Troy
Brad Pitt, Eric Bana
Warner Bros., Radiant Productions, Plan B Entertainment
Troy is a well told epic tale of the Trojan War, battles fought and loves lost. One reason I like this movie so much is the portrayal of the fabled warrior Achilles (Pitt). The presentation of his battle tactics is superb, and the realism of the battle scenes in general greatly benefit from a new age in CG special effects technology.
Achilles is a self styled warrior, who apparently bows to no king, but will fight for his countrymen when called upon. He trains his cousin in the ways of battle, and leads his own small army of men. The opening scene establishes his position with the king, and makes very apparent his skill in fighting.
"Troy" is a good story (losely basd on Homer's epic "The Iliad") that presents us with an appealing hero (Achilles) on one side, touching characters and situations on the other side, and ultimately we root for Achilles, fighting with the Greek forces, while at the same time we hope for a positive outcome for the underdogs, the Trojans.
The movie makes up for in action and theatrical splendor what it lacks in storytelling. Helen being taken from her husband, King Menelaus, by Prince Paris of Troy, is of course the catalyst for the war, but this portion of the plot seems weak. While it is an overall exciting, and believable story, some of the personalities and motives are a bit too transparent.
I may have liked this movie more for the special effects and action than for anything else, but the acting was great as well, in my opinion. I notice around the internet that it hasn't received the best reviews, though 71% of IMDB users gave it a rating of 7 to 10, 10 being excellent. If Brad Pitt is a bad actor than I can't tell a bad actor. I think he (and all the other actors) did a great job in Troy, acting as well as physical stunts and choreography in battle scenes. It's an exciting, fast paced film well worth the $3 rental. And considering the two-disc DVD is only selling for about $20, it's well worth it to buy for those who enjoy collecting movies.
— Drew