User reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed the book of the epic, which I read recently, and was pleasantly surprised to find this on video.

Obviously, there are significant omissions, edits and rewrites from the original - and quite long - text, not to mention the change to a standard timescale (rather than using constant flashbacks and anecdotes as in Homer's tale). Having said that, a surprising amount of detail did make it into this film, and the locations especially were almost all perfect - just as I'd imagined them. I even 'recognised' places before they were mentioned by name. Kudos to the production team.

Where the story is simplified, it is done carefully and logically, and leaves in virtually all of Odysseus's more fantastic adventures - dispensing with most of the hospitality, minor characters' subplots - Telemachus' journey is over in seconds - and (unfortunately) with any scenes on Mount Olympus. The net effect is of the story told entirely from Odysseus' viewpoint, while keeping an eye on events back at his palace in Ithaca.

I'll not go too far into the story - since that is why you'll be watching in the first place - but I will say that the special effects are mostly quite good, and don't detract in any way. Of the entire cast I only found Telemachus to be somewhat whiney & annoying, but you manage. Casting is generally very good (especially Calypso - wow).

If there is a problem with this film, it is that by cutting out so much of the rituals, travel and more complicated deceptions, it takes away much of the scale, grandeur and 'epic'ness of it all - while still taking 3 hours to watch. A lot of the ritual and repetition of the original text is actually a large part of its charm (as well as an entirely necessary story-telling mechanic), and I think it could be adapted in full if turned into a short series.

In summary, this is a decent version, but you'll get the most enjoyment out of this film if you've already read The Odyssey (which, as with most book/film adaptations, is significantly better). If you're thinking of watching this instead of reading The Odyssey - please don't. You'll have trouble getting into the text if you think you know what's coming next.

And for the cast & crew of this film - well done. I wish there were a bit more ambition amongst TV and film companies these days.

This is a fine, beautifully crafted version of Homer's The Odyssey. Armand Assante gives a sterling performance as the King of Ithica, who's journey to return from the siege of Troy leads him on a 20-odd year quest to find his way home to his beloved wife Penelope.

If you have read The Odyssey, you will know what kind of challenge it would have been to adapt it into a coherent film and the filmmakers here did a superb job. In capturing all of the excitement, enticement and rollicking adventure of the epic, they brought to life a superlative story rich in imagination.

Kudos to the fine cast, including Eric Roberts as Eurymachus, Greta Scacchi as Penelope and an arresting cameo by Christopher Lee as the blind prophet Tiresias. Eduard Artemyev melodious score only adds to the epic feel.

Not without flaws (Troy is skimmed by a little too fast, and some of the visual effects are a little clunky), but the human element of the story is well dramatized. A supremely entertaining epic.

Having been forced to read The Odyssey several times throughout school in clunky and stale translations, it was very refreshing to see the story brought to life like an action movie. I don't want to sound shallow by emphasizing that aspect of the epic because I do understand and appreciate the subtler nuances and motifs of Homer's poem. However, to take it out of the classroom and turn it into a popcorn movie does not do it injustice. In fact, it gave me a better appreciation of the story and a shot in the arm to give the print version another try. Which I did. And I really enjoyed it this time. Probably the fact that I didn't have an essay assignment breathing down my neck on my last reading helped immeasurably.

Anywho, I think Armand Assante was an inspired choice for Ulysses and the supporting cast was very well-chosen too, especially Greta Scacchi and Nicholas Clay. The Scylla/Charibdis and Hydra segments were the most thrilling. Perhaps the FX weren't always top-notch, but this is TV, folks. It definitely had a storybook feel to it with the bright colors and understandable dialogue. Now, if they will only make a TV miniseries of The Iliad......

