Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...sail and the siege of Troy begins. I expect many of you are familiar with this plot if perhaps not all the character and place names or the political complexities of the story. It is a huge advantage for director Wolfgang Peterson that we know this tale, it is more of an advantage that we don't really know this tale. How many of us have actually ploughed through Homer's epic? Chances are though, if I say 'Achilles heel' or 'Trojan Horse' you will ...
...power hungry monster only attacking Troy to feed his own megalomania. So we want Paris and Hector to win and the Greeks to be sent packing, right? Well the situation's a little more complex than all that. Firstly we have the seemingly kind and noble King of Ithaca who is also fighting for Greece. That though is happily explained away by Odysseus' reticence to go to war and his disdain for Agamemnon. The only real problem here is Achilles. The audience ...

Zoe 18.05.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...to marry my review of Troy with the teacherofhooch end of term report challenge, this is what I have come up with… The title refers to the National Curriculum level descriptions for primary children, if you'll forgive me. It implies that Petersen reached his Key Stage 2 potential! ENGLISH: Once there was a pair of epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey. The first told of a cluster of days of fighting at the tale end of a ten-year siege of a proud, ...
...the impetuous ladies’ man of Troy has become infatuated with the beautiful queen of Sparta, the wife of Menelaus and sister-in-law to power hungry, arrogant and vicious King Agamemnon, whose ruthless ambition has led him to unite most of Greece under one banner: his own. Helen rashly takes up Paris’s offer to return with him to the powerful city of Troy, setting into motion a chain of events that allow Agamemnon to use the excuse of his brother’s ...

ruth_cole 23.05.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...Iliad. Paris the prince of Troy steals the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus who, enraged and wanting revenge asks his Mycenaean brother Agamemnon for help. Agamemnon, a nasty tyrannical character with imperial ambitions, sees this as a convenient pretext to invade and subjugate Troy. A united Greek army is raised and the fleet of 1000 ships leaves for the shores of Asia Minor. A mighty warrior Achilles joins the army – despite his intense ...
...– in the view of the future glory and having his name remembered forever. The Trojans defend, led by the valiant prince Hector and guided by the elderly buys statesmanlike dignified king Priam. Now, if my initial assumption is true and the story is universal, you will roughly know what happens next and how it all ends and thus I don't need to go on. If my assumption is not true, I should leave it here hanging in suspense. But, the story doesn't ...

magdadh 25.06.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...lot to answer for. Troy was always going to be a showcase for its leading characters but even I was unprepared for the superficial nature of much of the film. The film really isn’t far short of being an advertising vehicle for the semi-naked bodies of three of Hollywood’s most fancied actors. This is fine, up to a point, but in much the same way that you grew tired of those slow motion sequences of Pamela Anderson’s breasts bouncing ...
...than detail and perfection. Troy never touches on the slightly mythical quality that I had expected either. Don’t get me wrong – I wasn’t expecting Jason and the Argonauts 2 or anything – but the whole Gods and Mortals thing is really played down in this film. Whilst the Trojans are frequently portrayed as being superstitious and respectful towards their Gods, the film does its best to show how futile this behaviour is. I ...

LostWitness 30.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

Troy is based on the Trojan Wars as chronicled in Homer's Iliad, though there are significant differences to original Iliad. (I don't think this will detrimentally affect anyone who hasn't read it, of course, but if you loved the book you should probably avoid the film.) I'm sure you will know the basic story - the Greeks war on the Trojans after a young prince from Troy (Paris) elopes with the wife of Menelaus (Helen), and gets his brother Agememnon ...
...PRINCE HECTOR OF TROY - Eric Bana (10/10) surpasses even Pitts' excellent performance. It's a bit early to be talking about Oscars, but if he doesn't at least get a nomination for this then there's no justice in the world! PARIS, PRINCE OF TROY - Orlando Bloom (6/10) just doesn't convince me as Paris. Is probably in the movie more for his looks than acting ability. (With both Pitt and Bloom in this film, will it be a record-breaker in terms of female ...

