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Parents' Guide to

Troy

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Violent, watered-down version of The Iliad.

Movie R 2004 163 minutes
Troy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 18 parent reviews

edearmijo
edearmijo Parent of 3, 6 and 9-year-old
March 30, 2022
age 3+

The Movie Troy is all About HONOR.

Troy is a great movie about HONOR. There is one HUGE GOOF that everyone hasn't noticed. It is in the scene when Achilles is speaking to Briseis after Achilles won the beach of Troy and she was his captive the men found hiding in the TEMPLE OF APOLLO. Achilles states, "You don't need to fear me girl. I am the only Trojan that can say that.". That is such a huge mistake. Achilles is NOT a TROJAN. The time elapse in the movie at the exact point of this scene is 52:20. Someone should tell IMDB. My name is Alan Armijo. Thank you.
ljcc
ljcc Parent of 13 and 14-year-old
March 25, 2015
age 18+

terrifying bloody

NOT FOR KIDS
See all 18 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Prince Paris (Orlando Bloom), son of King Priam (Peter O'Toole) of Troy, steals the wife of King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson) of Sparta: Helen (Diane Kruger), the most beautiful woman in the world. Menelaus and his brother, Agamemnon (Brian Cox) take the Greeks (including Brad Pitt as Achilles) to war against Troy, partly because of Helen, but more because it is an excuse to conquer the Trojans.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (18 ):
Kids say (31 ):

Aside from two key scenes centering on Achilles, TROY is uneven and unsatisfying. The dialogue is as inconsistent as the accents, with modern pronouncements like "we need to talk" and "do it!" alternating with ponderous approximations of classical meter. In an attempt to make one of history's greatest epic sagas manageable on screen, the movie tells us both too much and too little about what is going on and keeps reminding us about everyone's passion for a place in history but does not show us enough about who the characters are and why their destinies are so entangled.

The Iliad is a story about love, honor, betrayal, fate, ambition, and of course, hubris -- the adventure of the best warrior there ever was or will be. This movie is the watered-down, greatest hits, Classic Comics version. It's mostly about the fighting. And Achilles doesn't rage so much as pout and glower.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this story has continued to be vital and meaningful for generations throughout the centuries. Which elements of the story are relevant to contemporary conflicts? The treatment of prisoners? The role of advisors?

  • Achilles was given the choice between a happy life and eternal fame. Why did he decide in favor of glory? What did he mean by saying that the gods envy us because we are mortal?

Movie Details

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