The Odyssey is a 'colossal piece of cinema', critics say in rave reviews

BySteven McIntosh

Entertainment newsman

The Odyssey, the latest movie from Oscar-winning manager Sir Christopher Nolan, has received rapturous reviews from critics.

The film, adapted from Homer's epic past Greek poem, is Nolan's archetypal since 2023's Oppenheimer, which won the Academy Award for champion picture.

The Telegraph described The Odyssey arsenic the "film of the year", portion Metro declared that the movie would "change cinema forever".

The Times, meanwhile, described it arsenic "a masterpiece successful each way", and the Standard praised the movie arsenic a "colossal portion of cinema".

The Odyssey, which volition beryllium released successful the UK connected Friday, stars Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o.

It follows Odysseus (Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, connected his agelong and perilous travel location from the Trojan War to rescue his woman and lad (Hathaway and Holland).

His fantastical travel sees him brushwood mythical beings on the way. Meanwhile, the cruel antagonist Antinous has his eyes fixed connected the queen portion her hubby is inactive away.

Variety's Guy Lodge said, external: "A genuinely grand, gutsy vision, The Odyssey thrills generously for the bulk of its adjacent three-hour moving time.

"Every fewer minutes, it seems, it throws astatine its assemblage different mighty setpiece that, successful astir immoderate different summertime workplace spectacle, would beryllium a climactic standout."

There was further praise for the "staggering" acceptable pieces from the Standard's Nick Howells, external, who said The Odyssey was a "far much astonishing experience" than Oppenheimer.

In a five-star reivew, Metro's Tori Brazier said, external The Oddyssey was "a watershed infinitesimal for filmmaking".

"It's someway some the astir Nolan-esque movie I've seen, portion being thing similar Oppenheimer, Inception oregon thing he's antecedently made," she said.

The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney cautioned, external that the movie was somewhat "uneven", but praised the ensemble cast.

"Damon is superb, going to acheronian places seldom if ever explored successful his erstwhile roles," helium said. "Hathaway is simply a exemplary of steely self-possession masking vulnerability; Pattinson bites into his character's villainy with gusto."

Another critic, Deadline's Gregory Nussen, external, singled retired Spider-Man prima Holland.

"His show surely seems tinged with the courageous naivety of Spider-Man, insisting connected trying to power those overmuch much cunning and physically susceptible than he," helium wrote.

"Holland whitethorn beryllium playing a child, but his show is bursting with a newfound maturity. It is his strongest 1 to date."

Although determination were hardly immoderate antagonistic reviews, immoderate critics said they had trouble hearing, external the film's dialog successful places.

This is frequent ailment with Nolan films, external due to the fact that of his inclination to lone usage audio that was recorded connected set, alternatively than person actors re-record definite lines later.

There was besides immoderate scepticism astir the dialog itself, with the Financial Times's Danny Leigh saying, external the usage of definite words "jarred maine retired of the past".

"Nolan has called utilizing modern connection 'a no-brainer'. Respectfully, successful this case, I would reason it was a brainer," Leigh wrote.

"Maybe it lone clangs due to the fact that the remainder of the dialog doesn't, and adjacent a harsh justice is soon distracted. As Odysseus sets sail for Homer's adventures, Nolan's spectacle slips into gear... helium is simply a precise talented enactment director."

Nolan's different erstwhile films see Interstellar, Dunkirk, Inception, Memento and The Dark Knight trilogy.

"Nolan's stamp is each implicit the movie – this is intellectual, brutalist, muscular Hollywood fare – yet it ne'er wavers successful its committedness to, and comprehension of, its root text," said the Independent's Clarisse Loughrey, external.

"There's not a azygous determination present that's been thoughtlessly made, nor that I ideate Nolan himself couldn't easy defend."

Amy Nicholson of the LA Times said, external the movie was "epically satisfying", but added that it deviated somewhat from the root worldly and "skimps connected the character's ego and lust".

"Damon's Odysseus is stubborn, overconfident and sacrilegious, but doesn't carnivore that overmuch resemblance to the conniving, hypocritical egotist of lore who fretted implicit his wife's fidelity," she noted.

"The chasteness of Nolan's mentation bugs maine arsenic it's insulting helium doesn't spot audiences to grapple with this hero's motivation complexity - and I'm gut-sick that he's astir apt right."

The Odyssey was changeable wholly connected Imax cameras, and had a reported fund of $250m (£185m).

Universal Studios volition person precocious hopes for the movie astatine the container office, aft Oppenheimer took $975m (£723m) globally.

However, Oppenheimer enjoyed a immense assemblage boost from the Barbenheimer phenomenon, the 2023 viral inclination that prompted movie fans to bargain tickets to spot Barbie and Oppenheimer connected the aforesaid day.

The Odyssey is simply a movie with "thrilling ambition, boldness, seriousness, generosity and flair", wrote the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw, external, awarding 5 stars

"There are immoderate broad-brush moments successful the dialogue, yes, but adjacent these are applied with a muscular flourish," helium added.

The Odyssey is "the explanation of epic", according to Empire's John Nugent,, external successful different five-star review.

"The standard and scope present is, frankly, jaw-detaching," helium said. "It is filmmaking astatine a magnitude fewer modern directors could ever realistically imagine, demand, oregon execute."

Also awarding 5 stars, the Telegraph's Robbie Collin said, external: "Nolan and his collaborators person constructed a strange, fearsome and trailblazing instrumentality of a movie – by immoderate distance, the champion of the twelvemonth truthful far.

"Its creator is known for playing tricks with time, and this whitethorn beryllium his grandest yet: turning 1 of the oldest stories successful lit into a ballot of assurance successful blockbuster cinema's future."