I did not think that I'd enjoy The Odyssey. Truthfully it was the name that turned me off, it sounds like one of those huge old books of literature they make you read in junior high school to get ready for a test the following day, I wasn't really excited when I heard Christopher Nolan was doing this, I was more like "oh, another three hour film that's going to be really boring and everyone will be really slow and the camera will linger on rocks! I came in with little to no expectations. I was wrong and I'm not even mad about it this time.
After the Trojan War, all Matt Damon's character Odysseus (R. Wade) wants is to return to Ithaca, to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, On the surface, the simple act of a man trying to get home, However, all the action takes place during the journey, He encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, is drawn to the Sirens, meets Circe, and spends the entire film being tested by the gods, monsters and his own choices. Meanwhile at home, his son Telemachus is growing up without him, his wife Penelope stands up for the house against those who think that Odysseus is dead and gone, and everyone awaits his return home, with the return that never comes.
My take on this one though, is that folks will read this in the obvious manner, "epic visuals, great acting, Nolan does it again" and move on. I can't say I'm there with this film. To be honest, the size of it didn't bother me so much yes, the IMAX imagery is beautiful, it's obvious that they spent real film and real money on this, The thing that truly got my attention was how the film used “home” as a place you have to battle your identity back to, rather than merely a place on a map. Odysseus is not only lost at sea, he is lost in who war made him. Each creature he encounters makes him feel like he's battling a different aspect of himself. The Sirens are not only a show-me-a-scene offer, it's a question they're asking him: “Still want to go home? Or have you been saying that?” That question lingered in my mind longer than any of the scenes of the fight.
And Telemachus, can we discuss that? Having a dad who is kind of a myth in the sense that he was a constant presence to me, that's different for Tom Holland, Can you envision life without your father and hearing of him as a war hero that everyone knows about? This is a different kind of homecoming taking place in the background, while Odysseus battles Cyclops.
I'm not a fan of this type of movie, I must admit. I prefer Kdrama, Sci-Fi, Romance, all that lane. This, being a war epic from ancient Greece, wasn't what I'm had anticipated to relate to, like I would to the things I'm used to watching. But I am not being dishonest, it doesn't impact me as much as my favourite films do, some parts were stretched a little, and I did have a bit less patience than I normally do when it comes to the god and mythos, which were still there. However, hehe, I still had fun, Not enjoyed as favourite genre, but rather as I'm glad I watched this and I'd talk about it for an hour.
Rating: 70/100