Troy - The Director's Cut [Blu-ray]

Troy - The Director's Cut [Blu-ray]
by Wolfgang Petersen

Troy - The Director's Cut [Blu-ray]

List Price: ~~$34.99~~
Our Price: $19.49
You Save: $15.50 (44%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $10.99 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details

Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD details

Actor: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, Dubbed, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.40:1
Running Time: 163 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-18
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Reviews of Troy - The Director's Cut [Blu-ray]

DVD Review: Brilliant And Sadly Lacking in Scope
Summary: 4 Stars

Lawrance Bernabo's review of Troy mirrors many of my own views and disappointments in this cinematic adaptation of the classic story between the nation states of Greece and Troy. And though it's not unusual for aspects of the story to change to accommodate another medium, why do it if it's not necessary? That was one of my main objections to the film.

Another is when characters depart from an otherwise reasonable course of behavior. Priam, sending his two sons to Sparta to negotiate a long-sought peace treaty, shows absolutely no anger or even annoyance when his sons return with the wife of the Spartan king! Wouldn't one expect Priam to lose his temper at the gross irresponsibility of Paris in wrecking the said alliance and bringing a potentially ruinous war and siege of the city? Instead, he immediately greets Helen with all the warmth of a future in-law without being in the least perturbed. This goes beyond mere license and puts the viewer in a completely unnecessary situation of suspending disbelief. So why did it happen? I understand the script writer needing to transition to acceptance, but the transition was too quick, too unbelievable and too contrived.

There also is no way to justify the treachery of Paris' action. As Priam was too quick to accept it, so, too was Hector. Both situation demand indignation. This isn't the first time Paris had behaved in this manner, and this time it meant war and the loss of Troy's fair sons. Yet it's handled in much the same manner as if the purloined object was a water bottle, not a man's wife. Whatever nobility Priam and Hector may of had was lost by their reckless disregard of the situation. Hector's spontaneous slaying of Menelaus also was a blight upon his nobility. By the time Achilles comes to seek vengeance, one has had enough of both Hector and Paris. I only regret that Achilles didn't slay Paris at the same time.

I have no problems with the computerized battles, but people never respond as they should. Before Hector is slain, Priam could have ordered the archers to unleash their volley on Achilles, but Hector stopped him with no explanation. Was he being noble? Ha! Any nobility was long gone by his previous behavior. And after Hector's death, he could have ordered the archers to keep him from dragging Hector's body away, but again, the writers hope you won't notice. Wouldn't it have been better to have them unleash their arrows and have them fail to hit the Greek hero, volley after volley? That would have appealed to me far more, plus it would have hinted divine intervention, which was too much lacking in this production.

Still, even with its lamentable faults, the movie is still well worth owning and watching. It's just a shame that the opportunities were missed. Hollywood should know better, but its contempt for reality is too often obvious in its productions.

DVD Review: Better On Blu-ray
Summary: 4 Stars

In the very capable hands of director Wolfgang Petersen, TROY is a full-blooded realization of a tale once consigned to the realms of myth. The battle scenes--generally the hardest thing to stage---are some of the best in recent memory. The sequences that feature champions of each army in one-on-one confrontations are vivid and real. I also enjoyed the way that screenwriter David Benioff cleverly mined the source material for plausible ways to explain many of the story's legendary elements--for instance, Achilles'heel.

Eric Bana, Brian Cox, Peter O'Toole, Sean Bean, Brendon Gleeson, Saffron Burrows and Rose Byrne all give each of their respective characters a vibrant on-screen presence. Brad Pitt works well as the preening, self-centered Achilles but a couple of his scenes would have served the film by being left in the editor's bin, especially when his acting calls attention to itself, reminding us we're watching a Movie Star and not an historical character.

Most importantly for Blu-ray fans, this version of the disc is well worth the price. Director Petersen's cut is arguably better than the theatrical version and some of the film's sequences appear to have been framed more effectively. To underscore how well the added footage works, the film does not feel any longer.

DVD Review: Totally worth it even if you own the regular version
Summary: 5 Stars

The added 30 minutes is interspersed... some is added scenes, some is just more dialog in existing scenes. A warning: there is quite a bit more blood and gore in the battle scenes, almost too much. But you get to see Helen topless, which totally compensates. :)

DVD Review: What a Mess
Summary: 1 Stars

Our current education system has evidently not required the current batch of Troy watchers to have actually read Homer, but if they had, I am sure they would have agreed that this is some Hollywood writers wet dream - and I mean that in the worst possible sense.

While the photography, scenes and imagery are pretty good, the plot is absolutely criminal.

What an accurate reflection of our total lack of an educational system in the U.S.

DVD Review: The human side is the key of this handsomely mounted motion picture...
Summary: 4 Stars

In Wolfgang Petersen's "Troy," the Aegean Sea never looked so gorgeous and the clashing of swords and smashing of shields never have been heard so powerful and clear...

The city of Troy is one of the few that has not fallen under Agamemnon's influence, a fact that irritates the fearsome commander to no end... From the part of the Greeks there is no love at all... Only ambition, revenge and conquest, with a yearning for power, wealth and victory... From the part of the Spartans there is King Priam (Peter O'Toole) who is seen old, powerless but kindly, not even blaming Helen for all his personal losses...

Eric Bana as a noble Hector is the only truly compelling character of Peterson's epic motion picture... Not even his courage was enough to restrain the savage anger of his egotistic adversary... But his tormented loyalty to his country and to his family is to admire and contemplate... Hector is happily married, and he has just become father of a little son and would actually like to rest a little bit and enjoy his family...

