{"id":528738,"date":"2026-07-07T00:59:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/528738\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T00:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:59:09","slug":"the-odyssey-first-reactions-from-the-critics-and-fanboys-whove-seen-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/528738\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Odyssey’: First Reactions From The Critics And Fanboys Who’ve Seen It"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWhile we knew when 70mm IMAX tickets were selling out<\/a> a year ago that Christopher Nolan<\/a>\u2018s The Odyssey<\/a> would be a hit, we now have some confirmation that the film itself lives up to the standard we\u2019ve come to expect from the Oscar-winner director of Oppenheimer.<\/p>\n

\n\tEarly reactions dropped Monday, and while these are always to be taken with a grain of salt, the superlatives are flying from the keyboards of fanboys and film critics alike.<\/p>\n

\n\tLos Angeles Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf calls the film \u201cstaggering. Earthy, ghostly, weighty, touched by humor and grandeur alike. It\u2019s pure cinema.\u201d And, for those in the cheap seats \u2014 as if there were any in Imax theaters \u2014 he adds, that the film is \u201ca return home to the robustly entertaining action movies that cinema was invented to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTime Out film critic Phil de Semlyen raves, \u201cBelieve the hype(rbole): The Odyssey is that film.\u201d He also calls it \u201cdense but accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: The 61 Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tGuardian film critic Peter Bradshaw writes, \u201cChristopher Nolan\u2019s Odyssey is a colossal origin-myth story of postwar disillusion and a loss of innocence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIndiewire\u2019s Anne Thompson assessed the film\u2019s awards chances, including those for Best Picture: \u201cMatt Damon could win Best Actor and a bevy of supporting thesps and noms will follow. The BP to beat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThat site\u2019s chief film critic, David Erlich, was not as sanguine, calling it \u201cless despairing\u201d than Oppenheimer, but \u201ctoo clunky to be S-tier Nolan, but the last act rewards the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: 45 Of The Most Anticipated Movies Of 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThe Odyssey opens on July 17. Initial projections<\/a> had its domestic debut at between $80M-$100M. That could change if these early reactions hold up.<\/p>\n

\n\tScroll through the posts below to see them.<\/p>\n

THE ODYSSEY is staggering. Earthy, ghostly, weighty, touched by humor and grandeur alike. It’s pure cinema. Obviously the story is about returning home, but in a larger sense, this is also a return home to the robustly entertaining action movies that cinema was invented to tell.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Believe the hype(rbole): The Odyssey is that film. Dense but accessible, packed with career-best work from the stacked cast \u2013 Samantha Morton is extraordinary \u2013 it’s a dizzying mix of craft and spectacle that’s built to last. pic.twitter.com\/cwpN4HvG73<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Phil de Semlyen (@PhildeSemlyen) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Christopher Nolan\u2019s Odyssey is a colossal origin-myth story of postwar disillusion and a loss of innocence witnessed by the dead. Review later<\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Bradshaw (@PeterBradshaw1) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

My high expectations were met at Chris Nolan’s stunningly mounted The Odyssey in IMAX 70 mm. Matt Damon could win Best Actor and a bevy of supporting thesps and noms will follow. The BP to beat.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Odyssey: a surprisingly natural (and less despairing) Oppenheimer follow-up about a man haunted by defying the gods & dooming civilization \u2013 this one fights to avenge his own hubris. IMAX obviously immense. too clunky to be S-tier Nolan, but the last act rewards the journey.<\/p>\n

\u2014 david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Nolan does a remarkable job weaving the episodes of the story together, and does it all while never skipping a beat. He hits that magical balance of crafting a movie that flies but also leaves you feeling as though you\u2019ve just experienced a significant portion of the characters\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Breaking my Twitter hiatus to say that, yes, #TheOdyssey<\/a> has the goods. Christopher Nolan’s Ten Commandments, boasting a scope and scale that never intrudes on its intimacy. A grounded (but faithful) take on the epic myth, with some clever revisionist flair. Himesh Patel the MVP! pic.twitter.com\/NyZbVYGcyn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jeremy Mathai (@Somthin_Tookish) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey is MONUMENTAL on so many levels. Yes, it really does attempt to condense nearly all of Homer inside of 3 hours. But it also tackles with more heart than any Nolan film since Interstellar his greatest muse\u2026 1\/3<\/p>\n

\u2014 David Crow (@DCrowsNest) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Tis emotionally layered, but must admit not the masterpiece of Oppe. It crams so much, including overly cautious fantasy elements & curious real Greek history like the SEA PEOPLE (classic profs just gasped!), that it\u2019s scope outpaces even 70mm IMAX. But is gorgeously outstretched<\/p>\n

\u2014 David Crow (@DCrowsNest) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Odyssey truly delivers. Christopher Nolan\u2019s film is a huge action-adventure spectacle full of blood and thunder. Matt Damon a worthy hero and big performances across the board with Himesh Patel, John Leguizamo, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page and Samantha Morton my picks. Ace. pic.twitter.com\/U7fxdwwe4A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Lou Thomas (@London_Lou) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

#TheOdyssey<\/a> is monumental filmmaking, its interpretation of Greek mythology electrifyingly uncanny. Staggering scale, thrillingly staged action, rich emotional throughlines. The cyclops and Circe sequences are among the best of Nolan\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jordan Farley (@JordanFarley) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Christopher Nolan’s #TheOdyssey<\/a> is flawless filmmaking, every inch as epic as you’d expect. Leading a stellar cast, Matt Damon gives Odysseus everything in a career-best powerhouse performance. Robert Pattinson is outstanding as Antinous and John Leguizamo’s Eumaeus is sublime. pic.twitter.com\/NDrr95vrnE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Christopher Nolan’s #TheOdyssey<\/a> is an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time. It feels like everything Nolan has been working toward with IMAX has culminated here. The production design is incredible, the action is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/yLxocUEEdn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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. pic.twitter.com\/ycJ2zHEDsQ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 is INCREDIBLE. <\/p>\n

I’m really blown away by this film. Everything from the flawless performances to the way Nolan embraces the supernatural is just perfect. <\/p>\n

If you can, SEE IT IN @IMAX<\/a> 70mm. It\u2019s a jaw dropping experience. <\/p>\n

It’ll be great\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/UXEAjF8cKk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t