“Somebody call IX-I-I!” – Pain or Panic from Disney’s Hercules
Thanks to “Gladiator” revitalizing the subgenre sword-and-sandal, other films attempt to capitalize the same success of the Oscar winning epic including Oliver Stone’s “Alexander,” Clive Owen as “King Arthur” & Zack Snyder’s “300.” One sword-and-sandal epic is a loose retelling of the Trojan War. Due to the absurd length of Quintus Smyrnaeus’ “Postohomerica” and Homer’s ancient poem “Iliad,” the decade long Trojan War trimmed the timeline for more than a couple weeks. “Troy” centers on the abduction of Helen, the siege of the titular city and the focal points of Hector and Greek hero, Achilles.
Released in 2004, (same year The Aviator came out) it received mixed review from critics. Despite divisive reactions, it was a box office hit. Three Years Later, a Director’s Cut features 34 minutes of never-before-seen footage. As you know, Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated fantasy adventure epic, “The Odyssey” will be released on July 17, 2026. Before I prep up to see Mr. Nolan’s film, I wanna share my opinion on Troy.
Shiny & Rusty Qualities
Shiny: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Brendan Gleeson, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean, Rose Bryne, Julie Christie & Peter O’Toole all did a splendid job for their respective performances.
Besides portraying Achilles, Mr. Pitt served as an executive producer courtesy of his production company, Plan B Entertainment.
Wolfgang Petersen (The NeverEnding Story, Air Force One, The Perfect Storm) did a decent job directing. He also co-produced the film.
David Benioff (25th Hour, Game of Thrones) wrote the script. Before he and his writing partner, D.B. Weiss butchered “Game of Thrones.”
Action Sequences are brutal. Director’s Cut ups the ante. Makes me wanna replay the “God of War” games.
James Horner (Aliens, Jumanji, The Mask of Zorro) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Practical Effects were heavily involved while Visual Effects were used sparingly.
Cinematography captures in-depth imagery.
Costume Design and Set Pieces were crafted by decorators.
Pacing wasn’t a snore fest. I was fully invested since the beginning.
Director’s Cut features 34 minutes of additional scenes providing further context on characters, plot points and fatalities.
- Opening Scene with a dog walking around corpses.
- An extended conversation between Hector & Paris on their way to the City of Troy.
- A slightly longer battle between Odysseus & Glaucus.
- The Battle of the Mound cranks the body count “Up to 11.”
- More in-depth details on Achilles & Hector’s rivalry.
- Hector instructing his wife to leave to Mount Ida.
- Female nudity. In the words of Adult Swim Action announcer, “Put the kids to bed and get ready to get down.”
- A non-Hollywood ending. In other words, there’s no “Happily Ever After.”
Fun Facts
- Christopher Nolan was considered to direct Troy. He dropped out in favor of “Batman Begins.” Two Decades Later, it all comes full circle directing his interpretation of The Odyssey.
- Brad did his own stunts. He actually tore his left Achilles tendon. Ironic.
- Tyler Mane (Sabretooth from X-Men) appears as one of the soldiers.
Random Thoughts
- First time I learned about The Odyssey, was in middle school or high school. My literature class watched the 1997 two-part TV film.
- I consider Troy to be a loose prequel to The Odyssey and Disney’s “Hercules.” When I was a kid, I didn’t know Hercules is a part of Greek mythology along with Sam Raimi’s ‘90s TV show.
- Like most Greek adaptations, Troy isn’t 100% faithful. I don’t have a problem with it. Greek Mythology stories are super old. God of War games aren’t faithfully accurate as well.
Rusty: I couldn’t find nothing wrong. I’m giving the cast and crew an Extra Point for making a flawless action-adventure epic as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
From my point of view, Troy’s Director’s Cut is a vast improvement. Good thing the stuff listed it’s a definitive version. I highly recommend it over the Theatrical Cut. So if you’re very much excited to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, refresh your memory. I also highly recommend other Greek mythology films like “Jason and the Argonauts,” Disney’s Hercules and the original “Clash of the Titans.” Which three-hour plus epic should I review next? Please leave a comment.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 