Mass-market epic

This film adapts the epic by Homer pretty well to appeal to a mass audience. The best practical effect I thought was the Trojan Horse that Odysseus dreamed up to being an end to the Trojan War. Some scenes are held together not by effects or dialogue or action but by the sound design to suggest a far off time in the viewers' minds. There were a few good acting performances from the ensemble punching up the emotion, and just a few significant cuts from the epic poem that most people will not miss. Matt Damon as the main character of Odysseus is called on to portray a war veteran for his past life that I think don't completely come across however. After dropping out of sight for a couple decades, he's a total enigma when he gets back home, a stranger to his son, a man prone to divine visions it would be hard for a modern audience to identify with. Still, the film will do well and be remembered critically.