The Odyssey Review: Here's What Critics Say About Christopher Nolan-Starrer

The words "Christopher Nolan" and "epic" are often considered as synonymous by film critics. But with his latest flick The Odyssey, the director might have just outdone himself.

The movie had its world premiere in London last night. Well, the movie has managed to garner fairly positive response. Critics who watched Odyssey at the first press screening have lavishly praised the flick.

Bringing Ancient Greece to IMAX
This isn't just another Greek myth adaptation. This is Nolan taking Homer's ancient epic and blowing it up to the kind of scale only he seems capable of. Think Troy meets Inception, with a dash of that signature Nolan mind-bend thrown in for good measure.

The cast reads like a who's-who of Hollywood's A-list. Matt Damon steps into the sandals of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca who can't seem to catch a break on his way home from Troy. Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, waiting faithfully (and fending off a horde of annoying suitors), while Tom Holland takes on the role of their son Telemachus.

But it's Robert Pattinson who seems to be generating the most buzz. And not in a "ooh, he's handsome" way-apparently, he's absolutely terrifying as Antinous, and critics can't stop talking about it.

What the Critics Are Saying
Collider's Perri Nemiroff put it pretty bluntly: "A filmmaking feast. A grand and gripping rendition of Homer's epic, and one that feels uniquely Christopher Nolan. It's sincerely hard to imagine any other filmmaker on the planet being able to bring that source material to screen with this much scale, scope and heart."

Her colleague Steven Weintraub was equally impressed, shouting "INCREDIBLE" in all caps (when critics use caps, you know they mean business). He specifically called out how Nolan handles the supernatural elements-which, let's be honest, is always the tricky part with Greek myths.

Andrew J. Salazar from Discussing Film called it a "staggering achievement," though IndieWire's David Ehrlich offered a slightly more measured take, noting that while the film has some clunky moments, "the last act rewards the journey."

Rachel Leishman, a film journalist, captured what seems to be the prevailing sentiment: "THE ODYSSEY is as epic as its source material with that level of Christopher Nolan spark that makes it something special. It's a story of love and loss and takes you on quite the journey in only the way Nolan knows how. Breathtaking, bold, and perfection."

Damon Gets His Due
Simon Thompson, another film journalist, singled out Damon's performance as something special-"a career-best powerhouse performance," he wrote. And Pattinson? "Outstanding." John Leguizamo apparently brings something sublime to his role as Eumaeus.

What's It All About?
The movie is all about Odysseus's decade-long struggle to get back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Think of it as the ultimate road trip from hell-monsters, vengeful gods, sirens, and one very angry Cyclops stand between him and his family.

Back home, Penelope is dealing with a house full of pushy suitors who've decided her husband is probably dead and she should just move on already. Meanwhile, Telemachus is out searching for his dad, probably wondering why his family can't just have a normal reunion like everyone else.