This is a fine retelling concerning about Odysseus' journey told in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey . After fighting in the Trojan War , Odysseus spends years trying to return home to Itaka . In the ancient Greek city of Ithaca , many impatiently await the return of their king Ulysses and his warriors from the Trojan War . Among these , Odysseus (Armand Assante)'s devoted wife Penélope (Greta Scacchi) and his grown son Telemachus . But Ulysses' return is not eagerly awaited by everyone , especially by his enemies . They openly court Penelope and ask her to give her husband up for dead and re-marry one of the rowdy suitors who have taken up residence in her home since her husband's departure . However, Penelope clings to her belief that Ulysses will soon return. To appease the aggressive suitors (Eric Roberts), Penelope promises that she would re-marry as soon as she finishes weaving a large tapestry depicting Ulysses' deeds of bravery . In secret , she's unraveling the day's weaving, thus delaying the tapestry's completion . Penelope knows that her trick won't work forever. The sorrowful face of Penelope still gazes longingly across the open sea . In Troy, Ulysses and his warriors use the Trojan Horse ruse to conquer the city . In his fervor, Ulysses destroys the Trojans' temple to Neptune , god of the sea , incurring the ire of Neptune who curses him to suffer the wrath of the winds . As Neptune , protector God of the conquered people , pursued him with his anger and kept him murdering for ten years . The cave of Pholiphemus still reverberates with the with the bellowing roars of the son of Neptuno . And on a distant shore Circe still casts her spill . For the immortality that Ulysses refused of a goddess was later given to him by a poet . And the epic poem that Homer sang of the hero's wanderings and of his yearning for home will live for all time . On the return home to Ithaca , Ulysses' boat shipwrecks and he's found unconscious on a Phaeacian island beach by beautiful princess , Calypso (Vanessa Williams) . His long , arduous , treacherous and perilous odyssey goes on . The dust of centuries has not dimmed the glories of Ulysses' heroic deeds .

This is the story of a man who left his home , his wife and his son to go away to war , as Ulysses destroyed the city of his enemies and started back home . It is the story of Ulysses , his dangerous travel , and his home , where his wife Penelope was waiting and waiting . Good rendition deals with Ulysses on his Odyssey home to Penelope and Telemaco after the Trojan War . The classic version ever of Homer's epic produced by the greatest TV producer : Robert Halmi . Based on Homer's Odyssey adapted by Chris Solomine and director Andre Konchalovski himself . As a tale , the Odyssey is an unparalleled metaphor of the struggles of a man's life . The cast is brilliant and international , with American as well as European actors . Armand Assante gives a fine acting as as the brave and valiant Ulysses who challenged the Gods and continued his journey to Ithaca . Assante is really good looking , impulsive and totally convincing , it seems the role was really written for him . Greta Scacchi gives us a typical Greek tragedy style performance as Penelope . Great support cast as Isabella Rossellini as Athena , Bernadette Peters as Circe , Eric Roberts as Eurymachus , Irene Papas as Anticleia , Jeroen Krabbé as King Alcinous , Christopher Lee as Tiresias , Nicholas Clay as Menelaus and Geraldine Chaplin as Eurycleia . Partially shot in natural locations in the Mediterranean including islands from Turkey and Malta . The exteriors of this luxurious motion picture were filmed on the Mediterranean coast and islands described in Homer's Odyssey . The sea and the sky are strikingly blue , the islands green and wild . Colorful and spectacular cinematography by Sergei Kozlov . Evocative and impressive original score by Eduard Artemev and being well conducted . The picture was professionally directed by Andrey Konchalovskiy . Rating : Better than average take on that will appeal to Greek world lovers .

Other excellent adaptations result to be the followings : the classic ¨Ulysses¨ by Mario Camerini with Kirk Douglas , Anthony Quinn , Silvana Mangano , Rossana Podesta , and ¨L'Odissea¨ (1968) TV series directed by Franco Rossi and by Mario Bava with Bekim Fehmiu as Ulysses and Irene Papas as Penelope.

This 1997 TV movie by Andrey Konchalovskiy is an almost-three-hour rendition of Homer's Odyssey, the epic Greek poem that details Odysseus' decade of wandering from one adventure to another after his victory in the long Trojan War, trying to make it back to Ithaca, Greece, and his beloved Penelope. Armand Assante plays Odysseus, Greta Scacchi his wife and Alan Stenson their son. Some of the numerous guest stars include Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters, Eric Roberts, Christopher Lee, Vanessa Williams and Michael J. Pollard.

While the cast, locations and score are excellent, the story is conveyed in a relatively dull manner in the first half and is hampered by the manifestations of "the gods." Yes, I realize the filmmakers' were only trying to be true to Homer's epic, but some of these manifestations are eye-rolling and take the viewer out of the story. This explains why 1954's "Ulysses" and 2004's "Troy" played down this element or cut it out altogether. However, after the first half you start to accept it as part of the adventure/fantasy and roll with it, particularly because the second half is nigh exceptional, starting with the crew's confrontation with the three-headed Scylla, which is a truly horrific sequence, and then the entire final act, especially the action-packed fight between Odysseus & his son and the brutish suitors of Penelope.

