The Odyssey finally lands in cinemas next week and it sounds like another big hit for Christopher Nolan, with first reactions hailing the highly-anticipated fantasy epic as a "must-see" and an "absolute triumph".
The filmmaker has assembled another all-star cast for his adaptation of Homer's foundational saga, which follows the epic journey home for Odysseus following the Trojan War.
The Odyssey held its world premiere last night in London, with those lucky few to have already seen the new movie taking to social media to share their first reactions ahead of full reviews arriving next week.
"The Odyssey is staggering. Packed with intense and spectacular set pieces, often backed by a soul-rattling score, it builds to a final act that's as good as anything Nolan's done," wrote Digital Spy's movies editor Ian Sandwell. "Purists might baulk at the adaptation changes, but as an experience, nobody is doing it like Nolan."
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Clayton Davis of Variety lauded Nolan's latest work, writing: "In an epic way, The Odyssey feels like the Christopher Nolan take on Hamilton. A multicultural, generational cast anchors this sword-and-sandal epic. Matt Damon leads with grit, while Tom Holland brings the sensitivity and heart."
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Matt Neglia of NextBestPicture was also full of praise: "Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey is as epic as movies get with some of the most breathtaking set pieces he's ever attempted. A colossal achievement of scale, even by Nolan's standards."
"Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time," wrote Erik Davies of Fandango, adding that it was the "must-see cinematic event of the summer - and quite possibly the year".
Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm was also positive in their assessment, noting: "The Odyssey has the goods. Christopher Nolan's Ten Commandments, boasting a scope and scale that never intrudes on its intimacy."
Other reactions to the movie saw it called "grand and gripping", with further praise for its "spectacular & even terrifying set pieces" and that it contains "career-best work from the stacked cast".
Related: The Odyssey star Lupita Nyong'o gives perfect response to racist backlash
Ahead of its premiere, it was confirmed that The Odyssey has a suitably epic runtime of 172 minutes and 23 seconds, or just over two hours and 52 minutes if you prefer. It's not Nolan's longest movie though, which remains Oppenheimer's three-hour runtime.
Matt Damon takes on the role of Odysseus, while the cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal and many more.
The Odyssey is released in cinemas on 17 July.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
