Princes of Troy, Hector and Paris are in Sparta recouperating after a voyage and enjoying the local entertainment on offer.
However, Paris is maybe over indulging on the hospitality side and is taking advantage of Helen Queen of Sparta and rapidly falling in love.
The newly 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 reaching Troy, the locals are swiftly and soundly suppressed in a number of bloody and savage battles and those that remain take shelter behind the high walls of the City, safe in the knowledge that no foe has ever penetrated their defences.
They have however never encountered a customer as wiley as this collection of Greeks and the old giant wooden horse full of soldiers that might be a gift ploy comes in to play!
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 ok in the end.
This largely is going to work, as the star names are great enough to ensure bums on seats and cash tills ringing aplenty.
The problem that I encountered though was the poor script delivered as if by Shakesperian actors on a London stage - everything projected with gusto as if to the back of the upper stalls, when the actual recipient of the speech is two yards away (cowering and covered in spittle).
The use of actors with diverse accents adds to the confusion (or hilarity) with Greeks using American (Pitt) and even Sheffield (Sean Bean) accents, up against the Trojan vocal talents of Peter O'Toole, Bloom and Bana, all adopting the Sean Connery tact that this is how I speak and let that be the end of it.
The action sequences though do make up for the verbal sparring, as we are treated to mass brawls featuring wholescale slaughter and decapitation on a par with The Last Samurai and Gangs of New York and the views of the landscapes and sea are awe inspiring at times.
The action looks good, the beautiful people are all present and everything moves along at a ripping pace - I can't help thinking that this would have made a great classic, but 'silent' movie.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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
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
Another well written film review indeed, shame about the film itself......Roy
christina44 06.03.2005 23:40
I "troyed" not to laugh either! A bit more detail wouldn't go amiss,otherwise a good review..sorry for the helpful if you add a bit more I'll be happy to go back and reread and comment! Chrissie x
Lush1 28.01.2005 15:52
I loved this film...And to be honest I didnt really notice the poorer side of it...I thought all the beautiful people did quite well!!!!!
There are many reasons to recommendTroyas a good ol' fashioned Hollywood epic, especially ... more
if you've never read Homer's The Iliad. Dispensing with Greek gods altogether, this earnestly massive production (budgeted at upwards of $200 million) will surely...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
For honour... In 1193B.C. the dandy Trojan prince Paris (Bloom) irresponsibly spirits ... more
away the unhappy wife of Menelaus (Gleeson) the Spartan king. Demanding the return of Helen the Greeks launch a thousand ships and lay siege to Troy. Under the com...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Fantastic cinematography, Great acting by Bana and Pitt especially, Gripping battle sequences Disadvantages: Bloom and Bean's performances are flawed , Slightly over-long
![Troy : The Movie&More (2 Disc Special Edition) [2004] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78483204.jpg "Troy : The Movie&More (2 Disc Special Edition) [2004] [DVD]")
![Troy (2-Disc Edition) [DVD] [2004]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78503902.jpg "Troy (2-Disc Edition) [DVD] [2004]")
May 21st, 2004
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