The Odyssey (1997)

Odysseus (Armand Assante), the King of Ithaca, is called to serve in the war against Troy. Although he is victorious in battle, his hubris angers Poseidon (Miles Anderson) who places a curse on him which prevents him from reaching Ithaca for some 20 years. Based on the epic poem by Homer and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (RUNAWAY TRAIN). With a three hour running time, this adaptation has the time to do Homer's epic justice but it just doesn't feel like an epic. Though its production values are excellent and some scenes are superbly done (like the entry into Hades), the film feels more like a sword and sandal peplum. The principal roles are well cast but the lesser parts like Odysseus' crew are weakly played. I could have done without the attempts at humor but it's clear that the film wants to be an "entertainment" adventure. The creature effects which include a talking pig and a sea serpent were done by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The large cast includes Isabella Rossellini, Eric Roberts, Greta Scacchi, Geraldine Chaplin, Christopher Lee, Bernadette Peters, Jeroen Krabbe, Vanessa Williams, Michael J. Pollard, Nicholas Clay and Yorgo Voyagis.