Reinventing Greek History...

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2004)

If you haven't read Homer's Iliad you're in for a ride. If you did read Homer's Iliad get ready to buy a big bucket of popcorn to keep yourself busy from being disappointed.
Let me state this fact Troy is not an adaptation of Homer's Iliad! It's inspired by it. Troy is a reinvention and a dramatic one at that but lacks the interesting plot that made the literal work great. Achilles is portrayed larger than life with a heart and feelings-- a killer capable of loving. Helen is down-played and her part of the destruction of Troy is secondary. What really sticks to mind is Achilles, Achilles, and Achilles. I can't help but notice the story revolves around this character which according to Homer was the greatest Greek warrior. Fine. A legend. Big deal. But Achilles did not make prime time in Iliad. In Troy he is the movie. Now, take Terminator and have it go back 3200 years ago and you won't notice the difference because plot wise it's a familiar story. An invincible warrior who in the end gets his heel shot up and he weakens. But the director, Peterson, doesn't think this heel thing is important and presents it uninterestingly. Oh, Paris is loverboy weakling in this version. I felt like screaming out, "Kick some ass, Legolas!" Overall, Troy is also 45 minutes too long. Snore.