CaptainDisaster 22.07.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

When prince Paris of Troy romances Helen out from under the nose of her husband Menelaus, he gives Menelaus’ brother Agamemnon the perfect excuse to declare war on Troy. With a fleet of a thousand ships, Agamemnon thinks a swift victory is assured, but he has not counted on the cunning and tenacity of the Trojans and in particular Hector, brother of Paris. So he has to do some wheeling and dealing to get the great Greek hero Achilles to fight for ...
...role of the king of Troy believably. A great actor he may have been, but maybe he should concentrate on writing his memoirs and enjoying his dotage while he can. Sean Bean is a reliable character actor who is well cast as Odysseus, King of Ithaca and mythical adventurer. He brings gravitas and trustworthiness to the role and is a useful contrast to other self-interested Greeks. It’s a solid and dependable performance, which make me wonder why he’s ...

afy9mab 15.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...Priam - Ruler Of Troy With “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy now at a glorious end it not only has brought the standard of special effects to a completely new level, but also has revived the almost dead genre of “The Epic”. Huge armies clashing into each other with towering performances to go hand in hand. With “The Lord Of The Rings” being a juggernaut of cinematic effects wizardry, it’s brilliance is easily proven by its box office figures: all three ...
...efforts. Meanwhile, Princes Of Troy Hector and Paris (Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom) are on a diplomatic mission to the kindom of Sparta, one of the kingdom's under Agamemnon's power. The king of Sparta, Agamemnon's brother, Menelaus' wife, Helen (Diane Kruger) falls in love with Paris (Bloom) and secretly brings her back to the city of Troy, the Trojan capital where they marry. Menelaus is enraged when he discovers the Trojan's have taken away his ...

DarkMark 07.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...sail. The war with Troy is portrayed as having been going on for a decade; at a peace meeting in Sparta, Paris (younger prince of Troy, here Orlando Bloom) falls in love with the fair ‘was this the face that launched a thousand ships’ Helen (wife of the king of Sparta, Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). Helen steals away with Paris on the ship returning to Troy; Hector, the elder prince and heir to the throne (Eric Bana) is conflicted as to what to do, ...
...The people of Troy are seen as virtuous despite the fact that they are defending the less-defensible position morally. The Greeks might have right on their side in some respects, but this is lost in their brutality and by the unbridled greed of their leaders, and of course it is the ordinary foot-soldiers, including Achilles, who have to do the fighting and dying for the cause, as their princes exchange gifts of gold, money and priceless art treasures ...

frkurt 20.05.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...motive is the capture of Troy to reinforce his power and domination over Greece. Troy has never been captured or conquered by any preceding nations and here is his excuse to do it. Ruled by King Priam whom is an aged King (Peter’O’Toole) and aided and defended by his very able son prince Hector (Eric Bana) and Paris, they decide to form a massive armada/army and attack Troy. Achilles (Brad Pitt) is a rebellious, young warrior, considered to be the ...
...with the Trojan horse/Helen of Troy story but the next 146 minutes are not mine to tell you, and for you to find out. We all know the ending to the Iliad legend but suffice to say it doesn’t run to script. HISTORY OR MYTHOLOGY? I always believe that there is usually some truth to myth. It may be twisted or exaggerated but with events that were that long ago it is difficult to assess how much credibility you can give to these stories. In 1870 a ...

milleniumzeus 01.11.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...of people had been anticipating Troy for a while when it came out, for a variety of reasons. I was one of those sad, sad people who, being a fan of the Iliad, thought this could (if handled correctly) prove to be a masterful epic film detailing the sufferings endured by two opposing armies during a pointless war with roots in both the pettiness of the gods and the follies of man. An insightful piece exploring the psyches of great men weighed down ...
...group of us that when Troy was released we all get together and go and see the first performance somewhere. Tentative agreements were made, and at the end of the summer school the matter was laid aside until the beginning of this year, when we realised to our horror that some genius had slated the release date of this film for just before the start of public exams, when although many could afford the time to see the film, they couldn’t really afford ...