Assante isn't larger-than-life as Douglas was in "Ulysses," but he evokes Odysseus' intelligence, guile, and versatility, as shown in the poem. Once you catch a grip there are some potent scenes/acting, like the initial revelation of Odysseus with various Ithacans. Furthermore, some parts have a palpable spiritual quality. Unfortunately, it does take a while to get into the groove, but the second half is more than worth it (not to mention the score and the magnificent Mediterranean locations).

Lastly, some people have erroneously summed up the moral of the film as "Don't anger the gods." While this is true on the surface, the subtext is way more than this and totally applicable to reality. It's revealed in the second half: *** SPOILER ALERT*** Odysseus was condemned to wandering from crisis to crisis for a decade because of his arrogance after his victory at Troy. Before finally returning to Ithaca we observe a humbled and enlightened man. This is the core message. Once Odysseus is humbled a potent nugget of wisdom is revealed: Sometimes it's necessary to temporarily kowtow to the arrogant in order to assess the situation and bide your time for an effective strike.

The film runs 176 minutes (the VHS 165 minutes) and was shot in Turkey and Malta.

GRADE: B

This is probably the best TV movie of all time. Odysseus is the perfect hero for the aging 1st world population, with his use of guile to triumph when strength is not enough. Despite the fact that one of my favorite parts of The Odyssey is left out, when Odysseus returns home after 20 years, his faithful pet Argus awaiting him, only to die after one greeting; I think this is an incredibly arresting film. Armand Assante is surprising terrific as Odysseus. He conveys with his expressions the depth of thought and emotion which characterized Odysseus. All the more amazing when one considers that Odysseus was an Achaean, a tall, fair race of people, though Odysseus was, himself, described by Homer as one of middle stature, for an Achaean, no doubt. This movie makes the tales of Homer seem more real than any film I have ever seen. The emotions of all are complex and real. The mutual love and devotion of Odysseus and Penelope are portrayed in a beautiful and believable way by the actors. The scene in which Odysseus returns to take back his kingdom is brutally and believably real. I cannot say enough good things about this movie. It should be required in the schools.

When I was in eighth grade and we were studying ancient Greece, we read "The Odyssey", and then watched this movie version. Homer's tale was so overwhelming that it was nearly impossible to digest. I thought that overall, this version came out OK. But, like any adaptation of classic Greek literature, it came across as silly and overdone at times. Most of the characters have English accents - is that always necessary? - and there are so many special effects and stuff that I almost felt like I'd been bounced around the Greek islands like in a pinball machine.

Still, I enjoyed the movie. I have to say that movie versions of Homer's classic tale tend to come out quite well (there was this one and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"; I'd like to see a Leslie Nielsen version). Armand Assante makes one tough Odysseus, and you can feel for Greta Scacchi as Penelope (you gotta admit, with her husband gone so long, of course she wanted to meet suitors). Also starring Isabella Rossellini, Irene Pappas and Michael J. Pollard.

In conclusion, the Greeks really were first at everything.

My husband and I just read the Odyssey together and this film was such a wonderful visualization! The settings, the sea, the magical gods' voices and appearances were absorbing and believable. I especially enjoyed the costuming; we see frozen images of people in ancient Greek dress but they moved with the wearers, just as our clothes do, and they helped create a very sensual impression of ancient Greek life. Although the interiors were a little bare, they were believable too and I enjoyed the colors and paintings that gave life to otherwise stony buildings. I have visited much of the Mediterranean and love the bleached ruins of the Greeks and Romans, but they had colors when they were new--it was exciting to see them that way. The actors were also believable, esp. Assant as Odysseus, conveying both drama and excitement. Some viewers seem to miss the fact that Odysseus survived the Trojan war and would have gotten home faster if he had not offended Poseidon, the god of the sea, by bragging about his performance. Poseidon makes sure he suffers before he reaches home, enlisting his relatives and friends, while Odysseus persists in his goal of reaching his loving wife and home. Altogether a terrific film. I want a DVD version to watch it again--the library video we saw had some jumpy places!

Decent movie. The cast was great and although the movie is old, it was not boring. It covered the core aspects of the Odyssey, had enough action without compromising on nuance and character development. Some things were naturally changed, like he spent five years at Circe rather than Calypso. However, the story was generally preserved for a movie adaptation. Another interesting thing was that there were black characters (e.g. Calypso) very naturally integrated. Unlike in some of the recent movies, they felt natural rather than forced.

