The Odyssey 4K 2026 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

After the Trojan War, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, returns home to his wife Penelope at the head of a small army. On his journey, Odysseus faces many trials and encounters Cyclopes, sirens, and man-eating giants.

Review 4K Movie

All that remains of Homer are sandals that look like sneakers. All that remains of Homer’s Odysseus are motifs. No poetry—just dry, modern language. The dialogues are simplified, devoid of emotion and life; they actually hinder immersion.

I consider Nolan’s deconstruction a mistake—and the casting only confirms this. Odysseus is an average man going through a midlife crisis. Penelope is a weary housewife. Menelaus is a reflective “Punisher” before his descent into madness. Helen is a sulky teenager. And Athena suffers from a migraine throughout the entire film. With the help of Elliot Page, Nolan turns Odysseus into a criminal, while Xeno, played by Page, is a victim of war and Odysseus’s cunning.

Nolan removed Achilles from the story and instead slipped in Agamemnon in plastic Lego armor as “Odysseus’s conscience.” Agamemnon is conceived as a symbol of empty power, but in reality has become a walking plastic Lego mannequin.

The nonlinear editing and time jumps caused by abrupt transitions make the film difficult to follow.

Matt Damon is no Odysseus. He could be anyone, but certainly not the long-suffering king. He looks like the guy who lives across the street. Throughout the film, he’s withdrawn into himself; behind this reserve lies no character. It’s a colorless portrait that expresses no emotion. Nolan stripped him of his grandeur but failed to endow him with humanity. Nolan reassembled Odysseus, but the result is a mannequin in rubber armor. Nolan turned Odysseus into a confused, troubled, and ambiguous man. The rubber armor looks like a prop for a cosplay party.

Nolan lugged around a 200-kilogram IMAX camera, but instead of epic grandeur, I saw emptiness and lifelessness.