Another film desperate to replicate the success of Gladiator but it fails!

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2005)

Troy could have been a terrific film, it really could. The story is well known and a very good one, but in this nothing seems to work. Pitt is truly dire as the lead, his emotions poorly conveyed and his general screen presence sadly lacking. As for Orlando Bloom, well, the man should be banned from ever again appearing in cinema. His performance is so embarrassingly wooden that you sometimes imagine the film is set in a forest. He adds nothing at all to anything he stars in. The battle scenes were not too bad, but the pace of Troy is agonisingly slow at times and you soon wish it was all over. Sean Bean makes a welcome appearance, but only for a short while, and it's sad to see him passing the time in tripe like this when we know he can perform so well in shows of Sharpe's ilk. Troy should be remade with some decent actors and more action, then it might be worth a look! In terms of battle scenes, the viewer is left feeling short-changed. Troy is one to miss.