... The main plot of the story then begins with the young Trojan Princes Hector (Eric Bana) and Paris (Orlando Bloom) in the Kingdom of Sparta where they are celebrating a truce and an alliance between the great powers of Sparta and Troy. Yet things quickly turn sour after Paris falls in love ... Read review
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Action/Adventure - Director: The Wachowski Brothers - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Monica Bellucci, Jada Pinkett
Advantages: great film, brilliant special effects, sound acting Disadvantages: feature split over 2 discs!, dodgy accents
...already had plans of bringing Troy under his rule and quickly seizes the opportunity to unite a force to conquer Troy. Yet with the legendary swordsman Prince Hector in the Trojan ranks Agamemnon must attempt to gain the sword of Achilles in order to win the battle. Yet, reluctant to fight again for someone he despises, Achilles is finally persuaded by the King of Ithaca Odysseus (Sean Bean) to fight for glory and immortality. So beginning the siege ... ...the legend as more of a historical epic than a mythical fantasy; note the absence of Gods sat around a table playing chess. The film poses the question of who the real heroes are and for who the audience should side with. At first the answer is easy, with Hector's pride and honour being much more likeable than the greedy land-grabbing Agamemnon. Yet with the introduction of Achilles on the side of the Greeks the audience may have a bit of a puzzler ... more
The film itself is very good, yet it is the features of the DVD that are the reasons I would not recommend this product, but I will come on to this later.
The Film
The film centres around the story of the Trojan Wars and the legendary figures of Prince Hector and Achilles. The film opens with Agamemnon (Brian Cox) attempting to conquer yet another land in order to add it's resources to his growing Greek force, it is here we first catch a glimpse of Greece's greatest warrior Achilles (Brad Pitt). The 'rogue' Achilles fights not for King Agamemnon but for glory and for his name to survive the ages. His fighting prowess is quickly established and it is easy for the audience to awe this legendary fighter from the start. The main plot of the story then begins with the young Trojan Princes Hector (Eric Bana) and Paris (Orlando Bloom) in the Kingdom of Sparta where they are celebrating a truce and an alliance between the great powers of Sparta and Troy. Yet things quickly turn sour after Paris falls in love with queen Helen of Sparta (Diane Kruger), infuriating her husband Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). Menelaus enlists the help of his brother, Agamemnon, in order to retrieve Helen back to Sparta. Yet Agamemnon already had plans of bringing Troy under his rule and quickly seizes the opportunity to unite a force to conquer Troy. Yet with the legendary swordsman Prince Hector in the Trojan ranks Agamemnon must attempt to gain the sword of Achilles in order to win the battle. Yet, reluctant to fight again for someone he despises, Achilles is finally persuaded by the King of Ithaca Odysseus (Sean Bean) to fight for glory and immortality. So beginning the siege of Troy.
Director Wolfgang Peterson tells the legend as more of a historical epic than a mythical fantasy; note the absence of Gods sat around a table playing chess. The film poses the question of who the real heroes are and for who the audience should side with. At first the answer is easy, with Hector's pride and honour being much more likeable than the greedy land-grabbing Agamemnon. Yet with the introduction of Achilles on the side of the Greeks the audience may have a bit of a puzzler on their hands.
The main drive behind the film seems to be honour and pride, set amongst brilliant battle scenes. These are some of the most memorable battle scenes I have seen in films the like of these. Peterson has truly mastered the brutal and realistic scenes and the effects are handled superbly. From the large scale CGI shots to the close up hand to hand combat, everything sucks you in and the battles become wholly enjoyable and entertaining. Adding to this are the performances of some of the main characters. Eric Bana creates a true hero for a film that is full of legends. He succeeds at persuading the audience that all he does is for the honour and loyalty of both his family and his country. Bana's skill is mirrored on the Greek side by that of Cox. A big fan of what he has achieved in the past I can say I was not disappointed with his input into 'Troy'. Yet again he portrays the perfect bad guy who the audience just cant wait to come undone. Yet the performance of Pitt leaves much room for improvement, his performance is severely shadowed by that of Bana. He appears to be the token American hero in this Hollywood epic.
DVD Features
Idiotic cannot describe it.
What Warner Brothers were thinking when they decided on a 2-disc special edition cannot be imagined. Happily watching the feature you are told to get up and replace the first disc with the second, HALF WAY THROUGH THE FILM! There is just no place for this sort of nuisance when you are attempting to watch an entertaining action film. WB have included the special features on both discs, meaning there is not enough room for the whole film on the first disc. This just seems pointless to me as they could have easily screened the feature on Disc1 and the Special Features on Disc2, as nearly every other DVD out there does and not causing a mindless interruption.
However the film does offer some interesting Special Features and a good half an hour of unseen footage. The 'In The Thick Of Battle' and 'Troy: An Effects Odyssey' Special Features are worth a look and are fairly entertaining in their own right if you enjoy watching the construction of CGI and the such. Yet the extra footage that is supplied within the feature is somewhat disappointing, and it is easy to see why the director felt it should be 'unseen' in the first place.
Verdict
Peterson had a tough job telling this story to a modern audience but it would appear that he has done a very good job. However, the supposed 10 years the siege took seem to go only last a matter of weeks in the film. The film is a very entertaining portrayal of a well known event and needs to be taken as entertainment rather than attempting to be historically accurate. Though the film may be slightly annoying at times (though Bean's Sheffield accent as a Greek King is more laughable), the film is nonetheless worth a look and you will certainly enjoy it. But, for your own sake, buy the original DVD rather than this 2-Disc 'Special Edition'.
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.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Release date
07/08/2006
No of Discs
2
Catalogue No
D 028411
Barcode
7321908284112
Languages
Main Language
English
DVD Description
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.
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