criticphilip

I just came back from Linkin Park: ****, there's no doubt that Linkin Park is one of the greatest bands, but this movie is too much talking, too much documentary. I just wanted to hear some music and see the concert, but you basically don't get any of it. When they perform in the stadium, they often show the faces of the audience and let the audience sing. I always thought, “Come on, don't show me some random person. I want to see the band, and I want to see Linkin Park just sing and perform.” It was really annoying in the end. The buildup for Emily Armstrong was good, but they basically destroyed it by talking about representation and being a role model for girls after it. I don't know what to make of this movie. I just wanted to see a good concert.

This film feels less like an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey and more like a distorted parallel-universe version that happens to use the same title and character names. A modern interpretation does not need to reproduce every detail of the original, but it should at least understand and preserve its central themes. Here, the meaning of Odysseus’ journey, his motivation and even his fundamental character have been altered so extensively that very little of Homer’s work remains. Instead of engaging with the values and worldview of the ancient story, the film imposes a distinctly modern American perspective upon it. The entire production feels strangely disconnected from its setting. Characters wander through visibly modern ruins that would not have been ruins at the time, while Odysseus travels in something resembling a Viking ship rather than a Greek vessel. The casting, dialogue and visual design rarely create the impression that these people belong to the same historical world. Everything feels misplaced, as though someone had rearranged all the furniture in a familiar room. The result is a confused and emotionally hollow film. It neither succeeds as a faithful adaptation nor offers a convincing reinterpretation of the source material. You could remove the name The Odyssey, and much of it would become almost unrecognisable. I genuinely cannot understand the overwhelmingly positive critical reception. Nolan enthusiasts may appreciate the spectacle, but anyone familiar with Homer’s original work may find this adaptation frustrating, superficial and fundamentally misguided.