This is a film that borrows pits and pieces from various other films of the same genre. You can see a lot of "Gladiator", a little "Spartacus", and fragments of "Ben-Hur". Now, that's not saying that "Troy" is not an original film -- in fact, it is one of the largest scale epics Hollywood has given us in a long while, and it delivers for the most part. There are a few elements out of whack, but the majority is solid, powerful, and entertaining cinema. Thus, here is your history lesson...

      Paris (Orlando Bloom) was the Prince of Troy. He fell in love with Helen (Diane Kruger), who just so happened to be the Queen of Sparta. One night, Paris steals Helen from her husband Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), who gave her the Ike & Tina treatment on more than one occasion. Menelaus is furious with this theft and goes to his war crazy brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox) for assistance. Agamemnon decides that he is going to send 1,000 soldiers and attack the coastal empire of Troy, and threatens to kill anyone who stands in his way. This works, of course, only if he can persuade Achilles (Brad Pitt), the greatest warrior in the land, to fight on Sparta's side. Of course, Achilles accepts. His rival would have to be Hector (Eric Bana), Troy's greatest fighter and friend to Paris. Peter O'Toole co-stars as the king, and Paris' father. Much fighting and intrigue ensues.

THE BREAKDOWN:

PERFORMANCES

      There are some extreme highs and some extreme lows. LOWS: Brad Pitt would have to be the lowest. His portrayal of Achilles is downright laughable and this, without a doubt, his worst role and performance to date. Just look at his face when he is trying to act all big and tough -- you can barely keep a straight face watching him. This is the worst case of miscasting I have seen in a long time, possibly since Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy in "Batman & Robin". Another low point would have to be Diane Kruger, who portrays Helen. She is as drab and uninteresting as they come, and we certainly do not see why Paris is so smitten with her, especially enough to steal her from her husband and cause a colossal battle the likes of which the world has never seen. HIGHS: Brian Cox delivers arguably his best performance to date and should certainly be given Academy Award consideration. He is so vicious and so powerful as Agamemnon that he puts every other performance to utter shame. !

      However, Eric Bana (whom I loathed in "The Hulk") also delivers his best performance to date as Hector. Just watch the difference in his acting style in both "The Hulk" and "Troy" -- he really does have the chops to make it in the business. Peter O'Toole also brings and heir of professionalism to the screen in a role that would have probably gone to Richard Harris, were he still alive.

ACTION SEQUENCES

      Most of the battle sequences are well done, though "Troy" gave me the same feeling as "Gladiator" did, as if the special effects just weren't solid enough for a film with this kind of budget. This is one of the most expensive films ever made, and the special effects look like they are straight out of a Full Moon video release. Well, maybe not that bad, but not as enjoyable as they should be. Not to mention, Brad Pitt is physically perfect as Achilles and his fight sequences agree. If it just wasn't for his horrible acting in those scenes, they might be perfect.

DIRECTING

      Wolfgang Petersen is the man behind the camera, and God knows he has made his share of duds, i.e. "Shattered". But he is also one of the greatest action directors the world has ever known, i.e. "Das Boot", "Air Force One", "The Perfect Storm". Here, he skillfully blends the "Spartacus" like action sequences with intense character drama, just like Ridley Scott did in "Gladiator". This is not Petersen's best body of work, as a whole, but I expect it to expand his resume and open up a whole new level of directing for him. All of this, however, is dependant on the financial success of the film.

      Overall, "Troy" is a fine addition to the summer movie season, though the star of the film turns in a terrible performance. If it wasn't for the expert veterans behind him, Pitt would have blown this whole film. I would say that, as a whole, "Troy" surpasses "Gladiator", but it still has a long way to go before it puts a ding in Kubrick territory. Go for Brian Cox and Eric Bana -- stay for the eye candy (Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt), and leave with the knowledge your precious gas money was not wasted.