The Odyssey

Monty Python couldn't improve on this. Suffice to say, someone doesn't know their classical Greek history/mythology too well. They have excavated remains from the site of Troy and undertaken facial recreations. Would it surprise anyone to know they look Greek? Would it surprise anyone, too, to know the main figures of Homer's work, are described clearly, as Greek? Upsides include reasonable if at times miscast acting, great sets, okay action and top locations. In summary, I wonder what actual Greeks make of this re imagining of their proud heritage? For me, what I can say the past is wha…

Check out my full review @ https://www.manuelsbento.com/the-odyssey-2026-christopher-nolans-most-faithful-epic-is-also-his-most-ambitious-one/ Rating: A+ (updated after second viewing) THE ODYSSEY is a maximalist, deeply faithful adaptation of Homer's poem that somehow ends on a quiet, contemplative note despite everything it throws at you along the way. Completely unafraid of its own scale and scope, it's ten years of war, myth, and horror (!) woven into the story so tightly that the whole thing paradoxically feels more grounded, not less. An astonishingly stacked ensemble led by a phen…

The hype was massive, the crowd was packed, but the boredom in the theatre at the end credits said it all. A 172-minute film felt like it was a 6+ hour watch. This isn’t a respectful adaptation of Homer’s epic; it’s a bloated, self-important disaster that butchers the source material, erases Greek identity, and rams woke DEI nonsense down your throat while delivering some of the worst big-name acting I’ve seen in years. Right from the opener, it was clear Nolan had zero interest in Homer’s actual text. Instead of going back to the original Greek or a faithful classic translation, he based the …

This has to be the best movie theater experience I’ve ever had. I unfortunately couldn’t see it in 70MM IMAX as Houston doesn’t have one and didn’t want to drive to San Antonio. I watched it in standard IMAX at Regal Lonestar 12 minutes from home. I’m a Nolan fan but not everything he’s done has been great. The passing in this movie is amazing. I was waiting for a slow part in the movie to go the bathroom but it just kept going and kept you hooked. I’ve seen all the negative reactions of this film from stupid people making stuff up without watching it. I’m in a smaller area north of Houston an…

ABSOLUTE trash of a movie, goes against all ethos and morals in filming, it takes way identity and places people of new world order agenda. Very poor adaptation of homer. Matt with his daughters and wife should spend time in India for the next pandemic, instead of Ireland. I will say this, pacing, story telling, amazing scenery, all of that dont fool the millenials audience, maybe genz, since they are so much into hype and 4k - its easy to mislead them. Also, lets take a moment to dedicate how far the studio has gone to show this film early in the most populated country, to get positive review…

As one of the 2026 summer movie season’s most anticipated releases, writer-director Christopher Nolan’s screen adaptation of Homer’s literary epic, The Odyssey, has generated more than its share of reactions and for a variety of reasons. So I’ll come right to the point on my view of this release: I liked it, but I didn’t love it. This retelling of the diverse experiences of Greek warrior Odysseus (Matt Damon) on returning to his Grecian home of Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War explores the many adventures and profound soul-searching of his 10-year journey, the second half of a 20-year-l…

Nick

2026-07-19

⭐ 10

Homer's epic has endured for thousands of years, and Nolan's adaptation reminds you exactly why. The dialogue is lean and purposeful, he trusts the audience completely, and every setpiece — Cyclops, Sirens, Ithaca's reckoning — builds to a stunning finish. Superb acting, cinematography, and seeing it in IMAX just adds to everything that makes it epic. The year's best film, full stop.

CinemaSerf

2026-07-20

⭐ 7

With a production design worthy of Sir Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan takes us into antiquity for his take on the second instalment of Homer's Trojan War stories. I have to say it's maybe not the most impressive of wooden horses that is left as a tribute for the maybe just a little too gullible Trojans, but now we know that this decade-long siege has all ended in a mighty conflagration and that Odysseus (Matt Damon) is keen on returning to Ithaca where his wife and son await him. On that island, though, strife is rife. Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is being besieged by an army of suitors like Anti…

An amazingly ambitious effort that mostly pays off. Solid acting, great production values, and an effective reuse by Nolan of plot elements and characters from Homer's epic to tell a story for the modern audience. I have no regrets having paid for theater tickets to have seen this. A more detailed look here: https://hill-kleerup.org/blog/2026/07/19/movie-review-the-odyssey-2026.html

Perth Bogan

2026-07-21

⭐ 1

Laughably bad. The funniest part, albeit unintentional, was when travis scott did his black 'slam poetry' attempt. I heard several people in the audience start giggling. It was the part of the film that I'll always remember. I bet a thousand memes will live on in history thanks to this POS movie. Acting was bad except for Pattinson. I truly don't understand why some of these people were cast, they have zero connection to Greece. Anyway, like I said several parts were laugh out loud funny, but I'm 100% sure the director didn't mean for ppl to laugh. Next time we won't be so quick to buy a ti…

only One word " Masterpiece " every department at its finest Direction top notch screenplay top notch Music and Background Tracks Top notch cinematography top notch totally a typical Nolan's film

Marcus1571

2026-07-23

One of the biggest insult to human intelligence. Nolan has done everything in his power to disintegrate the world, the word and spirit of Homer's poem. Nothing of the message has remained. Even Emily Wilson spurious translation of the Odyssey upon which it seems to be based has condemned the movie by saying that Nolan seemed only interested in shaming the character but no interest in his glory. Listing all this errors would be an endless exercise. But what stroke me is the preposterous commitment of errors so vast that once you stop for a second you realize that they were 100% intentional and …

Arjun

2026-07-24

⭐ 1

Frustration on the "bizarre" and immersion-breaking casting choices—such as Elliot Page and Lupita Nyong'o—stating that Hollywood completely stripped away Odysseus's legendary tactical brilliance in favor of thin writing and modern ideological changes.

Super boring, mid acting, bland set-pieces, what a waste of money and talent and technology (imax). Terrible soundtrack, miscast actors (Zendaya and Tom Holland for sure), too long, bland color palate too.

MonksFilms

2026-07-30

⭐ 6

So I went to see this one 2x because I had to confirm if I was tripping because my reaction just wasn't what most people felt when they saw The Odyssey according to the reviews here. The second viewing only confirmed my initial reaction, it's a good enough film but it not a mastepiece. On a technical filmmaking level The Odyssey puts foot to ass and delivers some hard hitting moments like the cyclops encounter and the battle with the giant Laestrygonians. It's also immersive watching Odysseus and his crew on thier ship as they're traveling about the region, you feel like you're on the ship'…

TkA

2026-07-30

⭐ 3

**The Odyssey is a three-hour insult to the audience** This film refused to take the source material seriously. The casting was a DEI checklist, with the assembly so jarring that it was on par with the forced multiculturalism in 2008's "10,000 BC". Costumes, sets, and dialog all shattered immersion and made it unbelievable. Pacing was slow, dragging viewers through poorly lit sets. Worst of all, every actor was simply playing themselves. The film didn't succeed in convincing that it was set in the ancient Mediterranean, and poor effort was made to make it feel like bronze-age Greece. It…

Movie actually surprised me. It was told in such a way that I was never bored. It bounce between current and past events in such a way it felt like a memory. The visuals were amazing. Simple and not so CGI that you felt like you watching a cartoon or some garbage AI generation. All the actors gave great performances. You knew who to hate and who to love. I recommend this one.

Epic pulls you in / Troy behind them, hope ahead / What men really are #filmreviewhaiku #moviereviewhaiku