The Odyssey is Christopher Nolan‘s latest cinematic opus, coming three years after Oppenheimer – but with no twinned competition as there was in Barbenheimer, and after seeing Ellen Page 2026 was cast in this film, that did not give me hope, although Nolan does recycle his actors and actresses from time to time, and the last film of his that she was in, was 2010’s Inception. Damn, she was hot in that.
But – and since this happens at the start – I will say what happens, as warrior Sinon, she’s stood next to the Trojan Horse as it sticks in the sand on the beach, trying to convince the Trojans that it’s a gift for them. Obviously, we know that they’ll take it, but she gets a sword in her guts for her trouble.
Beoynd that, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Batman (Robert Pattinson) are at odds with each other, with the latter clearly hating the former, and just spends the entire time snarling at him. Spidey does have a more convivial chat with Menelaus, however, who’s played by Jon Bernthal, and who’ll be going toe-to-toe with him in the forthcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Meanwhile, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is married to Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), but he’s a busy man, as his conveniently-named Odysseus is off on a big Odyssey, and it’ll take him away from his missus for a long while, as he heads off to infiltrate the city of Troy and bring it down. However, he’s a bit upset that since King Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) sacrificed his eldest daughter, Iphigenia, in order for the Greek fleet could secure favorable winds to sail to Troy. Sounds like one of those ‘global warming’ nutters who think they can shout at clouds and control the weather.
Since I haven’t read Homer’s original text, mainly because I don’t read books – but also because The Odyssey is 24 BOOKS! – I didn’t realise there was some supernatural elements in it, including Odysseus reminiscing about The Sixth Sense – as he sees dead people, whilst also having conversations with them. Hence, it took a bit of time before I realised that’s what was happening, and not that they were yet more flashbacks.
The start of his journey, in Nolan’s film, is leaving the city of Troy – and he thinks he’ll beat Agememnon to get back home, but the invasion of that city is shown later in a long flashback for some reason – something that the director makes no attempt to explain.
The attack is a great piece of cinema, as is their encounter involving a Cyclops, who by day is a docile shepherd, but get on the wrong side of him, and he’ll pick you up and bite your heads off if he catches you!
Major scenes also a trip to Circe’s (Samantha Morton) house, where she always has plenty of food and is eager to serve, and a more brief battle with some ‘tall, super soliders’, aka Laestrygonians, which has the effect as if I’ve wondered into a Hobbit movie. Still, the crossover feel is also there when Zendaya pops up from time to time as Athena, since she says little and has the same ‘smacked arse’ expression as her Chani in Dune Part Two, and we know the third installment is coming this December… or maybe she was waiting for the web-slinger to try and put a smile on that miserable boat race?
Sadly, in a near-three-hour movie (pretty much expected from Nolan), there’s an awful lot of ‘talky bits’ that don’t really seem to go anywhere, and it’s all very “Gritty BAFTA” as the actors chew the scenery at each other. That just makes this feel like one of those biblical epics that crops up on Sunday afternoon TV, filling a schedule with several hours of TV that’s not very exciting, apart from a handful of scenes.
Given that three hours is basically the limit for a reel of 70mm IMAX film, the director is constrained by this limit, and says he had to make choices as to what to keep and what to take out. Fair enough, but then why leave in a load of the flannel? He could’ve taken a ton of that out and clocked in around 2:30 in total; and if he HAD to get close to three hours, throw in another mad battle, but better still to have just cut it down to 2:30.
Paraphrasing Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, just because Nolan COULD make a near-three-hour film, doesn’t necessarily mean that he SHOULD!
Aspect ratio-wise, while the IMAX version comes in the two flavours I’ve mentioned, so does the non-IMAX version. I’d originally booked a 1.85:1 Laser screen at my cinema, only to find the room CLOSED ahead of the film’s release! They’re doing a refurb, basically, but rather than wait until around September when new releases are quieter, those chose to do it at the height of summer blockbuster season!