If you are looking for a solid adaptation of the Odyssey, this is a good choice. If you care more about action and visuals, maybe the movie is outdated.

I could make many easy criticisms of The Odyssey, but those criticisms would certainly feel unfair. What this production achieves is to give you full respect for what is being attempted here, and that if it fails to fully realise the story of Odysseus, it is not for want of trying but technological, budget and time restrictions.

Let me put those criticisms nevertheless, because you do want to know what you are getting into. Firstly, it's extremely condensed. The decade long Trojan War, the recruitment of Odysseus, the deaths of Hector and Achilles, the Trojan Horse - are all wrapped up in under 30 minutes in what isn't much more than a montage. Now - this is absolutely necessary in a 3 hour mini series but it does feel like opening the first Rocky movie with the training montage. You don't get to meet the characters as they start their journey - you just have to jump on board as they gallop towards the middle.

Additionally this means that many of the actors simply don't have time to build their characters, Odysseus' men are just a rowdy crowd of exchangeable faces with zero distinction between them except one plays the flute, one is fat, one is brave but foolhardy, one has a beard etc. It's a tough criticism because it's no one's fault without tripling the runtime, but unfortunately, watching them get picked off one by one leaves you feeling nothing. Both Odysseus and Penelope suffer as characters in the same way, even though they obviously get the most screentime, but it is absolute credit to Armand Assante and Greta Scacchi that with such threadbare time for character work until at least the final third of the film, they nevertheless create compelling and powerful performances. Other big name actors acquit themselves well. Some of the direction is contrived rather than natural for the same reason. The need to get across an idea in the time allowed, rather than to grow a scene naturally.

To my mind, the biggest problem is the sound design. It's one of those movies where it sounds like much of the location audio has been studio dubbed, whether it actually has been or not. It's really obvious when the scene switches from Calypso's island, back to Penelope and Telemachus. The sound for the latter picks up the atmosphere and acoustics of the location, whereas the former, the sound is overlaid and flat, with no feel for the location. It's really noticeable and is probably the biggest criticism that I would lay at the feet of the production as opposed to a constraint of the medium in which they are working.

The special effects are - of their time. And that time being when computer graphics were a tool rather than an art.

But I did get to a point where none of this mattered. What does matter is the ambition of the piece. It successfully manages to convey the epic nature of Odysseus' journey. You must approach it with the same attitude as you would with the book, with your imagination open and willing to use it to expand on what you are watching. It does as much justice to the epic as was likely possible at the time and is well worth seeking out.

I am a high school freshmen and I am reading the Odyssey in school. This movie is just a shame. Homer would not be pleased to know that his great epic poem became a cheap movie with low quality acting and costumes that make Ithaka look like Halloween. The casting was horrendous: Armand Assante fails to portray the admiral stategist Odysseus, playing him like a monotonous pervert. Greta Scacchi is just not fit to depict the supposedly gorgeous Penelope, completely un-suspending my disbelief when the suitors try to pursue her. And Alan Stenson fails to show us the complexities of the character Prince Telemakhos. In the epic poem, we see him as a shy young prince who emerges as a strong leader, but in the movie he appears a shallow young man only driven by his fears. Also, this movie is a disgrace to Greek mythology as a whole. The poor special effects make the gods look like a joke, completely throwing away the Greek cultural charm that the epic poem embodies.

DON'T see this movie. If you want to really appreciate this great classic, READ THE BOOK!

I watched this movie last evening after not seeing it for at least four years and was completely absorbed by it again. I used to show it to my year eight high school classes as a tie-in to our introductory ancient history syllabus and the movie was well received. One of the most important aspects of movie/doco watching for adolescents is the time a particular scene stays before their eyes-the longer it stays the sooner adolescent-fidget sets in and the movie/doco, regardless of its inherent strength, is lost for them. Seen from this perspective, The Odyssey is a superbly made film.

Besides this superlative editing, the strength of the characters is dominant from the opening scenes and simply becomes stronger as the movie progresses, climaxing with the wonderful Calypso scene near the end. Vanessa William's superb rendition of her character is but a mirror of the other great acting roles distributed throughout the movie. It says much about the film adaptation of a mythological work that is roughly three thousand years old that the actors can make the essential humanness of the epic ring true. Dare I say it was "believable!"

If you want to view an extremely watchable movie then make every attempt to see this one-in my opinion, everything about it is fabulous!

