Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan has brought his most ambitious project yet to the biggest screens possible. The Odyssey is in theaters, with a star-studded cast and some of the most expensive set pieces in history. Will the master storyteller of our generation be able to adapt this truly epic story into a three-hour viewing experience?

The Plot

In case you somehow escaped Homer’s fantastical fable during middle school, here are the cliff notes. After spending ten years fighting someone else’s war, King Odysseus begins the long journey homeward. Whether by fate or by folly, the crafty king of Ithaca and his crew find themselves confronted by one peril after another. As he faces foes of both might and magic, Odysseus must make peace with the gods, his crew, and himself before he can find his way home.

The Cast

Much fuss has been made about Christopher Nolan’s casting choices for The Odyssey, but I am happy to report that every actor did their job, and then some. Though it’s difficult to pick favorites from among such a powerhouse cast, here are some of my personal favorites.

Anne Hathaway is as graceful and fierce as ever as Penelope, Queen of Ithaca. Eliot Page gives a powerful voice to one of the most emotional scenes in the film as Sinon. Robert Pattinson is slightly slimy and sufficiently opportunistic, without going too far into the “Gríma Wormtongue” trope territory. Finally, one of my favorite working actors, John Leguizamo, gives a career-defining performance as Eumaeus.

The Mythology

While fans of Greek mythology will undoubtedly be thrilled to see creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus on the big screen. Unfortunately, in Nolan’s attempt to take a 24-book-long poem and stuff it into three hours, not every island adventure could be handled with such care.

Some, like the witch Circe, were extremely effective, and probably as far a venture into the horror genre as we’ll ever see from Nolan. Others didn’t fare so well, however, and dangers such as the Laestrygonians and Charybdis felt more like footnotes than full-fledged antagonists.

The Director

Christopher Nolan has earned well-deserved praise from critics and fans over the years, perhaps most notably after winning the Oscar for Best Director for Oppenheimer. However, in this reviewer’s opinion, something crucial may have been lost with that success. Through most of his filmography, Nolan has excelled at making simple stories epic and complicated stories fun. The Odyssey tries to have it both ways, making a complicated story epic, and this may be a bridge too far for some viewers.

I saw someone say that The Odyssey displays all the grandeur and storytelling of The Lord of the Rings in the space of a three-hour movie, and maybe that’s the solution. I could easily see Nolan splitting this story up into two or three parts. With how much studios love sequels these days, it would have been an easy sell, and he’d have had ample time to explore the lives and lore of his characters. Perhaps it’s fitting that Nolan’s ambitions finally caught up with him when telling a story about Man’s hubris.

The Relevance

I found myself surprised at how relevant this version of The Odyssey felt, given current events. More than once, the Trojan War is referred to as an opportunistic venture by Agamemnon, seeking to take hold of trade routes. The breach of a social contract, in this case “Zeus’ law”, which brings about the gradual erosion of traditional order. These themes feel more relevant now than they might have, even when Nolan started writing this script.

Who Should Watch The Odyssey?

As many issues as one may find, when taken as a whole, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a remarkable film, and the good far outweighs the bad. There are many time jumps and flashbacks, so the film requires a little extra work on the part of the viewer, especially in the beginning. If you have enjoyed Nolan’s previous films, this will likely hit that same spot. If you enjoy Greek Mythology, or are a devoted fan of the 12th-century BCE poem, there is much to enjoy, as long as you don’t mind some artistic liberties being taken.

Stay tuned for our spoiler-review in the days to come!