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Movie and TV Discussion => Movie reviews => Topic started by: David Vaughn on July 31, 2026, 02:19:01 PM

Title: Troy (2004) 4K UHD Blu-ray) review
Post by: David Vaughn on July 31, 2026, 02:19:01 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/jG7Eyb1.jpeg)

Studio: Arrow
Release Date: August 18, 2026
 Rating: R
 Film: 3.5/5
  
 Plot
 Prince Hector of Troy (Eric Bana, Hulk) signs a peace treaty with Menelaus, King of Sparta (Brendan Gleeson, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), but peace is short-lived when his brother Paris (Orlando Bloom, The Lord of the Rings) brings Sparta’s Queen Helen (Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds) back to Troy. Menelaus turns to his brother Agamemnon, King of the Greeks (Brian Cox, Succession), who launches an attack on Troy to retrieve Helen and expand his own power. The campaign further strains Agamemnon’s uneasy alliance with the legendary warrior Achilles (Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). The film also stars Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia), Sean Bean (Ronin), Julie Christie (McCabe & Mrs. Miller) and Rose Byrne (Insidious).

My Thoughts
 Wolfgang Petersen’s sweeping Trojan War epic storms onto 4K UHD just as Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey reaches theaters. The director of Poseidon and Das Boot brings Homer’s Iliad to life with studio politics taking center stage at the time the film was made over 20 years ago. Brad Pitt has said he didn’t choose Troy—he was contractually pushed into it after backing out of another Warner Bros. project, leaving him obligated to take a major studio role. To make the best of the situation, he negotiated for his newly formed company, Plan B Entertainment, to be attached as one of the film’s producers. The arrangement let him fulfill his contract while giving Plan B early visibility and creative participation on a massive tentpole production.
 
Pitt has been very open about how Troy reshaped his entire approach to choosing future roles. The experience taught him that taking a film for contractual or commercial reasons, rather than genuine creative interest, leads to work that feels hollow. After this film, he stopped chasing the big studio epics and was more selective on what he’d attach his name to, gravitating towards character-driven, director-led projects that were more artistic in nature. And quite honestly, after watching Troy, I get his point.
 
While the film is entertaining and I enjoyed it, you could tell that Pitt wasn’t “all in” on the role, but that could have been from David Benoif’s (Game of Thrones) script. The screenplay takes a complex poem and dumbs down its characters into more conventional blockbuster archetypes, which hollows out some of the drama. The dialog is at times stilted, and you can see that some of the actors’—Pitt especially—struggled to deliver it convincingly. I’m curious to compare this to The Odyssey when I finally get to see it.
 
Both the Theatrical and Director’s cuts of the film are available in 4K (the included Blu-ray is only the Extended cut). Director Wolfgang Petersen added an additional 30 minutes of unseen footage in order to “portray the film as he originally envisioned with the full energy and impact of each scene had time to play out.” I’ve watched both versions of the film and the main difference I see between the two is the Director’s cut has more gore and nudity and the story is pretty much the same from a dramatic point of view.
 
I was excited to see how good this film looked in 4K since it was originally an early release on Blu-ray nearly 20 years ago. Out of the gate, I noticed how much cleaner and film-like the image looked. The new scan brings out finer detail in faces, armor, and the wide battle vistas, although one negative is the CGI is much easier to spot versus the 1080p version. Grain looks natural and consistent, and the colors are very warm and nuanced. As usual, Arrow does an excellent job on the video presentation.
 
Listening to the DTS‑HD MA 5.1 track, I found the mix still holds up remarkably well. Dialogue stays clear even during heavy action, the score has real weight, and the low‑end during battles hits with satisfying impact. Surround activity is lively although I can’t help but feel disappointed that the studio didn’t give this film a new Atmos track, which would have definitely been appreciated. Regardless, the audio is powerful and clean and I really have no major complaints.
 

 Video 9.5/10
 Audio 9/10 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
  
 Special Features:
 
Disc 1 – Theatrical Cut (4K UHD)
 
Disc 2 – Director’s Cut (4K UHD)
 
Disc 3 – Bonus Features (Blu‑ray)
 
Physical Package Items
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8xLgg-MNKw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8xLgg-MNKw)

 Conclusion
 In the end, Troy isn’t a perfect film, but Arrow’s 4K release gives it the strongest presentation to date. The upgraded picture and solid audio make revisiting it easy, and having both cuts of the movie adds value for anyone interested in Petersen’s full vision. Even with its uneven, the film still delivers enough scale, action, and memorable moments to hold up 22 years after its initial release. Recommended.
 


 Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
 (I utilized Portrait Displays' (https://www.portrait.com/) Calman color calibration software)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
 Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
 ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Zidoo UHD8000 Media Player
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
 System Controller: URC MX-990
 M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
 M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
 Mini DSP HD
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
Title: Re: Troy (2004) 4K UHD Blu-ray) review
Post by: SRW1000 on July 31, 2026, 07:00:43 PM
Thanks for the review, David.

I either forgot, or never knew, the story about Pitt. 

I haven't seen it since it first hit home video, but it has been on my mind with the release of Nolan's Odyssey.  The comparisons should be interesting.

Glad to see the list of winning Arrow titles continues; they're doing a great job with these older films.
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