The word “hero” gets tossed around all too much these days—it should be reserved for people who jump on hand grenades to save their buddies, who rush into a burning orphanage to save the children, and for those of us who go see “The Odyssey” so they could review it for you, Townhall VIPs. There went three hours of my life I’m not going to get back, and my ears are still ringing like I was at a 1978 Who concert. Of course, the big difference is that a Who concert is fun and watching “The Odyssey” is a painful duty. Still, millions of Americans undertook that duty last weekend, proving that they will get fooled again by Hollywood.

This critical review gives me no pleasure. I want to support non-woke art (like my new novel, “American Warlord,” which you should pre-order now). Nolan has a rep for being non-woke. I didn’t go to the movie looking for things to criticize. I went because I hoped it was good. A lot of people I respect think that it’s good; a lot of other people have some serious problems with it. I’m in the latter camp. Here’s the big problem with the movie. It’s boring. And it’s miserable. And it makes no sense. And, astonishingly for its budget, it looks pretty cheesy. Actually, that’s a lot of problems.

Another is the woke stuff. One big objection to “The Odyssey” among conservatives is the woke stunt casting, and it is woke stunt casting. First, you’ve got Ellen Page butching it up as the least butch Greek warrior in the history of Greek warriors. Why her? There are a million actors out there who could have taken on the role of a penis-bearing hoplite, so what’s the rationale for shoehorning in this famously trans and famously disturbed young woman? It’s obviously a stunt, but we’re not supposed to point out that it’s a stunt. We’re not supposed to acknowledge what everybody knows—he picked her to make a statement. Well, the statement is stupid. Right at the beginning of the movie, and a couple of times during the middle, her character appears—it’s only a few minutes total—and the first thing you do is feel pity for this poor soul who has mutilated her body by carving herself into an unconvincing simulacrum of a man. You want to be swept into the world of ancient Greek warriors, and Ellen Page yanks you right out. Maybe it’s irony, or some kind of joke, but Christopher Nolan displays absolutely no sense of humor throughout this film, so it’s some kind of statement, and I still have no idea what or why.

And the same........

© Townhall