"Troy" is a decent movie, but Petersen wasn't the best choice...

Rating: 6/10 (16 May 2004)

I don't blame the script. A few bad lines here and there, but it's a good work by Benioff. Nevertheless, Wolfgang Petersen's direction is just average. He has neither a unique visual style nor remarkable storytelling abilities, like Ridley Scott, for example. Scott is a genius. His films have a tendency to look coldly calculated, because of his almost "too beautiful" cinematography, heavily influenced by Scott's experiences in the world of commercials. But here lies the secret of the success of a film like "Gladiator". Scott's perfection, also expressed in brilliant editing, and careful direction of his actors, is the basis for the involvement of the audience. He creates a believable atmosphere, almost a world of its own. In comparison, "Troy" looks very often like it was made for TV. There isn't any emotional punch. By the way, Diane Kruger is a bad actress!! She looks awesome, but that's it. I'm German and therefore, I saw the dubbed version. Kruger dubbed herself, and it was horrible.