Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Opening Scene Beats ‘The Dark Knight’

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SPOILERS for ‘The Odyssey’ prologue are below!

A preview of Christopher Nolan’s new film, The Odyssey, is being shown before special IMAX re-releases of Sinners and One Battle After Another. The Odyssey is the first movie filmed entirely in IMAX, and showing it with these other IMAX films is a way to build excitement for Nolan’s upcoming summer blockbuster. While the preview briefly appeared online and was quickly taken down due to copyright issues, it’s meant to be seen on the big screen.

If you were blown away by the opening of The Odyssey in IMAX, prepare for another incredible cinematic experience from Nolan. Critics are raving about the music, action, and performances, proving he’s at the top of his game. In fact, many are saying the new opening sequence is even better than the iconic bank heist scene from The Dark Knight, making it Nolan’s best film opening yet.

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Outshines ‘The Dark Knight’s Opening Sequence


Warner Bros. Pictures

Some might disagree, especially devoted fans of Christopher Nolan, but the opening scene of The Odyssey could actually be more captivating than the iconic bank heist that begins The Dark Knight. While Inception famously starts inside a dream and The Dark Knight Rises opens with a dramatic plane crash, The Dark Knight‘s opening—featuring a bank robbery with criminals wearing clown masks, and introducing Heath Ledger’s Joker—has always been a standout. It’s a thrilling sequence that combines stunning IMAX visuals, like the robbers zip-lining between buildings, with a clever plot where each criminal turns on the others, ultimately revealing the Joker as the mastermind.

The beginning of The Odyssey features a thrilling five-minute sequence starring Matt Damon as Odysseus and the legendary Trojan horse. The massive horse is brought into the city of Troy, and director Nolan creates suspense when someone tests its integrity by stabbing a sword into it, accidentally wounding a hidden soldier. As night falls, Odysseus and his men emerge from the horse, quietly taking out the guards to open the city gates. This triggers a battle, and the scene offers glimpses of other fantastical creatures from Nolan’s film, such as the mythological cyclops.

It might seem surprising, but The Odyssey actually surpasses The Dark Knight in terms of visual impact. This film showcases the full extent of Christopher Nolan’s filmmaking skill, built from years of experience. While The Dark Knight was groundbreaking, The Odyssey takes things to a whole new level.

Like many of his previous films, Nolan has created an immersive experience with The Odyssey. The powerful sound design, felt through the rumbling IMAX speakers and vibrating seats, draws the audience directly into the story’s intense moments. Similar to how Dunkirk used sound to place viewers alongside the soldiers and Interstellar used music to heighten the sense of danger, The Odyssey expertly combines all of Nolan’s signature skills.

From the very beginning, The Odyssey is a stunning film that truly raises the bar for visual experiences, and it quickly proves this within the first five minutes. While The Dark Knight has a great opening scene and introduces an iconic villain, The Odyssey surpasses it with breathtaking visuals and artistry that linger long after you’ve seen it. Though some viewers may disagree, The Odyssey boasts a more captivating opening sequence than The Dark Knight.

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2025-12-13 04:17