Is Troy actually good? The Odyssey has viewers reconsidering

The Odyssey has viewers reconsidering their opinion of Troy, the 2004 film starring Brad Pitt as Achilles. Christopher Nolan’s epic has become one of the year’s biggest movies, grossing $264.1 million worldwide and $90 million domestically. This renewed attention has led to a cultural re-evaluation of Troy, which was once mostly remembered for Pitt’s armor and intense workout routine.

When it first opened in 2004, Troy faced stiff competition from other historical and fantasy epics like Gladiator and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. With the gods and supernatural forces removed from Homer’s story, Troy felt less remarkable at the time. Despite receiving mixed reviews, Troy still managed to gross over $497 million worldwide, with nearly three-quarters of that coming from international audiences.

Now, 22 years later, some viewers appreciate Troy’s scale and action, finding it better captures the war’s sheer magnitude compared to The Odyssey. They praise its vibrant colors, weathered costumes, and supporting performances from Eric Bana and Peter O’Toole. Most importantly, viewers are drawn to Troy’s battle scenes, which clearly depict the tactics of two armies, and the duel between Achilles and Hector, which allows audiences to witness every blow – qualities that stand out even more when placed alongside The Odyssey.

Despite its differences in focus, Troy and The Odyssey try to accomplish very different things. Troy is a war movie centered around Achilles, Hector, and the destruction of a city, while The Odyssey follows the exhausted soldier who must live with the consequences. However, watching the two movies side by side has made viewers appreciate a film that was overlooked for years. The irony lies in the fact that viewers now seem more eager to defend Troy than some of the people who made it.