Troy
I tell you, there's nothing like a bloody, sword and sandals epic to put everything in perspective. Troy is based on semi-historical fact and Homer's Iliad, and brought to life by Wolfgang Peterson, known for his epic scope. Sure, the stars in this film include a lot of sweaty, well-muscled idols, but you have to look past that to see that this movie actually has merit.
The basic story follows both Achilles, a Greek warrior played by Brad Pitt, and the princes of Troy, Hector and Paris. The Trojan princes are played by Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom, respectively. On a peace mission to Sparta, Paris romances Helen, the king's wife. He convinces her to leave with him and go to Troy. Of course, this pisses off The Spartan king, so he goes to his brother, Agmemnon, the most powerful Greek king. Together, they build the largest army ever assembled and sail off across the Aegean Sea to attack the Trojans.
Agmemnon needs Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, but Achilles hates Agmemnon with a passion. The bad king uses Achilles' friend, King Odysseus to lure him in. They attack Troy, and Achilles nearly takes the Trojan beach by himself. When they attack the city, however, they are stopped, and Helen's former husband is killed by Hector. Feeling a lot of confidence, the Trojans attack the beach, and Hector believes he kills Achilles. However, it is the warrior's cousin.
Achilles seeks Hector in single combat, and after a superb battle, Hector is killed. Achilles takes the body, a sign of disrespect, but the king, Priam, begs to have Hector back. Achilles agrees, and gives the king twelve days of peace to grieve. During that time, thanks to Odysseus, the Greeks build a horse, and hide many warriors inside.
The smug Trojans accept the horse, and are soundly slaughtered while they sleep. In the final battle, King Priam, Agmemnon, and Achilles are all killed, and Paris and Helen escape.
This was actually and entertaining movie. It had great characterizations, intense action sequences, and a great story. Of all the impressive cast (Brian Cox as Agmemnon, Peter O'Toole as Priam, Sean Bean as Odysseus) the best one was Eric Bana as Hector. His performance was so intense and genuine, and he fought to well. This performance elevated him, in my mind, to that top tier of actors. He held his own with Mr. Brad Pitt, and even outshined him at times.
Pretty much everyone in this film is at the top of their game, including Peterson, who brought the whole thing together flawlessly. Even Nathan Jones, former WWE talent makes a small appearence in the beginning as a fierce warrior. Of course, Achilles kills him easily, and we see how the Greeks are so dependant on him. Since Gladiator in 2000 made it cool to do ancient epics again, this is a welcome sight. It was an entertaining film, with all the right ingrediants for a summer blockbuster hit. it gets an 8. Go see it if you like old-fashioned war pictures.
Back to Beeorn's Page