The first two-thirds were… decent. Technically impressive on a massive scale, with three or four really high moments, while the Circe sequence was insane in the best way. I had zero notes, and there's nothing I'd change, but for the most part I wasn't super wowed either. It basically felt like another Dunkirk to me - obviously really good but not a story I was incredibly invested in, not top-tier Nolan either, etc.
Then?
The last forty-five or so minutes happened and I was suddenly in Nolan/blockbuster heaven. Because that was ****ing incredible, and up there with The Dark Knight and Interstellar in terms of all-timer Nolan third acts / endings. Resulting in a feeling I get in the theater only once every few years. I'm still on a high from that and don't know when I'm going to come down.
To that end, I totally get thinking the first two-thirds are so are just okay, and even being let down a bit here and there. But I legitimately don't understand not levitating after that third act. I can't comprehend being a fan of movies in general and not being moved / in awe of how it all plays out. I mean, our audience cheered/clapped THREE times during the final 20 minutes alone, and that was before they clapped when the credits finally came up. It was so amazing, and so damn fun.
Similarly, on no planet is this even a remotely bad movie. It may not be the version of The Odyssey you wanted to see, and I totally get that. I can also understand the non-linear nature of the narrative not being everyone's cup of tea. But if you can't appreciate the level of care and consideration put on screen in general, or how well so many third act beats landed / paid off earlier moments, I don't know what to tell you.
And the "woke" stuff? Good gosh it was nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was also weird seeing how ridiculously disingenuous/"curated" all those bootleg cam rip clips and stills were on social media, the ones that highlighted all the "bad"/"ridiculous" moments in the movie, when, in the movie itself, every single one of them was either blink-and-you-missed-it or played so naturally and not like a big deal at it in context. I wouldn't have even noticed them had they not been made to look dumb by a bunch of lame ass grifters. Hell, I was even fully prepared to not like Page's performance, but IMO, even it was totally fine and dare I say appropriate for the character.
But whatever. Audiences have now spoken and they not only clearly weren't affected by any of that stuff either, they're absolutely loving the movie, and deservedly so.
Now if I can just find an empty IMAX seat to see it again in the next week or two. Knowing how incredibly it ends, I want to go back and see how the first two-thirds plays on second watch.
