The Odyssey was very good. IMAX was also good, though I don't think this is a film that will require it if you have a good sized theater of any kind to go to.
Homer's epic by its very nature and design has a feeling of randomness during Odysseus' years of wandering lost far from home. As a result, the first two thirds of the movie do have that kind of episodic quality as they set sail again and again from their most recent point of departure into the unknown.
It is the final third of the movie that depicts their return to Ithaca and their strategy to regain their legacy where the multiple narratives pull together into a coherent whole. I believe the script sets this up beforehand well with the various timelines shifting between past and present. In terms of storytelling, this was the most difficult choice and I think that worked out.
So my appreciation for the film grew towards the end as everything got brought together into a satisfying resolution.
Cinematically speaking, no new ground was broken, but I don't think that was Nolan's intention. If anything, it was more like he wanted to make a classic film like a David Lean production that benefitted from modern effects used on top of the celluloid deployed for the primary location filmmaking. Thus, those elements that are SFX like the cyclops felt as realistic as one could want to experience.
I've seen thousands of films and most of the classic movies of other cultures so this was not as revelatory for me as it might be for someone younger whom I can understand being blown away by this experience.
The most important aspect to me was the handling of the narrative as much as the cinematic aspects and for that I'd give it a B+/A-
My one quibble is casting 30 year old Tom Holland as a boy. Sure, he looks like a boy, but he was a failure in the role. He is a weak dramatic actor best suited for light hearted fare, but he was completely out of his element surrounded by capable pros like Damon and Hathaway. That they also had him awkwardly refer to Odysseus as his Dad instead of his Father was a misguided nod towards modern audiences and the most glaring stumble in the script. His role should have gone to an actual teen with some acting chops.
Overall, highly recommended to be seen on a big screen.
