Good "Adaptation" That Could've Been a Whole Lot Better...

Rating: 6/10 (30 August 2008)

Wolfgang Peterson's attempt at bringing the seemingly mythological tale of the sacking of Troy is realized in a cheesy, yet mildly entertaining piece of war and infidelity.
The acting is slightly wooden from Brad Pitt and Eric Bana's performances. Diane Kruger, while very pretty, seems like an inappropriate casting choice, as she's not the best at conveying subtle emotions. Peter O' Toole is pretty good in his role as the king of Troy, as well as Brendan Gleeson and Sean Bean. The plethora of secondary characters are only as strong as the scene they are in, and there's a lot of drag in this film, making it feel like it's taking forever to get to the inevitable climax. Orlando Bloom (who must be in his thousandth role as a guy with a sword/bow) is miscast as Paris, more so than Kruger.
The writing is fairly decent. The film has moments where it seems like it has come to a halt with all the dialogue that takes the plot almost nowhere, which dumbs the quality down. The battles are very good, though Wolfgang Peterson seems to go crazy with the camera as we get sweeping shots of the vast armies -- when the action unfolds would've been more appropriate for us to view the vista of soldiers. This film is too in your face for it to be taken very seriously. As for the romance (upon which the film is basically centered over, and not the various skirmishes) the scenes between Paris and Helen come off as lame, and the very little screen-time of Hector and his wife make us care little for the characters. The film as a bad ending, in that hardly any of the characters get a fitting conclusion if they haven't already been slaughtered in the destruction of the city of Troy.
The battles, as aforementioned, are actually better than I thought they were going to be. While the only gripe I could have is that this film is bloody, which when adding too much blood to battle (and in such a realistic fashion) can make one feel uncomfortable, unlike the brutality in Gladiator or the later 300. This could've been a very good PG-13 film.
James Horner's score is uninspired and dull. From the lackluster heroic theme for Achilles, to the overbearing moaning over the carnage, this is just one cringe-worthy score. There's no evolution of themes over time during the movie, nor is there any real complexity in the composition.
All in all, this is a war film full of clichÃ©s to make it fit in with the blockbuster-seeking audience to which it is being released. Our heroes have been modified to superhero in their abilities and cunning, and our women have been reduced to the shrieking damsels in distress. Nothing really new or innovative is in this film, making it just one big budget production over a story with the most predictable ending. Worth a watch for mindless entertainment, and nothing more.