Two ancient societies go to battle in Troy when the most beautiful woman (Helen) in Sparta (Greece) is willfully taken by one of two young princes (Paris and Hector) from the city of Troy (now Turkey). This instantly ignites a war between the two powers. How this comes about is easy to understand however there are many players in the story and with each having their own agenda the story becomes a power of wills off the battlefield as much as it is on.  This may be the single best reason for success of this movie.

Troy delivers on all fronts including great characters, yet you find it hard to decide who you should be behind.   All are victims of pride and don't always follow the rules of the day as they relate to honor among men and on the battle field. 

The end goes against Hollywood tradition.  There are many characters that are keenly understood by the movie goer and you easily understand the motivation of each character thanks to good script writing, dialog and acting.

In Homer’s version Greek Gods play a role in the story.  Here in today's modern world many of us don't see God having much an impact in our daily life and this modern day mentality is carried over into this updated version of the Iliad by way of leaving the God's out of the story.

Brad Pitt as Achilles is entirely convincing.  You feel that everyman honestly respects and fears him.  Eric Bana as Hector is a man you want to relate to because he represents all that is real from having a wife and son he wants to be a father to; and Hectors level headed respect for the world around him. Without spoiling the story there are many other supporting players in the story which don't leave you guessing much about where the story is going but you appreciate them none-the-less. There are no sudden curveballs in the movie Troy, you can guess the end quickly but can't help but hope for the ending that would put things right all along.