The bulked-up pair of Eric Bana in the role of Hector and Brad Pitt, who plays Achilles, add to the spectacle that is Troy.

Take a pec at these Troy boys
Troy


Stars Eric Bana, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Rose Byrne, Brian Cox, Brendan Gleeson and Peter O'Toole. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen. Rated M

Reviewer :: Pte John Wellfare

Wolfgang Petersen has managed to establish himself as a major Hollywood director on more than one shaky title.

While Das Boot was brilliant, In the Line of Fire, Outbreak, Air Force One and The Perfect Storm were all questionable and met with mixed reviews.

Despite this, Petersen managed to secure a rumoured $200 million to produce Troy, which is his best film to date and sits up there with all the epic heavyweights of recent years.

Based, in a general sense on Homer's The Iliad, Troy focuses on the major players in the infamous siege, with the battles and historical storyline providing the backdrop. In case you're not familiar with the plot, Prince Paris of Troy (Orlando Bloom) wins the heart of Helen, Queen of Sparta, and the pair steal away to the Trojan city. King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), Helen's husband, is understandably upset and enlists the help of his brother, Agamemnon (Brian Cox), King of the Mycenaeans.

Agamemnon has been looking for an excuse to capture Troy for some time and unites all the tribes of Greece to wage war on the "walled city".

Defending Troy is Prince Hector (Eric Bana), with his father, King Priam (Peter O'Toole), calling the shots.

Hector's reputation as an invincible warrior is pitted against that of Achilles (Brad Pitt), the mercenary leader of the Myrmidons, who seeks eternal glory in being part of the invasion of Troy.

So the stage is set for massive battles, fast swordplay and huge pecs to take viewers on a thrilling journey through one of the most famous stories of all time.

In this age of computer-generated special effects, it would have been very easy for Petersen and his team to fall into the trap of the second and third Matrix films and the more recent editions of Star Wars, but fortunately this is not the case with Troy.

With the exception of some of the broader shots showing thousands of boats crossing the Aegean or panning around the full expanse of the city, this is an epic film done the old-fashioned way, with scores of extras squeezing into heavy armour and charging at each other across the desert.

The sword-fighting abilities of the two main warriors, Achilles and Hector, are at the standard that has come to be expected in recent years with enough originality to feel new and unique. Pitt's arrogant, uncompromising Achilles is instantly likeable as he answers back to kings and takes unthinkable risks on the battlefield without flinching.

Both Pitt and Bana put in some serious gym time for this movie and it shows. In a scene in which Prince Hector puts on his armour, Bana looks as though he could have played the Hulk without the help of CGI.

Epic films are often entertaining in the general sense, but rarely capture audiences on an emotional level as well. Troy manages to do both. Even with a basic understanding of the story you will feel fear in the pit of your stomach as pretty-boy Paris finds himself in a fight to the death with the menacing King Menelaus.

Without too much patriotic bias, Eric Bana and Rose Byrne, who plays the Trojan Priestess Briseis, are the standout performances. Bana's understated portrayal of the likeable hero is a five-star effort.

With epic action, legendary romances and both Brad and Orlando in nude scenes, there's plenty here for everyone.

Keep an ear out for the soundtrack. James Horner (Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, Titanic et al.) is the name behind the score for Troy, making the music as epic as the visuals.

John rates this movie - 4 out of 5