Fulfilling in every sense.

Rating: 9/10 (14 May 2004)

Someone previously mentioned that it really was a pity that they condensed 10 years of fighting into 3 hours of film. However, despite whatever the condensing left out, Wolfgang Peterson still left audiences with a good basic core of a movie.
The movie itself doesnt feel like 3 hours, with battle scenes and dialogue aptly balancing each other out. The viewer never feels dulled down with morals or the vast knowledgeable meaning of life, and vice versa, is never overwhelmed by the fighting that occurs over the span of the film.
The battle scenes themselves are enjoyable and believable enough. They dont push realism to the extreme with blood spattering the camera and Brad Pitt coming out of the fight looking like Mel Gibson from "Braveheart" or "The Patriot," covered in blood, intestines, grey matter and anything else they threw at him that would stick, and yet they still capture the raw feel of foot soldiers of two warring nations running by the thousands into battle. Likewise, almost none of the combat (save some certain extremely accurate spear throws) ever feels staged or unrealistic.
The director also does the film a favor by balancing the sides out with screen time, and at the same time, not assigning a good guy/bad guy role to either side. Sure, you definitely get the bad guy vibe from Brian Cox, however Brad Pitt's Achilles still has you rooting for Greece at the same time, while Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom keep your hopes alive that Troy will not fall to the advancing enemy.
All in all - the cast, plot, direction, action, and feel of the movie definitely all lend themselves towards the making of a good film and enjoyable movie to watch. The 3 hours it takes to portray the story seem to fly by as well, provided you dont drink too much soda, and make you leave the theater feeling entertained and fulfilled by a good movie.