The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan has yet to make a horrible film. Tenet might be the closest thing, followed by the bookending Batman films (the first and the third). His track record is, for the most part, glorious and Hollywood has him and Greta Gerwig to thank for bringing people back to movie theatres post-pandemic - "Barbenheimer." So, has Nolan finally flown too close to the sun and had his wings melted off? Hell no. The King has returned; rejoice! The Odyssey is a spectacle, a kind of Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings spectacle. With a runtime of close to three hours (hobbits and cyclopes always add at least 45 minutes), time flew by. As I said, it's a spectacle, and Nolan filmed everything in IMAX, not just selected battle scenes, I mean everything. I couldn't care less. I didn't see it in IMAX (I don't believe we have a true IMAX screening room in Ottawa - something close is the Scotiabank, but it's not a true IMAX screen). Whatever. Audiophiles who are super into their stereo systems end up listening to the equipment rather than the music. That's how I feel about IMAX. It has nothing to do with why I go to the movies. I'm there for an emotional experience, not a carnival ride. You don't need to see it in IMAX to enjoy it. So, what's it all about? Matt Damon plays Odysseus. After kicking ass at Troy, he just wants to go home. It takes him a good long time to get there. It's a road movie. Tom Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus' son, who at one point goes looking for the old man. Anne Hathaway is Penelope, the wife and mother who is waiting patiently while suitors vulture about, waiting to take her hand in marriage, assuming Odysseus has kicked the bucket. Hats off to John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, the old blind and loyal servant - I loved him in this. So put your oars into the water and paddle over to your local theatre and have yourself a great old adventure. Rent it from Movies 'N Stuff when it becomes available.