Troy is NO "Gladiator"

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2004)

Just came back from watching Troy, and I was left disappointed. Nonetheless, Bean's narration at the beginning and at the end gave me goose bumps. In the opening scene when I heard a woman whaling, I thought it sounds similar to Gladiator. The music lacked an orchestral touch that was evident in Scott's Gladiator or Jackson's LOTR Trilogy. The film appeared grainy and underexposed. Pitt's Achilles was attractive, but his character lacked substance and passion. He was a bore. I also felt apathy for Kruger, Bloom and Bana performances, but Cox and Bean were captivating and compelling in their performances in their limited screen time.
Director Petersen may have used Gladiator as a template for his so-called epic film, but he overlooked various important elements that made Gladitor successful: Russell's compelling acting performance, beautiful and poignant music, and excellent direction by Sir Ridley Scott. Troy was a expansive imitation of Gladiator. IMO