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 Achilles, did not bother me much. The part of Helen of Troy is brief and Achilles 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:
