Summer Movie Files 102: Troy

It seems epics are the in thing in Hollywood again.

Troy's male dominate cast gives most the screen time to Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Peter O'toole, and Eric Bana. The women aren't given much to work with. Although the actress that plays Helen is fairly hot.

The movie chugs along during the first half and the majority of the dialogue is fairly pedestrian. A good part of the drama in the first act of the film comes in Orlando Bloom's storyline. Bloom who was never required to act in the Lord of the Rings fumbles almost everytime the picture leans on him. His performance is way below everyone else's it hurts the film. Take for a example the scene on the boat early in the film when Bloom is talking to his brother (played by Bana) his eyes dart around as if he is looking for his cue cards. A few other times it appears that he is just spurting out lines he memorized the night before.

Now if there were more scenes like the exchange bettween O'toole and Pitt the movie would have been awesome. Troy isn't a bad film by any strech of the imagination it just teeters on greatness falling to the other side more often than not.

The strengths of the film lay in the action scenes (although I hate the CGI of people running since people actually running will always look better) including a few one on one matches bettween key characters. This is what the movie promised in is marketing and it certainly delivers.

The movie also tones down the mythology making the characters that were supposed to be Gods, or semi Gods more like icons and beloved warriors and heros. If you didn't have any outside research I doubt you would have picked up on any of it. This might really piss some people off. Not me though
Don't get me wrong the movie was fun at times and I didn't hate it. I just wasn't overly impressed and think the actors saved the film.

During the movie there are many quotes about remembering names in the future when looking back upon an era. I doubt Troy in the history of movies.

Then again it is just a movie so if you want to be swept away for a few hours I am sure there is a lot worse out there.