... but I don't know what that says more about, how few I've seen or how accurate this is. Running just under three full hours, this covers most of the famous and well-known poem by Homer... well, so I think, I haven't read it, and this contained many things I hadn't heard of before, but my father who've read it several times confirms that most of it is quite accurate. One thing that disappointed me was the way the Sirens were completely left out. Also, the Greek gods(with the exception of Poseidon and Athena) were barely in the film at all(contrary to most other versions I've seen). The plot is good, it covers most aspects of the original myth, with only minor details changed that shouldn't bother anyone other than the occasional scholar and/or perfectionist in the audience. The pacing is pretty good, you're rarely bored. The acting and casting is very good, with a few arguable exceptions. I partly agree with the general consensus on Armand Assante as Odysseus... he definitely brought more braun than brain to the role. Rossellini as Athena is simply a great choice. Williams as Calypso worked, though she is by no means a great actress. Lee had far too little to work with, and far too little screen-time. The writing has its moments, but rarely reaches a higher level than the usual expected for a TV-movie. The action is quite well-done, and the few battle scenes are nicely filmed and set up. The special effects are good for the time it was made and the budget it was made on. The final scene of action is such a great relief and payoff that it makes every single scene of pain and suffering for Odysseus worth it. The film has some stunning visuals, among them some very nice panning shots of locations... we don't get enough of that today. Too much CGI in visuals. One thing I just need to mention is how disappointed I was with how the 'my name is Nobody' joke was wasted... it's nicely set up, but the punchline is a bit of a dud. All in all, a pretty good and quite accurate film-version of Homer's famous story... but of course it'll never be the same as reading the poem itself. I recommend this to anyone who wants the story but don't want to read it and anyone who wants a faithful adaptation. 7/10

"The Odyssey", purportedly the work of the same man who wrote "The Iliad", is a long epic poem which is world-renowned as a tale of adventure. The greatness of this adaptation is that the ethical central character, Odysseus or 'Ulysses', King of Ithaca, is treated as the first man in history able to think rationally--to control his passions. The filmmakers do not spend more than a few minutes on the "Odysseys" background, the war by the ancient Argives' alliance against the city of Ilium or "Troy". The thrust of the piece is the wanderings undertaken by Ulysses AFTER he returns home safely from that war. His wife Penelope waits for him; his family never gives up. But meanwhile, even as his son grows, the kingdom's nobles grow bolder. They demand Penelope marry one of them, since they believe Ulysses is dead. By night, Penelope unweaves what she has woven of her wedding dress during daylight. The bulk of the film follows Ulysses on what amounts to a shipborne Cook's tour of fictionally-reworked famous ancient places about the Mediterraean, to confrontations with the man-eating Cyclops and his herd of sheep, with Circe the goddess who can transform men into swine, with the Lotos eaters and the Gulf of the world. This movie is a special-effects extravaganza with high-tech effects and a solid cast to back up the adventure by way of intelligent direction and good dialogue. The very large made-for-television epic was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. Konchalovsky did the adaptation and Christopher Solimine the teleplay. The bright cinematography for a very long and colorful adventure was the work of Sergei Kopzlov, the original music composed by Eduard Artemyev; the elaborate set decorations were done by Kren Brooks, with costumes by Charles Knode. The outstanding production design was the achievement of Roger Hall. In the huge cast, Armand Assante seemed an intelligent Odysseus save that he lacked a classical speech training. Greta Scacchi was Penelope, Isaballa Rossellini Athena, Irene Papas Anticleia, and Jeroen Krabbe King Alcinous. Vanessa Williams played Calypso, Christopher Lee Tiresias, Bernadette Peters Circe and Geraldine Chaplin played Eurycleia. Many others enacted the parts of persons in the Trojan War, the suitors at Ithaca's court, assorted divinities and personages encountered by Odeysseus and his mates in the course of his ship's many adventures. Katie Carr was Nausicaa, who helped him when he was shipwrecked; and Alan Stenson portrayed Odysseus's son Telemcahus. From the Trojan sequences to the slaughter of the offending nobles by team-Ulysses, he in disguise using an ancient horn-bow only he could string to perform the deed, this is an exciting, eye-filling and well-planned cinematic adventure. It was a great surprise when it was offering among many mean-streets naturalistic films in 1997. Not to be missed.

