I watched The Odyssey with my younger brother at HOYTS Cinemas 2 weeks ago, and it was one of the most memorable cinema experiences I’ve had this year. Christopher Nolan’s film isn’t simply a story about getting home. It is a significant cinematic masterpiece based on the Homer’s ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey, about the sanitized hero, Odysseus (Matt Damon), the King of Ithaca, as he struggles on a dangerous journey across the sea to return to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland).
But calling this simply an adventure about a Greek warrior sailing back to Ithaca would undersell what Nolan has attempted. This is a story about war, survival, family, guilt, leadership and the painful journey between the person you were and the person you become after years of suffering.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Nolan’s adaptation has received a very positive response from critics, with its consensus praising the movie for combining the mythical, historical accuracy with strong human emotion. Moreover, The Guardian praised its visual reinvention of Homer’s legend and treatment of the psychological consequences of war.
The story begins after the Trojan War. Odysseus and his soldiers have survived the conflict because of his brilliant cunning strategy and military might, particularly his idea of the Trojan Horse deception. Nolan presents him as a warrior whose greatest weapon is his ability to think, manipulate conditions and survive.
Odysseus fought in the Trojan War under Agamemnon, the powerful king of Mycenae. However, Agamemnon’s curvy helmet and dark armor look surprisingly similar to Batman’s design, which sparked debate online. Some viewers criticized too modern and polished for a Homeric epic, while others argued that The Odyssey is a mythology rather than history. Nolan’s stylized design works because it gives Agamemnon a monumental and legendary appearance.
I think Matt Damon might be one of the smartest casting choices in the whole movie. Damon gives Odysseus a weary man who has spent years fighting simply to survive. Variety viewed Damon’s casting, describing Odysseus as a battered and melancholy figure.
The film’s biggest strength is its scale. Nolan transforms Homer’s mythology into a magnificent cinema about Odysseus and his band of sailors who sails back to Ithaca, but it faced many challenges with breathtaking uncanny islands, encounter mysterious creatures and face the test against the Greek Gods.
One of the most memorable scenes is Odysseus and his men becoming trapped inside Cyclops’ cave. After the Cyclops eats several crew members, Odysseus devises a clever plan to blind him with a burning wooden stake while the men hide beneath the sheep’s wool to escape. I found this scene brutal but clever. Attacking Cyclops’ eye is disturbing, but the sheep disguise shows that Odysseus’ smartest tactics isn’t physical strength, it has his ability to outsmart his enemies.
The Trojan Horse sequence, the large-format cinematography and Ludwig Göransson’s music also make the journey effectively epic.
As for the final verdict, The Odyssey is an ambitious and visually eye-catching adaptation that successfully combines ancient mythology and modern blockbuster filmmaking. Despite its complicated structure, Matt Damon carries a captivating performance, so as the wise actor choices like Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland who have strong performances of their own. The Odyssey proves that Odysseus isn’t simply finding his way home, he is trying to overcome new obstacles while across the sea.
Debbie Choo 
Bethany Miguel 
Tarkyn Sharples