| Overall Grade: |
C+ |
|
| Story: |
C+ |
|
|
| Acting: |
C+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
C- |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B- |
|
|
Troy - the other side of 'The Iliada'
by Diana (movies profile)
Dec 8, 2007
522
of
754 people found this review helpful
Yesterday, as I sat there and watched the Warner Bros logo appear on the wide screen, I couldn't help but feel extremly excited to be among the first few people around the world finally able to see Wolfgang Peterson's latest flick - TROY.
To watch actors like Brad Pitt, Peter O'Tool and Brian Cox - and yeah, ok Orlando Bloom - finally coming together in a film, only added to my excitment.
But after the first twenty minutes or so ( maybe even less) I realised TROY wasn't exactly what I thought it would be - and that's an understatement.
First let's talk about the soundtrack. What, by Merlin's beard, was James Horner thinking? I mean, was he the same guy that gave us the much acclaimed Braveheart's ST? I'm not even speaking about Titanic's - I'm not going there. What a Horrible, HORRIBLE soundtrack! Usually composers try to add a little extra to the scene by using music. This is not the case with Troy. Horner just manages to "point out" the obvious things with his music: that a battle is about to ignite or that a tragic scene is on it's way. The music adds nothing to the movie - it's cheesy and it makes the movie...well, "smell", if you know what I mean.
About direction: One thing's for sure - Petersen is no Ridley Scott or Peter Jackson. He understands nothing about Epic stories. He's too much predictable with his shots and I think he really should've had a word - or two - with his Editing guy because some of the scenes were definitely too long - almost bordering on ridiculous! The light is bad as well: either it's too dark or it's too bright. I found myself squinting from time to time - sunglasses are advisable.
About the acting: Thumbs down for Brad Pitt. He may look like Achilles - if you think he was THAT gorgeous, of course - but the moment he opens his mouth...well...let's say that Homer must be 'tsk tsking' down on whoever had the misfortune of casting Brad. Thumbs down also for Orlando Bloom. Well, it's not exactly thumbs down per se - it's more like no thumbs at all. He delivers nothing new. He looks like Legolas - only this time he's a brunet and has brown eyes. He also speaks like Legolas in Troy. Heck! He even shoots arrows LIKE Legolas! It's obvious why Helen picked him over her brute husband (given the chance, I would've as well), but to tell you the truth, throughout the movie I never really sympathised much with the fella. Thumbs down for the ladies too - though I suspect it wasn't really their fault. Blame it all on Petersen, I say.
Ok, now the good stuff: Eric Bana - He made me believe he was indeed Hector. Great performance! Great charisma: keep an eye out for his scenes with Saffron Burrows and Peter O'Toole - not to mention Brad Pitt. Sir Peter O'Toole gives the lot a lesson in acting - especially to Brad Pitt who desperatly needs it. Sean Bean - a true Odysseus, the only respectful man and king among a crowd of greedy bastards (no pun intended). Brian Cox: that man was born to be a villain.
The story itself wasn't all that bad. It's a far cry from the original masterpiece, but it's the best anyone has come to really understand the beauty and beau ideal behind Homer's poem. The Trojan war wasn't really all about Helen; it was a game of power and politics. Oh, and keep an eye out for Hector and Achille's confrontation. It's one of the best fight scenes I've ever seen on screen - At least Petersen got that one right. |
My Public Profile 