That version will open up to more image than the 2.39:1 version, and there IS still one other 1.85:1 screen that they are showing on, but (a) it’s not Laser, and (b) more importantly, it’s their crap projector that’s been overscanning for about 0.2:1 around all of the edges for YEARS! Why they replaced others with Laser that were fine, and NOT this one, is just madness. I have brought this up. The powers that be don’t care.
So, I went with the 2.39:1 version, on a huge Laser screen, and it IS 2.39:1. That’s odd because this time, for the traditional 2.39:1 presentation, he usually allows some extra headroom, making it a 2.20:1 aspect ratio movie, with slight black bars at the side. I don’t know why Christopher Nolan went a straight 2.39:1. During the film, I was trying to work out if it was 2.20 or 2.39. Trouble is, as it’s Laser, if there was a sliver of black at the sides, it’s jet black. And it was dark, because that’s how cinemas work.
Still, coming to the end on a positive, there’s a decent turn from an almost unrecognisable John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, mostly seen here as an elderly man who’s almost blind. I say ‘almost’, because (a) I knew he was in it, and (b) I’d seen The Menu agaon, the night before.
And yes, Ellen Page. She still has a vagina. If you change that to a penis, Ellen, then you’ll be a man, my son.
It’s also funny that since Nolan has all his cast speaking in their original accents, in order to avoid some ‘Allo ‘Allo-style vocal shenanigans, there’s a moment where British-Indian actor Himesh Patel, as Odysseus’ right-hand man, Eurylochus, says to a man they meet, “We’re Greeks!”
Overall, this version of The Odyssey has some great scenes, but is also a misstep for Christopher Nolan.
No surprise that all the ‘big-name reviewers’ gave this 5/5 so they can get their publication brand on the poster, but I found it rather ‘mid’, as da yoof would say. I will see it again in 1.43:1 70mm IMAX, but that will be my last for the time being. I did consider an additional one in 1.90:1 IMAX, but even on a weekday afternoon it’s jam-packed (fair enough, for the visuals), and given how dragged-out the talky sections actor, I didn’t want to dilute the main viewing of this film further. Plus, the regular version was loud enough, so I don’t need that inbetween viewing to make my eardrums bleed. I know how that’ll sound from the trailer I saw in IMAX, a few months back.
I expect once I see this in true 70mm IMAX, I’ll up it to a 7/10, but I can’t see that going higher.
NOTE: There are no mid nor post-credits scenes.
The Odyssey is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 173 minutes
Release date: July 17th 2026
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Aspect ratio: 1.43:1 (IMAX 70mm & Dual Laser); 1.85:1 (theatrical ratio, constant width venues), 1.90:1(IMAX Xenon & Single Laser), 2.20:1 (70mm); 2.39:1 (theatrical ratio, constant height venues)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 6/10
Director: Christopher Nolan
Producers: Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas
Screenplay: Christopher Nolan
Based on The Odyssey by Homer
Music: Ludwig Göransson
Cast:
Odysseus: Matt Damon
Penelope: Anne Hathaway
Antinous: Robert Pattinson
Telemachus: Tom Holland
Eurylochus: Himesh Patel
Agamemnon: Benny Safdie
Eumaeus: John Leguizamo
Melantho: Mia Goth
Melanthius: Logan Marshall-Green
Calypso: Charlize Theron
Athena: Zendaya
Menelaus: Jon Bernthal
Cyclops: Bill Irwin
Helen: Lupita Nyong’o
Circe: Samantha Morton
Tiresias: James Remar
Sinon: Ellen Page
Polybus: Corey Hawkins
Leodes: Jarreth Merz
Peisander: Niko Nicotera
First Trojan: Shiloh Fernandez
Second Trojan: Rafi Gavron
Elatus: Elyes Gabel
Amphimedon: Iddo Goldberg
Agelus: Jamie Harris
Teenage Antinous: Raimy Lang
Bard: Travis Scott
Teenage Sinon: Mason Cufari
Mentor: Ryan Hurst
Argus: Sawyer
Argus: Nod
Eurycleia: Kate Fuglei
Antinous’ Father: Adam Croasdell
Infant Telemachus: Mickey Shilowich
Iphigenia: Katerina Antemel Mpa
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.