Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ has finally made its way to theatres in spectacular IMAX, and while critics have largely embraced the ambitious adaptation of Homer’s epic, social media users are far more divided.Early reactions on X (formerly Twitter) paint a far more contrasting picture, than the glowing critics reviews that flooded social media ahead of the film’s release on Friday, July 17. With fans queuing up by the numbers outside theatres to catch the early screenings, many took to social media to admit in unison that the film is ‘visually spectacular’ but ‘polarising’. While some have called it Nolan’s latest masterpiece, others criticised its pacing, dialogue and storytelling.
Fans hail Nolan’s vision and breathtaking visuals
Many viewers were blown away by the scale of the film, with several praising Nolan’s direction and the immersive IMAX experience. One fan wrote, “One of the greatest Experiences ever had @odysseymovie the visuals are Stunning and #ChristopherNolan is insane in Writing and direction.”Another viewer praised the film’s immersive quality, posting, “This action-fantasy is immersive, with a scenic look, an intense (and in my IMAX viewing, very loud: be warned) sound, and a character arc for Matt Damon’s Odysseus Chris Nolan wisely allows to take place largely by implication, trusting us to understand.” Another reaction declared, “#TheOdyssey makes a compelling case for itself as the defining cinematic interpretation of Homer’s legendary saga.”Echoing the sentiment, another fan wrote, “Christopher Nolan transforms The Odyssey into a breathtaking cinematic spectacle, blending grand visuals, emotional storytelling, and his signature ambitious filmmaking.”Calling it one of Nolan’s finest efforts, another review read, “A bold, thrilling, and visually magnificent retelling that proves Christopher Nolan can successfully conquer even one of history’s greatest epics.”
Nettizens call ‘The Odyssey’ ‘overrated’
Not everyone shared the enthusiasm, with one summarising the film saying, “THE ODYSSEY showcases Nolan’s best and worst tendencies in glorious IMAX.”One disappointed viewer wrote, “I officially watched The Odyssey. My review in a nutshell: It’s overrated. It’s not the greatest thing like the critics cabal would have you believe. It has a few moments of brilliance here and there only to be dragged down by the casting and feminization of a masculine hero’s journey.”Another tweeted, “For all the underwritten side characters, questionable audio mixing choices, bad focus pulls, and narrative clunkiness, there is still a half-decent tale of a man accounting for his sins.”A separate reaction noted, “#TheOdyssey struggles a bit under the source material’s structure with some messy pacing and inconsistent momentum but I had fun.”Others were even harsher. One user commented, “It’s a slog for most of the film. Some beautiful cinematography, but that’s it’s only redeeming quality.”Another wrote, “The first hour of #TheOdyssey is the weakest. All the quick edits are distracting. It’s a very Christopher Nolan movie in how it plays with time and memories in heavy-handed ways.”Still another viewer added, “Just saw The Odyssey. Sadly, the woke casting is far from my biggest issue with the movie.”
Dialogue and performances divide viewers
Beyond the visuals and pacing, several moviegoers took issue with the dialogue and vocal performances. One user posted, “Watching The Odyssey now. For me, I couldn’t really hide my disbelief because all the actors have very distinct accents. It doesn’t feel like they all share the same world.”Another wrote, “The modern dialogue took me out of the immersion, and didn’t elevate the acting performances at all.”A third bluntly stated, “the dialogue is terrible… the fake accents detract from the movie…”Offering a more balanced critique, another viewer observed, “The only real problem is the same one epic period pieces too routinely suffer from: the actors are often being self-contradictory, with people’s faces and bodies mimicking real emotions while their voices are not so much acting out the dialogue as merely reciting it. A very particular type of underacting. But this happens in varying degrees (Anne Hathaway, for instance, never resorts to it), and only Tom Holland is downright distracting with it.”
Matt Damon earns widespread praise
While opinions on the film remain divided, Matt Damon’s portrayal of Odysseus has emerged as one of the few points of consensus. One fan raved, “The way nobody could have embodied the role of Odysseus like Matt Damon.. he was truly my absolute FAVORITE performance in the entire movie and i NEED him to receive that well deserved Oscar for Best Actor because it is HIS.”Another wrote, “Thankfully Damon’s quite good (a demanding role) and Hathaway also delivers.” Go to Source
