10 Movies That Were Massively Improved By A Director's Cut

8. Troy (2004)

Out of the slew of big-budget historical epics that followed in the wake of Gladiator, Wolfgang Petersen's Troy boasted the most star power with a cast featuring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Peter O'Toole, Sean Bean, Brian Cox and Brendan Gleeson. It was also the most commercially successful, going on to earn almost $500m at the box office.

While an entertaining enough swords-and-sandals epic featuring some stunning production design and visceral battle scenes, shortcomings in plot and character left the movie as a whole feeling a little empty. In adding 30 minutes of new footage, the Director's Cut of Troy vastly improves upon the theatrical version and delivers a much more fleshed-out and engaging experience. Despite running at 192 minutes, the Director's Cut is a lot better paced than the theatrical version, spending more time in establishing the characters and the stakes, which gives the action sequences much greater impact.

It was also obvious in watching the theatrical release that some elements had been watered down to create a glossy blockbuster, and the Director's Cut doesn't flinch away from bloodier violence and more sexuality, providing a much more interesting narrative with better-developed subplots. Even the score has been enhanced, and proves more fitting for the material than the music that came with the theatrical release. While the Director's Cut doesn't quite elevate Troy to greatness, it does manage to turn an entertaining blockbuster into a very good one.