Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

John (gothic-2) Here's the thing. The production value was not too shabby. Sure, the budget wasn't up there with Troy but you could tell that decent efforts were made by the CGI guys. And that's where the decency stops.It's just sad that Homer's epic Iliad hasn't been told yet. Not just properly but, at all.I've read reviewers talking about various interpretations and different points of view.Bull. Crap. The book is there. It's clear as daylight. And yet, still no decent portrayal of Homer's 3.000 old writings.This is not bad just as far as accuracy goes. 300 for example was as accurate as an 80 year old man, trying to shoot a humming bird with a weakly stringed bow from a 2000 yard distance while wearing a blindfold, but still it was fun and well filmed with a high re- watching value.But this? Dear Zeus. Poor Gimli was trying to save the day, but the rest were overacting like Calculon from Futurama. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Achilles. I was expecting Vince McMahon to jump at the roidraged monster and yell "Y'er fired" when he got lanced, something that finally ended his WWE rantings. Hell, he should have his own theme and Titantron whenever he showed up.I definitely did laugh at the part where they find the Trojan horse and someone is supposed to tell them in ancient fluent "Greek" that this is an offering to the goddess Athena. Too bad he was speaking a mix of Italian and Southparkish derka derka and not a single word was actual Greek. Not even Athena. Which in ancient Greek it's.... well... Athena. Watching Homer's Iliad being violated in such a way, is like giving Michael Bay to do his own rendition of 2001: A Space Odyssey.I do get the ones who liked or even loved it, if they recently discovered Western Civilization (like the week before they watched it) and this was the second movie they watched in their life, right after Miami Connection.Another prerequisite to really enjoy this movie is that the only Homer you know, is the beloved character by Matt Groening.The rape at the ending is yet another thing that was never in the book. It's just a subtle metaphor from the director and screenwriter that this is what they did to our precious time which we'll never get back.

ariadne1984 Reasonably well-made, and quite an entertaining watch --- as long as you don't expect anything more from it! If you watch this movie for reasons other than for entertainment, chances are you'll be disappointed --- it has little to do with the "Iliad" and less to do with the history. It has numerous interpolations which are nowhere to be found in the mythology, but that is the privilege of the authors. With most of these I have no quarrels ---- they streamline the plot and give it a certain connectivity --- but I must protest at the idea that Agamemnon rapes Helen, which seems to me to be a particularly tasteless and unnecessary interpolation. Agamemnon has faults enough, but this is one act he has never ever been accused of. Besides, it is completely out of keeping with his character --- Agamemnon is, above all, an ambitious man, and ambitious men do not go to war over a woman, no matter how beautiful. Agamemnon wants Troy, so that he can control the whole Agaean, and that is why he goes to war; Helen is an excuse, a pretext. I was also disappointed with the characterization of the two great heroes, Achilles and Hector; the one comes across as a suicidal madman, the other as an arrogant wimp. However, the rest of the cast is quite acceptable, Cassandra is played very well, and Agamemnon superbly --- the film may be called "Helen of Troy", but Agamemnon is the real star of the show. Watch it when you have time, it's fun enough.

jen John Kent Harrison's Helen of Troy, a 3hour Action/Drama movie was released in 2003. It is based on the famous poem of Homer, The Iliad. It portrays the mysteries behind the Fall of Troy, told upon the point of view of Menelaus, King of Sparta. The story started when Helen, Menelaus' wife runs away with Paris, the Trojan Prince and because of this Sparta starts war between the Trojans. Women before are treated like "prizes of honor". They are not allowed to do what men do because women are not equal with men. They are treated like a thing that they can borrow and return or throw away after they got bored with it. Women before just follow what men ask them to do. Just like what happened to Helen when she walks naked in a room full of Kings to prove her love for Menelaus. Now women are respected. They are equal with men. They can do men's work too, and sometimes they are achieving more than men do.For me the movie in general is a 5. The actors did well on their parts. The viewers can easily relate with the actors' feelings and actions. They portrayed their roles perfectly. The well-crafted flow of scenes lets the viewers wanting for more of the action packed film. The cinematography, the lighting and special effects captured the essence of the Iliad making the story line be more like the text itself. Viewers who love drama, romance and action movies will surely want to watch it over and over again.

lessirk_11 English IV 38 Aug. 12, 2005 Krissel Tolentino IV-3From Homer to Me and You"Helen of Troy", a three-hour movie, produced by Adam Shapiro and Ted Kurdyla. It was based on the classic "Iliad", written centuries ago, yet was just released two years ago, year 2003. This clearly states how the far they were apart. It's a proof of how Homer's "Iliad" crossed time and still made its effect, a true definition of a classic literature.The "Iliad" started with the judgment of Paris. He made a choice out of the three goddesses and had Helen, as an offering. Their being together initiated the war between the Trojans and the Greeks and taking sides of the gods and goddesses. Agamemnon, the High King of Mycenae, ruled over the Greeks while King Priam and his sons ruled over Troy. Both sides' fate depended on the gods. War caused deaths and ruined lives of many. The war went on for 10 years until Odysseus thought of using a wooden horse to enter Troy's gates, which was said to be made of gold. This caught the Trojans by surprise. Every man died, leaving the women and children to be taken away with the Greeks. They wept and mourned while departing from the burning Troy.The plot was well developed. They interpreted in a realistic way and at the same time, being faithful to the text. A lot of themes can be reflected in the story. Examples are: the insignificance of women; power over greater power; powerful over powerless; and many more. The story was told in a man's perspective, Menelaus. He was a Greek leader and from whom Helen was taken from. I guess it would have been better if it was from a woman's point of view. A good one would be from Helen's point of view. Many people didn't like her because of her "selfish" acts. Giving her side of the story, would probably clear her name or better yet, side with her. Among all the characters, King Priam was my favorite. I admire how he made wise decisions and accepted Helen as a Trojan. He knew that by accepting Helen would mean war yet he understood that it Paris loved her and rejecting her wouldn't instantly stop the war. He portrayed the qualities of an ideal person; one who knows how to make decisions and one who keeps his word.The screenplay was amazing. The actors and actresses did well in representing each uniquely ancient character. The superb acting was, of course, combined excellent lighting and sound effects. Though the story was antique, the script made its way to every viewer's heart and soul. All these wouldn't be possible without the director, Ronni Kern. I am sure he is one proud guy for this. The movie could be given an Emmy's award. It is so remarkable for an old story to be interpreted in way that anybody could understand. They also somehow passed to us Homer's feelings for writing the "Iliad". For the movie "Helen of Troy", I am rating it with four out of five. It was a great movie but I think, it could still be improved…or another interpretation could be better. For every experience, there's a lesson or thought to be learned. With that: for every movie, there's a way of letting that thought get through the viewer's deeper understanding.