Christopher Nolan transports viewers to ancient times with his adaptation of Homer’s Trojan War stories, showcasing production design reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s work. It might not be the most convincing wooden horse presented to the seemingly naive Trojans, but we witness the end of this decade-long siege in a massive fire and see Odysseus (Matt Damon) eager for his return to Ithaca, where his wife and son are waiting. However, things aren't peaceful on that island; Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is surrounded by suitors like Antinous (Robert Pattinson), and Telemachus (Tom Holland) isn’t really prepared to protect her from their schemes. Nolan attempts to intertwine the domestic problems of Ithaca with Odysseus’s legendary journey, but for me, the film lingered too long on the family matters back home and not enough on Odysseus and his crew facing numerous dangers and temptations while traveling across the Mediterranean. Many of their adventures feel rushed, consisting of brief moments of peril before everyone quickly returns to their ships – often with fewer people than initially departed – only to resume their perilous journey. We learn some things through conversations triggered by memories with Calypso (Charlize Theron), but we don’t truly understand who she is or what Odysseus is doing on her island. Even Charybdis, the Sirens, and the Cyclops are given short shrift as the focus shifts to Telemachus's travels to Sparta to seek news from Menelaus and his wife Helen. The visual effects are impressive, and Damon does a good job portraying a character who is both brave and clever but also haunted by the destruction of Troy and his own actions during that conflict. We largely avoid significant involvement from the Olympian gods; aside from occasional references to Zeus’s laws of hospitality and some scenes with Athena (Zendaya), who seems more like Odysseus's therapist than a goddess of war and wisdom – whose statue was abruptly decapitated and temple desecrated during the city’s attack. The story would have benefited from including figures like Poseidon and Apollo, as many of Odysseus’s struggles were due to their anger, but they are largely absent. Perhaps three hours simply isn't enough time to fully explore the rich complexities of this narrative? I found it enjoyable and the time passed quickly, but I was hoping for more of the fantastical, horrific, and terrifying elements, and a little less focus on the troubled characters. Maybe there’s more in store for the director’s cut?

Source on TMDB