A different subject matter.

Rating: Null/10 (10 March 2005)

I only became aware after doing some research on the internet that Troy was based on Homer's Illiad (which is on my "to read" list). My initial impression was that Troy was in the vein of Gladiator, although covering a different subject (which it is).
The performances seemed a bit stilted initially, I was worried that Eric Bana might be falling short on the acting skills. I noticed all the other actors including Brad Pitt gave the same delivery which left me conclude that perhaps they'd done too many takes in a row. I got used to that anyway or it wasn't a problem, the events of the film were interesting enough that it fell by the wayside. The casting was good, I always think Brad Pitt does well in non-pretty boy roles, even Orlando Bloom who's still riding the post-Lord of the Rings wave suits his character overall. It's reassuring that Eric Bana had the presence to pull off his role convincingly, and this film will surely look good on his resume.
Troy doesn't have much in common with Gladiator except it involves war and is set in ancient times, it covers different themes and is more philosophical, thanks to Homer no doubt.
Troy was a pleasant surprise for me, the film was better than I thought it was going to be. I can understand how small things can affect how big a film is in the high pressure environment of the US box office, but with its worldwide presence it'll still be remembered in years to come.