Movie Review: ‘The Odyssey’

Tweet
Christopher Nolan brings the legendary Greek myth of The Odyssey to the big screen with grand action scenes, fantastic visuals, and plenty of emotional impact to engage the audience. The story of The Odyssey is a perfect fit for Nolan’s filmmaking style- the story is epic, powerful, and largely about one man trying to get home. The narrative jumps around a bit, although not as much as some of Nolan’s other works. I cannot remember the book, if I read it at all, but I feel like this movie at least hit the highlights that I remember from other pop culture references.

The movie follows King Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, as he tries to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Along the way, he must face mythological creatures, epic storms, and his own bad decisions, all while his family waits for him while facing mounting pressure to fill the “empty throne” that Odysseus left behind. Odysseus’ wife, Queen Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, apparently isn’t enough of a leader and dozens of suitors have taken over the palace to try to convince her to remarry. One potential obstacle is Odysseus’ and Penelope’s son, Telemachus, played by Tom Holland, though there are doubts that he is prepared to assume the throne.

In addition to the three mentioned in the previous paragraph, the film contains an all-star cast, as you might expect from a big summer blockbuster. Robert Pattinson plays the primary suitor, Antinous. John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, a blind herder loyal to Odysseus. Himesh Patel plays Eurylochus, who travels with Odysseus as his second-in-command. Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron are legendary characters Helen of Troy, Athena, and Calypso, respectively. Mia Goth, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Jon Bernthal, and Ryan Hurst- the list can continue for a while. The whole cast plays their roles brilliantly.

During the previous movie that I reviewed, I was ready to get to the climax around halfway through that film’s 90-minute runtime. But The Odyssey has a nearly 3-hour runtime and that just flew by. The action scenes are massive, the journey feels epic, and the movie moves along at a brisk pace. Even slower and/or darker moments don’t feel too sluggish. Suffice it to say I enjoyed the movie and would highly recommend seeing it in a theater.