The most anticipated blockbuster of the year is finally here. Nope, not Avengers: Doomsday, but Christopher Nolan's new films THE ODYSSEY! This is Nolan's big follow-up to his Best Picture-winning film Oppenheimer. The film tackles Homer's story from the 7th/8th century BC, one of the most famous stories ever written. This version follows Odysseus, played by the great Matt Damon, as he tries to find his way home after the victory in Troy. The story is told with various flashbacks as we go back and forth between Telemachus, who is Odysseus' son, dealing with his father's absence, and Odysseus himself, remembering the events that led up to his being stranded on an island. So, was it worth the hype? Let's find out.
The story of The Odyssey is one that has been adapted to media several times before this. It's a story that's been a huge influence on writing and fiction since it was first crafted all those years ago. Nolan's version here takes all of the modern advancements in technology and uses them to craft a beautiful telling of the classic story. In typical Nolan fashion, we have an insane cast here, with tons of A-list stars alongside some underrated actors who have been around for some time. I'm not going to name every single actor in this movie, but it's enough to say you will recognize a lot of faces in this movie. The point here is that Nolan is going for star power and not authenticity in his cast, and I think that's okay for this Hollywood blockbuster. The movie isn't going to be all accurate in its depiction of Greece and the time period, but Nolan puts his own spin on things, and it makes for a fascinating watch. The movie looks amazing, but this is to be expected from a Nolan film at this point. There are so many memorable shots here of the locations, vast open oceans, and the war-torn city of Troy. Even in it's 3 hour runtime, I never felt bored or impatient because the movie used all of its time to tell a great story.
The story picks up with the son of Odysseus, named Telemachus, who is desperately waiting for his father's return, as his home is being invaded by suitors for his mother. Everyone believes Odysseus to be dead due to his long absence, and all the men fight for the right to marry his wife, Penelope. Telemachus refuses to give up, but his time is running out, and he's running out of options to keep the men away from his home. Odysseus finds himself stranded on an island, as he struggles to remember the events after his big victory at the city of Troy. The movie goes into flashbacks, as Odysseus slowly remembers everything that happened at Troy that eventually led him to this island. The movie flips back and forth between Odysseus and his son, and it works really well to keep the tension going. Odysseus' story feels like it's told in a series of set-pieces, each one unique and grand (no spoilers). There are moments of great struggle, some awesome action scenes, and even some really creepy scenes that really took me by surprise.
I don't have much to complain about here; maybe the weakest part of the movie was on Tom Holland's side of the story. His story sometimes felt like it was a distraction from the more entertaining parts with Matt Damon and his crew. Maybe that's because Tom Holland's character just wasn't given a ton to do, except just look for his father desperately and hope that he solves all his problems for him. Kind of made his character seem a little weak, and maybe that was the point, but it felt like maybe his character could have been given more. That might be the one thing keeping this from being a perfect blockbuster movie, but maybe on rewatch, I will change my opinion.
Look, I can't recommend this movie enough. It's 3 hours long, which is a lot, but it really does fly by. The movie looks amazing, the cast does a great job, the story is a classic, and Nolan does a good job with his version of The Odyssey. If you enjoyed any of Nolan's other movies, this one is an easy watch. If you love Greek history and are looking for a more accurate telling of Homer's classic The Odyssey, then maybe you will be disappointed in this in some ways, as it's more of a Nolan version of the story. Still worth a watch, I think. I feel like a lot of the doubts going into this movie were for nothing, as it totally lived up to the hype, and it's easily one of the best summer blockbusters I've seen in a while.
FINAL GRADE: A-
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