I am a big fan of fantasy movies and more if it concerns mythologic episodes. Next to Jason and the Argonauts we also have the Odyssey which is according to me a wonderful movie. Homerus classical epos about Odysseus and the movements after the fall of Troy have been filmed in a magnificent way in the Odyssey. The gods make Odysseus and his men to puppets in a game. They push them to make long trips which delay their trip with years and bring them in conflict with Circe, the cyclope and Poseidon. Finally Odysseus even enters the underworld. In the meanwhile the wife of Odysseus, Penelope must get the men away from her, who want to have the properties of Odysseus. They think that he is dead, but with the help Athens he continues searching his way home. This movie receives from me a 8 out of 10 because it is an enjoyable movie which also gives you some history lessons, so 2 flies in 1 hit, a good movie and education. Well done !!!!!!!!!!!

A great story ruined by atrocious acting. At two or three points we considered switching it off. Will we be watching it again - Not a chance.

I've come to love Homer's Odyssey, and when I saw this movie I felt the story really matched the original poem. If you didn't read the book, go buy it before you watch this movie. It is worth it, and you will follow the story and expect what's going to happen next. You will recognize each of the labors Odysseus has to complete. They are, of course, abbreviated to fit the movie run time. But they made a great job selecting the most important parts of the poem and representing them.

The performances where good, even if may appear a little overacted, specially Odysseus. But all in all, I really enjoyed this great movie, like I enjoyed other epic movies. I've also seen "Troy" and "Helen of Troy", but Odyssey is an adventure. There is some violence, but not what you would expect from the Troy war.

Resuming, I would recommend you to read the book first. It's not the normal kind of movie, like those usually seen on TV.

Very good work actually. Although sadly Armand Assante seems to be mis-cast. I say sadly because he's a great actor however perhaps it's because we've been so brainwashed by imagery from 2000-year old marble statuary onwards into thinking the 'ancients' must all 'look' heroic - like Arnie, or Sly that Armand just doesn't 'fit' in the scene.

Several people commented that the film is not faithful to Homer's epic poem. This is certainly a problem, especially when omissions make the story difficult to follow. (Why did Odysseus say to the Cyclops: "My name is nobody"? The line is included in the film, but the punchline of the joke isn't.)

Of course, we cannot expect a film to include everything in the book, some parts must be left out. (But why the poor sirens? They are one of the few parts everyone knows about the Odyssey.) Such parts merely bother the few who have read the original and expect the director to be faithful to it; others might not even notice omissions or goofs. (Here's one for you: Achilles' body is laid out, covered in wounds and scars. However, anyone who's read the Iliad knows that Achilles could only be wounded at his heel.) Nor should we be particular about geographical detail, such as the fact that Pamukkale (the place that features as Calypso's island) is in fact hundreds of miles from the sea.

What we can expect and what I did expect was some faithfulness to the original message and to historical detail. Neither can be said about this film. Odysseus (the original) is not a Hollywood-type muscular hero but a cunning guy whose cleverness and sense of humor, rather than strength gets him out of difficult situations. Here you hardly get any of this. Actually, his men have more likable characters than he does. The clever tricks I enjoyed about the epic are missing almost completely.

Those who want to find about ancient Greek culture are led astray even more. The costumes are ridiculous: warriors wear underpants and one of the servant girls a long-sleeved blouse. It is also quite unlikely that Odysseus was present at his son's birth, given that in traditional cultures men were forbidden to go near a woman in labor for fear of bringing a curse on her. The forms of displaying affection or Penelope's masturbation with the sea waves are also things I find hard to imagine at the time. My 2 points go to spectacular scenes and landscapes, and some of the acting. (Not Armand Assante's.) Still, I wish filmmakers would keep from turning every literary work, even ones from different ages and cultures, into a tacky Hollywood 'you can achieve anything'-success story.

Okay I first saw this movie when I was in 9th grade.We watched it after reading the book.I thought it was a pretty good movie from the start.The special effects were considerably good.Armand Assante played an Excellent Odysseus....I liked Armand's portrayal more than Sean Bean's (Troy).I love Greek mythology and I love this movie.I plan on buying it on DVD.The scene where the old man shoots the arrow through the loops to reveal Odysseus is amazing.Then he says "your crime is that you tried to steal my world" that part was awesome.I think if you are into Greek mythology you will like this movie.They show it on the sci-fi channel every once in a while so I think you should definitely check it out.Like it says in my summary....for a made for TV film it does pretty well.