Troy

For all of its expansive set designs and impressive battle
sequences, I found myself bored watching last weekend's number
one box office draw, "Troy". While fans of Homer's epic account
of the Trojan War will be disappointed by the absence of actual
gods, others may feel that the movie lasts longer than the war
itself.

The movie opens as two princes of Troy, Paris (Orlando Bloom)
and his brother Hector (Eric Bana), reach a peace accord with
King Menalaus of Sparta. Problem is, Paris has been having an
affair with Helen (Diane Kruger), the queen of Sparta. Paris
sneaks Helen back to Troy with him, which does not sit well at
all with Menalaus and his brother, King Agamemnon. The two
unite, along with the entire Greek army, to bring Helen back
from Troy. While Menalaus simply wants his wife back, Agamemnon
sees this as an opportunity to expand his empire. Knowing that
victory is not assured, the King forms an alliance with his
greatest warrior, Achilles (Brad Pitt). Neither man likes the
other, as Achilles is rebellious and only out for his own glory.
But, as Achilles sees it, the Trojan War is his opportunity to
be remembered across the ages for his abilities in battle.

So basically, "Troy" is about the greed and arrogance of royalty
and warriors. Eric Bana is very good as Prince Hector, who
constantly tries to stay above the mess that his younger brother
has created while also trying to be the leader that his army
looks to. It should be no surprise that Peter O'Toole as the
King of Troy is exceptional, perhaps even worthy of a Supporting
Actor nod come Oscar nomination time.

Overall though, "Troy" just really seemed to drag, as the first
hour alone felt like two. If you're going to see it, certainly
see it on the big screen. But keep in mind, I don't envision
"Troy" having the endurance to make it through the entire
summer. I give it a C+.

"Troy" is rated R for violence and nudity, with a running time
of 2 hours and 43 minutes.