“The Odyssey” A Visually Spectacular Cinematic Epic

“The Odyssey” is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It’s one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. “The Odyssey” is regarded as one of the most significant works of the Western canon and adaptations/re-imaginings continue to be produced across a wide variety of media.

Now, highly acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who rarely has a misfire (looking at you “Tenet”), brings us a new take of this prestigious story that has garnered significant controversy since the trailer has been released. And, despite the online controversies over the film, Christopher Nolan’s take is a great watch!

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey to return home after the Trojan War. Crossing the Mediterranean Sea with his fellow soldiers, they soon find themselves battling not only the elements, but an array of deadly obstacles and mythical creatures along the way.

The latest film from filmmaker Christopher Nolan, “The Odyssey” delivers incredibly breathtaking visuals, mostly phenomenal performances, and a truly epic score. While watching this almost three hour epic, I ended up being completely blown away by the massive scale of the action and Nolan’s use of practical effects to bring Homer’s mythical monsters to life on the big screen.

With a star-studded ensemble, the film’s cast did an incredible job bringing emotional human weight to legendary mythical figures. Matt Damon’s portrayal of Odysseus as a haunted, de-glamorized hero really stands out. In this film, Odysseus is depicted not as a fearless leader, but as a traumatized, guilt-ridden commander desperate to get home and the character does a great job anchoring this roughly three hour epic.

All of the main cast throughout the film has their time to shine, especially Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson as the scene-stealing villain, Tom Holland and Lupita Nyong’o. John Leguizamo’s portrayal of the loyal, blind Eumaeus is easily one of the film’s most warm and heartbreaking supporting roles, offering a rare moment of genuine comfort and humanity in Ithaca.

Since the film depicts ancient monsters, diving interventions and plenty of sea voyages, you would expect the film would be CGI heavy, yet Nolan doubles down on his signature “practical first” philosophy, treating digital visual effects as a simple enhancement. Nolan and his team used scale miniatures, forced perspective camera tricks and massive

animatronics. The Cyclops felt heavy, terrifying and the monster wouldn’t have such a huge presence if it was done digitally. 

The storm set pieces and sea voyages avoided the artificial look of digital water volumes by having ships built and launched on in open Mediterranean waters, which really helps bring the danger to these voyages feel real. Even the crew’s transformation on Circe’s island relying on practical prosthetics helps make it a really visually terrifying sequence. And the film’s depiction of Hades is probably one of the most haunting sequences of the film!

When it comes to the action in “The Odyssey,” the reliance on practical effects really helps make the action sequences stand out and shine. The Trojan Horse Breach and the Fall of Troy sequences are easily some of the best stand out moments in the film as we feel the claustrophobic tension inside the massive wooden horse before it erupts into a brutal close-quarters sword and spear combat within the burning streets of Troy.

There’s also quite a few other action sequences that really stand out, including the clash with Cyclops, the climactic hall scene in Ithaca and so much more!

Critics and casual moviegoers alike are hailing the three hour mythological adventure as a towering cinematic achievement. The film has been heavily praised for its grand scale, the decision to use practical effects over extensive CGI, and its powerhouse cast. However, the film has also sparked notable internet debates regarding its historical accuracy, specific casting choices and modern dialogue.

Cast: Matt Damon (Odysseus); Robert Pattinson (Atinous); Corey Hawkins (Polybus); Tom Holland (Telemachus); Anne Hathaway (Penelope); John Leguizamo (Eumaeus); Benny Safdie (Agememnon); Himseh Patel (Eurylochus); Charlize Theron (Calypso); Zendaya (Athena); Elliot Page (Sinon); Mia Goth (Melantho); Lupita Nyong’o (Helen/Clytemnestra); Samantha Morton (Circe); Jon Bernthal (Menelaus)

Writer/director: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer; Tenet; Dunkirk; Interstellar)

MPA: Rated R for violence and some language   (runtime 172 minutes)

Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook for any updates on future review slates I am planning for the paper! For the first edition of August (8/5), here is what I have planned for next week’s slate: “Pressure” (Summer Film Festival); “Fall” (recent release 2022); “101 Dalmatians (Rewind Series - 30th anniversary); “In the Mouth of Madness” (1994) (RIP Sam Neill); a combined review of “Super Troopers” and “Super Troopers 2” (have to get ready for when I review the third movie!).

https://youtu.be/f_bKjZeJBBI?si=P0PHtd5RVPjQ5_S1

• The underworld sequences were filmed in Iceland in June, during the eerie all-day light of the midnight sun, in desolate terrain under windy and rainy conditions. Nolan specifically chose Iceland to represent Hades because its cold, remote landscape felt as far as possible from Odysseus's Mediterranean home.

• When Odysseus and his men first set sail for Troy, dolphins can be seen swimming off to the side. This was not planned, but instead a happy accident to catch while filming.

• Because IMAX Film cameras can hold only a few minutes of film before needing to be reloaded, cameraman Keith B. Davis trained himself to reload the camera so quickly that the entire cast and crew would simply pause, maintain calm, and be back up and running almost immediately.

• The Cyclops Polyphemus was depicted by means of a six-by-six-meter-tall anthropomorphic animatronic puppet.

• Christopher Nolan wanted a distinct musical score for the film that had no orchestra, so composer Ludwig Göransson developed the soundtrack around Greek instruments (bronze gongs, the lyre and the aulos flute).

• The Cyclops was brought to life using Bill Irwin, the Tony-winning actor and clown who previously worked with Nolan in a similar physical performance capacity on "Interstellar," where he helped create the modular robots TARS and CASE.

• The cast playing Odysseus's crew were required to learn real rowing and real sailing. They discovered that moving a ship on the open ocean by sheer muscle power is genuinely grueling. Dropping a large oar into the water at speed can break ribs or catapult a rower overboard.

• John Leguizamo, who plays the blind character Eumaeus, came up with the idea that each of Eumaeus's cataracts should be a different color, contributing to a distinctive and unsettling look for the character.

• Sir Christopher Nolan claimed he was interested in making this film partly because he was a big fan of the works of Ray Harryhausen and he thought there had not been an attempt at creating a big budget film involving classical mythology in some time.

• The Trojan Horse was deliberately designed to be distinct: it had no wheels, it is rearing rather than on four legs, and left sinking in the surf rather than sitting on a plain..

• Pre-sale of tickets to IMAX 70 mm screenings of the film around the world started on July 17th, 2025, exactly one year before the film's release. This is the first feature film in history to have a pre-sale one year in advance.

• This is the second collaboration between Christopher Nolan and Universal Studios. Their previous collaboration, Oppenheimer (2023), managed to gross almost $1 billion worldwide at the box office and won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan.

• Filming in multiple countries was a very hectic schedule for Zendaya, who was simultaneously filming the third season of Euphoria (2019) and Dune: Part Three (2026).