A enjoyable blockbuster which delivers on its promises

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2005)

Brad Pitt stars as Achilles in this re-imagining of Homer's Ilyad.
Despite the source material the film remains an unashamedly crowd-pleasing summer blockbuster, taking liberties with the original story in order to create a more dramatic screenplay. Although purists would rightly take issue with the rewriting of an ancient myth, there is no denying that the final result is impressive.
Troy features some of the most sustained and dramatic action sequences yet seen on screen. As well as the mass Lord of the Rings style battles, utilising computer graphics to display epic tussles between the Greeks and Trojans, there are several equally exciting duals between the principal characters.
This is a film packed full of star names, including Orlando Bloom as Paris and Brian Cox as Agamemnon. Perhaps the most impressive is Peter O'Toole as Priam the king of Troy. The moment when he contemplates the annihilation of all he holds dear is incredibly poignant, and demonstrates that this film is more than just an excuse for a lot of dramatic action.
Troy doesn't present a clearly delineated struggle between the forces of good and evil, and this makes it all the more intriguing. While Brad Pitt is the hero for the Greeks, most of the other stars in the film play Trojans, and so neither side is simply portrayed as a faceless enemy horde.
There's no denying that the film flags slightly in between the battles, and the fact that it takes so many liberties with its source material mean that it can't be recommended unequivocally. However I think it's somewhat harsh to criticise this film for its anachronisms, and believe it should be appreciated for what it is, an enjoyable historical blockbuster, which delivers on its promise of epic entertainment.