tantek.com🎞 watched “The Odyssey” at the Metreon in 70mm IMAX on opening weekend, and mostly enjoyed it. No spoilers in this post.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/The_Odyssey_%282026_film%29_poster.jpg (Fair use thumbnail of The Odyssey movie poster, dark background, except for a fire backlighting the top half of a horse rearing up, part of a building, and illuminating Odysseus in the foreground wearing armor, helmet with a big red brush, and sword in hand pointed forward.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Odyssey_(2026_film)_poster.jpg
My pal Rohit (@rohit.khare.org) had bought tickets last year, had a spare, and invited me along last minute. After an early dinner at Cha Cha Cha (@chachachasf.com) we made our way to the Metreon.
There was a line to get in. I have never before seen a line merely to get into the IMAX theater. We only missed maybe 1-2 movie trailers.
Our seats were in the front row, only a few seats from the left edge. In general I would not recommend the front 3-4 rows at an IMAX theater because it requires craning your neck back, and lots of swiveling to see the entire screen. Ironically being near the corner helped minimize the latter. Despite being sold out, the seat to my left was empty so I was able to lean back kinda diagonally to take in most of the screen.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55440968210_86b85cc585.jpg (Distorted rectangle of Motion Picture Association greenband approval message intro card and logo on a green background, the top and bottom curved, sloping downward and narrowing toward the right edge.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MPA_greenband_intro_card_(Toy_Story_4_greenband_trailer).png
The film itself was excellent (as many others have said).
There were parts that felt like they dragged a bit, yet also parts that felt rushed, where a bit more build-up before resolution would have hit harder. The only negative of the experience was the seating location in the IMAX theater, and the rigidness of the seats (they’re quite old, not like newer, plushier reclining seats that most theaters have upgraded to.)
The best part of The Odyssey is despite all the action, it dives into a number of philosophical and other intellectual challenges, illustrated by the situations encountered and paths taken.
I recommend seeing this film with nerdy friends on the earlier side, grabbing dinner after and discussing the nature, ethics, decisions, actions of the characters, and consequences thereof.
I definitely want to see it again.
#TheOdyssey #Odyssey #Odysseus #IMAX #70mmIMAX #IMAX70mm #Metreon #Blaugust #Blaugust2026 #2026_199 #20260718 - Tantek