Major Disappointment

Rating: 4/10 (14 May 2004)

There are elements of Troy that work nicely. The CGI effects are something special indeed. The fight scene between Hector (Bana) and Achilles (Pitt) is very nicely choreographed. In the end, though, it's all for naught. Peterson (who has delivered great action films in the past - Das Boot, Air Force One) needed to run to the editing board many times over. I don't mind lengthy films (I can name several three-hour-plus films that I count among my all-time favorites), but "Troy" pushes things to the limit. Too many sequences feel redundant. Brad Pitt is nice to look at and little more. He does not have the commande that Achilles should have. For a warrior that is supposed to inspire the confidence of an entire army, it seems unlikely that he would muster more than a chorus of "eh". Paring down one of the cornerstones of Western literature is certainly necessary to make it watchable on the screen, but seeing "Troy" is certainly not necessary for anyone. Save your $10 and your butt - Don't see "Troy".