me on the edge of my seat. Orlando Bloom is ok but I found myself hating the character (Paris) that he played.

Many comparisons can be made between 'Troy' and '300'. Its not historically (or mythologically) acurate, the battle scenes might be over the top, but just leave your brain at the door and you'll enjoy this movie, just dont take it too seriously. If your familiar with Homers epic tale of Troy, this film might dissapoint you. But, if your not then just enjoy the film.

A good film and a worthy addition to my DVD collection.