I finally caught Wolfgang Petersen's (who also helmed Perfect Storm and Airforce One) take on Homer's convoluted epic, The Iliad, and was unsurprised to discover that he had taken horrifying liberties with this great tale. I may not have completed reading Homer's Iliad but I know enough of Greek mythology to realise that a huge chunk of detail had been altered to make the film more palatable for the mainstream cinema-goer. So what we end up with is a glossy affair of epic proportions but which, unfortunately, falls short of joining the ranks of such modern-day epics as The Gladiator, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
At a glance, if you ignore how badly the Iliad had been adapted for the big screen, Troy comes across as a pretty credible film. The cinematography is excellent, the costumes and props are top-notch and the battle-scenes are praise-worthy (although nothing, I guess, can ever beat those in LOTR). The supporting cast is impeccable too; Peter O'Toole as King Priam, Brian Cox as Agamemnon, Sean Bean as Odysseus and Orlando Bloom as Paris, are quite convincing despite their limited (& mostly one-dimensional) roles. On the other hand, their female counterparts, Suffron Burrows (Andromache), Diane Kruger (Helen) and Rose Byrne (Briseis), spent so much of their onscreen time whimpering that they became quite aggravating to watch after awhile. The same can be said of Brad Pitt, who, as Achilles, is the star of the movie; While he definitely looks the part of a Greek Hero, he didnt seem to be acting the part at all. Perhaps his character was so badly written that bad-acting was inevitable... Thankfully, Eric Bana was around to turn in a strong and note-worthy performance as Paris' elder brother, Hector.
Troy, in my honest opinion, is all style and no substance. The Trojan horse myth had been simplified/disfigured so much that it borders on travesty but then, I doubt if the average joe would care anyway. Still, there's enough explosions and whambam action in this film to please the boys and enough of Brad and Orlando to please the girls... my ratings ~ 3.1/5 stars!
PS: I suddenly miss Clash Of The Titans. Anyone remember that one??
