Spectacular big-screen entertainment but lacking character

Rating: 8/10 (16 May 2004)

As a fan of movies that utilize the big-screen and digital sound experience to the max...I couldn't help but like this movie. The sweeping vistas, the epic battles, the sharp treble of iron clanking on iron. This is why we pay $50 for admission and popcorn these days for a night out at the movies.

Having said that, it's still nice to see a movie in the theatre that you can walk out and say--"man, that would be just as enjoyable on my 27" Sony at home".
Unfortunately, Troy doesn't quite cut it there. Eric Bana and Peter O' Toole give fabulous performances as Trojan royalty battling their own wisdom--a father
who still believes in help from the Gods and a son firmly grounded in reality. Unfortunately, everyone else -- including Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom -- either suffers from bad acting or a bad script...and we find ourselves not giving a damn whether these primary characters live or die.
Troy was much better than I expected, given the marketing idea to cast only
Hollywood's current crop of sexiest leading men, but still falls short of being a classic (such as Return of the King). Although the story is somewhat grounded in history (the origin of the term Achilles heel, the famous Trojan horse scam), the special effects, costuming and cinematography needed to be complemented
by a more enriching story and characters to truly rank amongst the top epics
Hollywood we've seen so far. 8/10.