There have been lots of reviews of the new Odyssey movie, and as an ancient historian, people are probably expecting me to weigh in. I saw the film yesterday afternoon with my brother and sister (on the regular screen, not IMAX). But first let me just say that if you are expecting me to assess the historical accuracy of the movie, you will be disappointed. When it comes to modern adaptations of ancient literature, historical accuracy is not very relevant. After all, the original is not historically accurate and reflects elements from different time periods, and indeed, while there may be a historical kernel of truth to Odysseus' voyage (though I doubt it), there is no evidence of it ever happening. No, it is far more appropriate for me simply to assess how well the film adheres to the original text. 1/ And, as someone who highly respects this ancient epic poem, and who has taught it and its themes to college students for the last 20 years, most often in my Western Civilization course, I place the greatest importance on whether a modern adaptation maintains the actual themes of the original. Mind you, following the plot faithfully also is important, and capturing the essence of the characters and their motivations too. When it comes to fidelity to the text, least important are the aesthetic elements, because for the most part, those are superficial. Thus, for example, when Kenneth Branagh did a movie version of Hamlet and set it in the 19th century (Shakespeare lived in the 17th!), it didn't bother me much, because the film was generally faithful to the text. Heck, performances of Shakespeare even on the stage have a long history of experimentation with the aesthetics and the casting, and no one really bats on eyelid. They certainly don't claim it is an insult to Shakespeare or to the English people. So, even if someone were to make a film adaptation of the Odyssey in which it was set in the 1960s, and everyone was dressed like hippies, I wouldn't care, as long as the story and spirit of the original was there. 2/