Orlando Bloom is lost as Paris, the prince and the lover... His passion has no limit... He is a free spirit with a love to beauty despite his admirable drive to pursue his dreams no matter the odds...

Helen (Diane Kruger) escapes back to Troy and gives the tyrant Agamemnon (Brian Cox) the excuse he needs to reach the beaches of the city... She is the beautiful face of the odious Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson) who swore not to rest till he destroy Troy once and for all...

Achilles (Brad Pitt) makes a more human lover than a mighty warrior... He only fights when motivated but beware when he is furious and outraged... His hatred for the malevolent conqueror Agamemnon is deliciously to look at and consider...

Rose Byrbe (Briseis), a priestess and cousin to Hector, is moving in her willing to give up everything as long as her deadly Greek warrior lives...

Odysseus (Sean Bean) provides the Greeks enough soldiers to conquer Troy with terrible consequences...

Description of Troy - The Director's Cut [Blu-ray]

Brad Pitt picks up a sword and brings a muscular, brooding presence to the role of Greek warrior Achilles in this spectacular retelling of The Iliad. Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger play the legendary lovers who plunge the world into war, Eric Bana portrays the prince who dares to confront Achilles, and Peter O'Toole rules Troy as King Priam. Director Wolfgang Petersen recreates a long-ago world of bireme warships, clashing armies, the massive fortress city and the towering Trojan Horse.

No doubt about it, the 196-minute unrated director's cut of Troy represents a significant improvement over the film's original 162-minute theatrical release--and not just because it has more sex and violence. As director Wolfgang Petersen notes in his new "Troy Revisited" video introduction to this 2-disc special edition, he didn't have the time or directorial discretion (prior to Troy's release in 2004) to present a cut that more closely matched his vision for the film. Three years later, Petersen approached the film with a more relaxed perspective, and the result is a well-crafted expansion on a film that was previously underrated, with 30 minutes of previously unseen material. Character dynamics have been improved and intensified; the epic-scale narrative is now easier to follow, with greater emphasis on the inner turmoil of Achilles (well played by Brad Pitt) and his rivalry with Hector (Eric Bana); and viewers will feel a more satisfying escalation of tension and suspense from battle to battle. The film's enormous battle scenes (impressively enhanced with CGI) are bloodier and gorier, but they're also more effectively integrated into the political story, which goes beyond Homer's The Iliad and the death of Hector to incorporate elements of Virgil and a more revealing study of the differences between Trojan king Priam (Peter O'Toole) and his megalomanical Greek rival, king Agamemnon (Brian Cox), whose lust for revenge is now one of the film's most powerful ingredients. Some of Troy's original weaknesses remain (such as Orlando Bloom's wimpy performance as Paris), but overall, this director's cut easily justifies its existence, regardless of the film's overblown and historically inaccurate depiction of Troy as a gigantic city of massive columns and statuary. The good parts are better, and the not-so-good parts are more easily forgiven. And no matter how you cut it, Troy is a lavish feast for the eyes. --Jeff Shannon

General DVDs

Genres > Action & Adventure
Drama > General

DVD Video

Bestsellers in General DVDs

The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $17.69
Price in other shops: ~~$35.99~~

Taken (Extended Cut)
Release date: 2009-05-12; DVD
Best price: $16.99
Price in other shops: ~~$29.98~~

Gran Torino (Widescreen Edition)
Release date: 2009-06-09; DVD
Best price: $17.49
Price in other shops: ~~$28.98~~

The Day the Earth Stood Still (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-04-07; DVD
Best price: $11.98
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

Bedtime Stories
Release date: 2009-04-07; DVD
Best price: $7.89
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

Australia
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-03-03; DVD
Best price: $12.99
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

The Wrestler
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-04-21; DVD
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops: ~~$29.98~~

Quantum of Solace
Release date: 2009-03-24; DVD
Best price: $8.85
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

Caprica
Universal; Release date: 2009-04-21; DVD
Best price: $13.50
Price in other shops: ~~$26.98~~

Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Universal; Release date: 2009-03-21; DVD
Best price: $14.45
Price in other shops: ~~$32.99~~

Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs

I Am Legend [Blu-ray]
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-03-18; DVD
Best price: $10.94
Price in other shops: ~~$35.99~~

Underworld (Unrated) [Blu-ray]
Sony; Release date: 2007-09-25; DVD
Best price: $14.66
Price in other shops: ~~$28.95~~

The Fifth Element (Remastered) [Blu-ray]
Sony; Release date: 2007-07-17; DVD
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops: ~~$28.95~~

The Patriot (Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]
GIBSON,MEL; Release date: 2007-07-03; DVD
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops: ~~$28.95~~

The Departed [Blu-ray]
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-02-13; DVD
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops: ~~$34.99~~

Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]
Sony; Release date: 2006-11-14; DVD
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops: ~~$28.95~~

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2006-11-14; DVD
Best price: $13.99
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

The Last Samurai [Blu-ray]
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2006-11-14; DVD
Best price: $10.48
Price in other shops: ~~$28.99~~

Alexander, Revisited - The Final Cut [Blu-ray]
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-09-18; DVD
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops: ~~$28.99~~

300 [Blu-ray]
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-07-31; DVD
Best price: $12.89
Price in other shops: ~~$34.99~~