People who I respect had opposite reactions to the Odyssey movie, some condemning it as a woke mess and others hailing it as a theatrical masterpiece. My family and I saw it yesterday at an IMAX theater. I don’t know if I would call it a masterpiece, but it definitely is vastly entertaining, a rousing adventure where the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Spoilers ahead.
In its impact on me it reminded me of Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer in 2023 where I thought the film transcended film in its blockbuster impact. Actor Matt Damon portrayed General Leslie Groves in Oppenheimer and in the Odyssey he is Odysseus. As in Oppenheimer the film is told in vignettes that ultimately come together, but are sometimes out of order chronologically for purposes of the story being told.
Is the film an accurate retelling of the Odyssey? No, it hits the major themes, but it leaves quite a bit out and changes some of the source material. In that it is no different from the other film adaptations of the Odyssey.  It would take 14-18 hours to recite the Odyssey and thus picking and choosing is necessary, even for a three hour film. The Odyssey has been around for almost 3000 years and reinterpretations of it down through the centuries is very old news.
What does it emphasize? The impact of war on men, and the evil that can flourish in societies while men are away at a foreign war. The return of Odysseus and his defeat of the Suitors, bringing justice and peace to Ithaca, brought to my mind the Scouring of the Shire at the end of the Lord of the Rings where the returning hobbit heroes defeat Saruman who has established a nasty regime in the Shire.
The woke details, a black Helen of Troy and Ellen Page as Sinon, did not bother me much. The part of Helen of Troy is brief and Sinon comes across as confused and doomed, which I think is a good summary of the life so far of Page and her pathetic attempt to pretend to be a man.
At any rate I recommend the film, and on a lighter note:
I also enjoyed the movie. However, Ellen Page played Sinon from the Aeneid, not Achilles from The Iliad and the Oddysey. The confusion stems from the scene in Hades where the writer/director substituted the Page character for Achilles whom Odysseus summons in Hades. Early in the film, the Page character takes the place of one of the cowardly suitors in heading off to war, then is involved with the Trojan horse subplot. Both of those are inconsistent with the character being Achilles who was dead at the time of the Trojan horse, and was a warrior in his own right with his own company of fellow warriors and not a substitute for another warrior. I thought it interesting that Calypso was portrayed as helping Odysseus with his PTSD, and not a lover detaining him and preventing him from leaving.
You are correct and I will correct my error. Sinon is not mentioned in Homer but he is featured in the Aeneid, and in other ancient accounts, where he is a weasely Greek who convinces the Trojans to bring the Horse into Troy.
Question: I keep seeing that Austin Ruse saw it and liked it. I have tried to track down his comment but could only find people SAYING he said that. Did he actually give it a thumbs up?
I liked the giant Cyclops puppet in the fire-light cave.
Jonathan Pageau believes that Nolan has used the film as a Trojan Horse to sneak in virtuous themes. His analysis is convincing (especially about Sinon), even if *maybe* a bit strained at times.