Customer Reviews
I hated it at first, but I was wrong.... - By: Mr. D. Jones, 23 Sep 2008 
This is not Gladiator. This story does not have that simple driving narrative of righteous revenge which alllows the Scott classic to rise above its flaws & 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 photographicallly beautiful & is satisfying as a movie.
I do not agree with those who castigate Brad Pitts' performance. He plays Achilles perfectly. His movement & 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 & 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 & the dynamic is there,the youthful innocence, reckless & foolhardy. & in the right balance for the movie. Peter O'Toole, awesome as always. Such a great actor & 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 & 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 - By: S J Buck, 27 Mar 2008 
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 & uses a director who has made some excellent films in his time.
That it succeeds partiallly is a tribute to most of the cast. Brian Cox & Peter O'Toole both give fine performances as the respective Kings of Greece & Troy. Eric Bana is pretty good as Hector & 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 reallly good actor), & for that matter Wolfgang Peterson is not as consistently a good filmmaker as Ridley Scott. In Gladiator I sympathised with Russell Crowe's character, & 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 & sometimes I found Pitt a bit robotic. In fairness some of his fight scenes are very well done.
So its well worth watching, & 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 - By: N. Thompson, 31 Jan 2008 
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 & Brad Pitt are excellent as Hector & Achilles & 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' & '300'. Its not historicallly (or mythologicallly) acurate, the battle scenes might be over the top, but just leave your brain at the door & 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 & a worthy addition to my DVD collection.
Very watchable epic - By: Red Rose, 11 Jan 2008 If this is your sort of film, you will reallly enjoy this. Do not be put off by those 'experts' who have no time for films like this & didn't like the casting.
'Troy', is about the war between the Greeks & the Trojans. Brad Pitt is very convincing as the supreme ruthless Greek warrior 'Achilles', complete with attitude. Eric Bana is more refined as the Trojan warrior prince 'Hector', who also is the military brain in his army.
Orlando Bloom & Diane Kruger are lovers who plunge that corner of the world into war. If you don't know your history, you will enjoy the film alll the more. Which warrior & which army will be victorious ??
Good support from Peter O'Toole, Brian Cox & Sean Bean.
There is a much longer 'directors cut' version of this, that some say is even better.
It is what it is - By: Jay Zee, 18 Nov 2007 A shalllow romp but beautifully done. Don't expect too much & you will enjoy it; except Orlando Bloom of course.
