‘The Odyssey’ Formats: Which Is the Best?

There are a lot of different ways to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in a theater. Trying to figure out which format is best could take you more time than Matt Damon spends wandering the Mediterranean trying to get back home to Anne Hathaway.

Ultimately, the format you pick will come down to three factors: Price, convenience, and personal preference. Yes, certain formats offer a bigger frame and thus a bigger image than others. They also come with a bigger price tag, and are offered at fewer multiplexes around the country.

The Odyssey’s distributor, Universal Pictures, released a series of videos briefly outlining each one of your options, so let’s use those to help sort through the options.

IMAX 70mm

No director has had more of an influence on the rise of IMAX within the world of Hollywood filmmaking — or is linked more closely with it in the public eye — as Christopher Nolan. Heck, The Odyssey popcorn bucket looks like an IMAX camera. No wonder many IMAX screenings of The Odyssey sold out months in advance.

A true IMAX frame is also boxier than the standard multiplex screen, which is wider than it is tall. Films shot for IMAX like The Odyssey typically cover up (or “mask”) the top and bottom of the frame when shown in non-IMAX theaters. IMAX is the only way to see the full image. And because Nolan is such a fan of old-school celluloid, The Odyssey is screening on 70mm on some IMAX screens.

In the video above, Matt Damon claims The Odyssey is “the first film to be shot entirely with IMAX film cameras using new IMAX camera technology,” and that each frame has 15 perforations, runs horizontally through the projector, making it the largest format available.” Basically if you subscribe to a bigger is better philosophy, you might want to consider trying to find one of the few remaining IMAX 70mm tickets.

IMAX

If your local IMAX theater isn’t equipped to project the film in 70mm, you can still see it in digital IMAX. The world’s biggest IMAX fan (?) Anne Hathaway explains above that The Odyssey “was shot and designed to be experienced on the biggest film possible, and IMAX delivers on this.” It also “fills your entire field of vision, immersing you fully for the best cinematic experience.” (In other words: It won’t be on celluloid, but it will be that bigger, boxier image.)

70mm

70mm is a format of film, so you can see it in a theater that’s not equipped for IMAX — and there are locations around the country projecting The Odyssey in 70mm.

Unlike IMAX 70mm, which is run through its projector horizontally, 70mm film runs vertically through the projector. And while 70mm is not IMAX, you’re still seeing something that was shot on film projected on film. According to Lupita Nyong’o, there’s nothing like it. (Except, one assumes, seeing it in IMAX 70mm.)

35mm

If you can’t find a 70mm screening near you, you might be able to find The Odyssey in 35mm, which was the standard format for most movies shown in theaters throughout cinema history. (Noted analog film advocate Robert Pattinson calls it the “classic film format with four performations” in the video above.)

As the name suggests, 35mm is a smaller strip of film than 70mm, and as a result it contains less visual information than a piece of 70mm celluloid. But you’re still getting to see The Odyssey projected on film, which is a win in Christopher Nolan’s book.

Premium Large Formats

Finally, many multiplexes around the country offer The Odyssey in what the theater industry dubs “Premium Large Formats”: Auditoriums with bigger screens, more elaborate sound systems, and a variety of other amenities. Some PLFs, like 4DX or D-BOX, include seats that move along with the action, turning them into cinematic simulator rides.

Premium Large Formats typically do not include film projection, however, so if seeing The Odyssey on film is important to you, they might not be the way to go.

The Price

In a vacuum, I imagine most people would pick IMAX 70mm or some comparable option, where the screen is as big as possible, and the projector is throwing light through a physical strip of film.

But people don’t buy tickets in a vacuum. These things cost money, and sometimes a lot of money — especially in these premium formats that are supposedly the best way to watch The Odyssey.

Using various ticketing sites and apps, I looked up what it would cost me — a guy living in New York City — to see The Odyssey in every available format next week. The price difference between the cheapest option and the most expensive one was kind of shocking. To get a 4DX ticket, I’d have to pay more than double what it would cost to see the film projected digitally in one of Brooklyn’s independent theaters.

Here is the cheapest ticket price for each different Odyssey format that I could find online:

Standard Admission - $16
35mm - $23
70mm - $26.49
HDR by Barco - $25.49
RPX - $29.49
Dolby Cinema - $30.49
IMAX - $30.49
IMAX 70mm - $30.49
4DX - $34.99

By the way: These prices do not including online fees so if you’re buying tickets through Fandango or some other app, you can expect to pay at least another buck or two on top of these prices.

That’s why I think it’s ok not to get too precious about all of this. Yes film is fantastic, and 70mm film is even better than 35mm. But for the price of one ticket in IMAX 70mm could get you see The Odyssey digitally and then see a second film as well. Plus, not every theater is created equal. If the one by you doesn’t have a good, qualified projectionist — and many theaters don’t anymore — then its 70mm presentation could look significantly worse than a digital one.

The main thing, I think, is to see The Odyssey on a big screen at the best theater in your area. Odds are the best theater will have the best presentation, regardless of whether it is film or digital, IMAX or RPX. Go with your experience and see it at the location you trust to not screw it up.