Troy

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2007)

From director Wolfgang Petersen (The NeverEnding Story, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One) comes a retelling of a period poem with gory Gladiator style. Basically The Trojan War was started because of the love affair of the beautiful Helen, Queen of Sparta (Diane Kruger) against her husband Menelaus (Braveheart's Brendan Gleeson), to the impulsive Paris, Prince of Troy (Orlando Bloom, a year after Lord of the Rings). Led by Agamemnon (Brian Cox), the Greek forces, Odysseus (Sean Bean, also from Lord of the Rings), plus his near-invulnerable brother Achilles (Brad Pitt) on their side, their huge numbers plan to invade and take over the city of Troy, and get their Queen back. The other side is mainly led by Paris's older brother, Hector (Eric Bana) and his father Priam (Peter O'Toole). Also starring Rose Byrne as Briseis, Saffron Burrows as Andromache, Julie Christie as Thetis, Julian Glover as Triopas, 101 Dalmatians' John Shrapnel as Nestor, Braveheart's James Cosmo as Glaucus, Trevor Eve as Velior, 300's Vincent Regan as Eudorus and X-Men's Tyler Mane as Ajax. The battle scenes in the wide open spaces of deserts (near the castle-like buildings) are very gripping and unmissable, even if the story may not be perfect, and the women who watch this will love Pitt taking off his top and seeing his backside. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Costume Design. Good!