the thinker's action movie

Rating: Null/10 (17 May 2004)

Although this movie had a slow start, with some awkward introductions of the main characters and clumsy fight scenes (see Pitt's character with his cousin), it really found its footing after the first half hour. I was able to forget my original impression that this was taking us back to old-fashioned epics of the past, and embrace it as a surprisingly complex action movie. Luckily the special effects were brief - I really did not want to see thousands of ships heading across the ocean, or troops stretching across the beach as far as the eye could see. It is possible to make a movie suspenseful without adding bulk through the use of computer-generated effects. Let's get back to the hand-to-hand combat, individual motivations, and schemings of the characters! Pitt's Achilles was refreshingly unsympathetic - the only time I heard complete silence in the theater was when he exacted his brutal revenge upon Hector. Interesting that audiences have no problem with endless bloody carnage in a film, yet are stunned by the ugly reality of the lengths Achilles will go to to prove he is the one to fear, the one people will remember. Eric Bana, as an intense Hector, did a superb job - nice recovery from The Hulk! I will look forward to seeing more of his work. I am happy that the director did not attempt to make Orlando Bloom, as Paris, out to be a strapping action figure. A foolish youth, yes. Brian Cox, as Agamemnon, lends weight to each scene he is in, and makes this whole movie a tad more respectable. I would give Troy a solid 7/10.