Muswell 22.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...him. Everything I know about Troy I learned on the streets & by watching movies or TV shows relating somehow to it. (I believe one of them actually turned out to be educational!) So this movie was a poem then huh?! Well whatever. Now.. shhhh! Wanna watch the Coming Attractions! .............................................. Our Feature Presentation: TROY The Set Up Wednesday, 1194 B.C., 6 a. m. Achilles (Brad Pitt) is late for work. Where the ...
...and sweat that washed over Troy has soaked into the sand and indeed after that sand has blown into far forgotten corners of the earth.. their names will still be uttered across men's lips. Well they are, of course. Only not for the reasons they thought. Not for the hacking and slashing and burning and raping and looting. There have been thousands of wars and slaughters since then. Bigger wars, Uglier wars, Stupider wars. No.. the names of Troy ...

joycefricken 05.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...pronounced lovers then flee to Troy and hope that they will not be followed. This will not though be their fortune as Helen's enraged husband Menelaus and his brother King Agamemnon pursue them and declare war on Troy. They amass the largest army of warriors ever to fight for the honour of Greece and set sail to war and even convince rogue Achillies (he with the dodgy heel) to join their crusade at the promise of everlasting fame and honour. Upon ...
...in to play! Troy (2004) On general UK release now. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson Starring - Brad Pitt as Achillies, Orlando Bloom as Paris, Diane Kruger as Helen and Eric Bana as Hector. Timed at 2 hrs 45 mins The idea of creating a hollywood blockbuster from the story of Homer's Iliad to life was obviously one of those 'good idea at the time' scenarios, where money and star names are thrown at a project in the hope that it wall all turn out ...

REDF 21.05.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...Greece whilst the Princes of Troy have secured peace through his brother Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). This equilibrium is typically short-lived however, as Menelaus' wife Helen (Diane Kruger) escapes her unhappy marriage with impulsive Prince Paris (Orlando Bloom). With this tentative alliance destroyed, the scene is set for the seige of Troy and the part of the film that we are all probably familiar with, leading to the inevitable clash between ...
...Pitt). Troy is a little bit of a slow-starter, the initial half hour of this film having to cover a vast amount of ground, seeing as there is a great deal to learn about the characters before we can get to the real meat of the story. As such the characters have to be slightly exaggerated in order to get the main characteristics across, and this may be slightly annoying unless you're willing to take this in the spirit in which it is meant. However, ...

xxxxdomixxxx 24.05.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...opinions, mythology and fact. Troy is a movie written by David Benioff, and loosely based on Homer's epic tale. A two and a half hour epic (UK: 163 min / Germany:162 min cut version, and is directed by Wolfgang Petersen, who is himself, no stranger to blockbuster movies, with such movies as, The Perfect Storm, Outbreak and Air Force One, among his successes. Now if you have lived under a rock all your life, and have no idea what the Iliad is, then ...
...that you will have a better understanding of the review. In the Iliad, a plague is inflicted on Achilles' fellow warriors, killing hundreds of them, for which Agamemnon is responsible, this being instigated by Apollo. Of course, in the film, this is omitted, and a trivial reason for the feud between Achilles and Agamemnon is set up, which really doesn't bear any weight. A big beefy warrior, Achilles, would have been unlikely to have acted so, over ...

Paradis 05.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)

...elements of the story of Troy will pick up on these little instances which often raised a smile in my case. In a sense this gives it a more realistic feel and yet still pays homage to Homers original portrayel. This comes across as a nice touch as Petersen has worked hard to provide a realistic adaption but has strayed too far from the movies roots. The pivotal role in this film is of course that of Achilles, played by none other than Brad Pitt. ...
...is a credit to his portrayal. He accels in this rol as the antagonistic and self assured legendary warrior. Achilles is put across as a man who is ruthless in battle and yet seemingly wants no part in the glory of the greek empire. Rather in the end he goes to war because its where he accels and ultimately to gain rememberance. hes definately a man of contrasting characteristics. Hector, the brother of Paris, is played by Eric Bana. He plays this ...

num13er 08.01.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Troy (Special Edition) (DVD)