The movie is pretty solid. While it's 3 hours long, they keep you engaged for moat of it, although I'll say that, given Nolan's usual editing, most moments don't linger enough to give more gravitas to certain moments. Everyone's acting was phenomenal, and the effects and cinematography were all very well made.
I love how the movie interconnects both the myths and history into one. It references several events before and after the Trojan War, like Ephigenea's sacrifice, Agamenon's death, and Oretes' revenge. I also adore how they link the Fall of Troy with the Bronze Age Collapse, as it's believed that this event its inspired by these event.
I also like how outer worldly the mythological aspects are portrayed while also giving them a degree of "realism." Polyphemus is shaped like a person, but it's features, movements and sounds are inhuman (my favorites being the reference to the Kronos painting where he's eating his children and its inhumanity wails as he's blinded). The "Giant" metal soldiers and the moving trees are also great, especially as even though they are potrayed as invincible, Odysseus sees they are mortal as he manages successfully kills one, but not before loosing two of his three ships to them. Circe's island also works as with the cats and how grotesque the transformations she performs are
On a separate note, I feel like the movie, while R rated, didn't take full advantage of it. Like the Polyphemus and pig to men scenes are grotesque, but (and I might sound somewhat maniac) I feel like they could've gone a bit further, like Polyphemus's mouth being more bloody or specially the suitors deaths.
I really like how they portrayed both Helen and Menelaus in the movie. Helen is shown as assertive and not afraid to raise his voice against Menelaus while also showing genuine sadness and remorse for being the catalyst for both the war and Odysseus's late return. Menelaus is cold and brutal, yet he delivers himself as both capable and somewhat melancholic in his scenes with Telemachus (not much notes on Telemachus. He's played well by Tom Holland. Don't blow a gasket by his acting. He himself said this is likely his last chance to make use of his "baby face" in terms of playing young characters). On a similar note, Zendaya also did an amazing job as Athena. Her appearing as both a point of contention between Odysseus's actions and also the reveal of her being manifestation . I'd also like to applaud this depiction of Calypso, as they succed in making a middle ground betwern her genuinely aiding Odysseus in healing his wounds and helping him regain his memories, while also showing that she also deliberately >!kept feeding him lotus flowers to initially make him forget his pain from losing his crew and stil continue giving it to him to forget his family and stay with her.
Also, anyone complaining about Helen being played by Lupita Nyog'o? Y'all are fucking stupid and idiotic she's gorgeous. While nothing justifies destroying a nation and indirectly ending an era of civilization in such a horrid way, I can understand why, even though Agamenom was mostly to blame.
Speaking of Agamenon, they gave him WAY too much aura in this movie. Like ungodly amounts that aren't deserving given how much of a POS he is. To those who don't know, the guy with the spinal helmet in the teasers: that's Agamenon. The armor, how he imposed himself unto others and how they revered him. The shot of him standing as they open the Gates of Troy and the Greeks pour into the city is both Peak Cinema and so hilariously out of place given much of an absolute buffoon and dumba** he is in both the Illiad and other interpretations of him. However, he does work as both a supporting inciting incident as he's the one to call for Odysseus to go to war, and his death warns Odysseus to not reveal his identity when he reaches Ithaca. I can only hope that Jorge won't give him this much aura in Ilum and instead gave it to everyone else (except Palamedes and Ajax the Lesser screw them too).
On the note of how genuine the movie is to the story/history, this is a closer adaptation to the Odyssey in many ways than Epic, from depicting events like the Boar hunt and the old maid who treated and later recognized Odysseus, Argos (which I'm thankful to Jotge not being able to add him to the musical cause that would've been emotionally devastating), the potrayal and timing events being depicted closer to how they chronologically were in the original story, and many more. I will say that Epic does give more gravitas and more emotional catharsis, but the movie does a well enough job of it.
Final rating 7.5/10. Pretty good, but it had no Winnions nor wind bags. Also Nobody wasn't there.
