Sadly Over-hyped

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

because it gives more than you expect after many others adaptations of "Iliad". because it respects the spirit of epic and gives a realistic image about society, characters, war and emotions. because it is more than a pretty drawing but a large, inspired fresco. and it has its way for tell a huge story in the right manner. maybe, this is the basic motif for see it. because it is real good return to the spirit of Homer work. and that could be the best answer to the critics about it.

I enjoyed this British made for TV movie. I heard from others who are more expert than me in history, that Homer's writing was not particularly respected. The actors were very good and their performance enjoyable. The one thing that i found striking, was Sienna Guillory. Her beauty is gamine, coltish, pure and innocent, and you can see how men would loose their heads over her with love or lust. After viewing a much bigger Hollywood production of the same story where the actress looked like a dolled up Hollywood trophy wife, it was very refreshing to see someone like Sienna Guillory in the title role. It just made sense.

I love this movie/miniseries because of how beautifully accurate all the physical props and scenery are. It is incredibly accurate, especially when compared to the movie "Troy," which got a lot of it wrong. The armor, the buildings, the varied ethnicities of the extras... it's like my archaeology and art books have come to life on screen. Also, it's a nice summary of many myths from sources other than Homer, not just the Iliad. If you really want to get to know the Iliad, read it. In "Troy," the armor was not accurate, and neither were the women's costumes. There were plenty of anachronisms within the Greek attire, and it's frustrating for someone who studies this stuff. Also, they made the sets way too big, in an attempt to appear "epic" as they say in that DVD's extras. This movie, although sometimes cheesy and campy, at least is pretty much true to the age of Troy and Mycenae. It's a bit like watching a documentary for a student of Greek archaeology. Plus it really gives the viewer a taste of the rugged landscape of Greece. As a side note, as a natural blonde myself, I love that Helen is fair-haired (blondes were a commodity in ancient Greece. very rare to find one).

Last July 26 until the first week of August, we viewed the movie "Helen of Troy". This 175-minute version that was released in 2003 was produced by Adan Shapiro and was directed by John Kent Harrison. This movie of romance, adventure, drama and action was based on Homer's Iliad. It is a Greek epic that tackles on the Greek mythology, emphasizing on the war between the Greeks and the Trojans or the Trojan War wherein the great City of Troy fell. The war started when a lovely woman named Helen left of her Achaean husband, Menelaus, and ran away with a Trojan named Paris. This war lasted for ten years wherein mighty warriors fought, gods and goddesses participated, and lives were sacrificed and lost. In the film, I was stunned with the irony in the end of the story. Even from the beginning of the movie, I was eager to see the fall of the creepy Agamemnon. I always thought that he would be killed by another warrior or a god but I never saw it coming that Clytemnestra, his own wife whom he always looked down to, was the only person to kill him. It's so ironic that someone who was portrayed weak was the one to put down Agamemnon who has a strong personality.Overall, I love the movie but it's too morbid for me. I like the cast and how they portrayed their character except for a few. An example of which is Achilles. For me, he doesn't seem like an honored warrior but instead, more of a wrestler. Also, I was disappointed with the background. In some parts of the movie, it was unrealistic with the light colors. On the other hand, I like the part wherein everything stopped when Menelaus saw Helen in Troy. For me, it was a moving moment and I saw how Menelaus really perceives Helen. With this assessment, I say that it is a movie that is good enough to rent. I guess, it's just not my type of movie but it's worth seeing.