Spectacular, but boring

Rating: Null/10 (20 June 2004)

Everyone needs a good epic now and again. Troy fits the bill in a number of ways - the scenery, battle scenes and sets are of epic proportions, so, in general, it is good to look at, an essential with any epic. The problem with the film is that it is boring! The story-line (such as it is) creaks (we can blame this on Homer) and a good deal of the acting creaks along with it, some notable exceptions being Eric Bana, Brad Pitt and Rose Byrne - however, the director and scriptwriter (not Homer!) must take some of the blame for the wooden-ness as it seemed that characterisation and plot came a lowly second to the more spectacular stuff. Diane Kruger as Helen is gorgeous and we should look out for her in the future as she proves to us that she can act. Orlando Bloom now seems typecast as a romantic character who is good with bows and arrows (not much future for him on this showing). And . . . because it is boring, it is much too long. Worth a look on DVD if you can fast forward each time somebody speaks and just watch the battle scenes.