Troy is not Zulu

Rating: Null/10 (11 June 2004)

"Troy" is a very disappointing, predictable, nonsensical spectacle. Two far better movies are "Zulu" (for spectacle and other values) and "Walk in the Sun." Also "Apocalypse Now" is far superior. These three films exemplify aspects of good film making that are missing from "Troy," namely good acting, good plot, penetrating dialogue. "Troy" lacks an aesthetic. Peterson has trivialized Homer and "The Iliad," a process expected, perhaps, as that is what movies do to their "inspirations." Nonetheless, it is not offensive to combine events from different ancient legends, but when the fundamentals of the story are distorted, the result is dramatic histrionics without substance. This movie is a litany of numerous flaws in such an "action thriller": faulty, superficial characterization, wooden or hammy acting, inane or platitudinous dialogue, gratuitous nudity, artificial complications, maudlin meandering, absurd costuming, vacuous facial expressions. "Troy" has spectacle, and great music, features appropriate to moldy bread and circuses. Ron Rehfeldt, Rockford, IL