Elon Musk’s ‘soulless’ version of The Odyssey eviscerated by critics

Elon Musk’s attempt to rival Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been absolutely savaged by critics (Picture: Shutterstock/Grok Imagine) Elon Musk has finally unveiled his supposedly superior, AI-generated alternative to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and unfortunately for the billionaire, the reviews suggest he may want to leave filmmaking to the filmmakers. After spending much of the summer complaining about Nolan’s critically acclaimed blockbuster, the Tesla boss decided that he, armed with artificial intelligence and presumably an enormous amount of confidence, could do better. The result? Seven minutes of digitally generated men looking terribly serious on boats, which viewers have variously described as ‘soulless slop’, ‘absolute s***’, and ‘garbage’. Not quite the cinematic revolution he’d hoped for. Musk previously vowed to produce a ‘historically accurate’ adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic using his AI platform Grok Imagine, after taking issue with Nolan’s casting choices. Among his complaints was the decision to cast Black actress Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, which Musk used to accuse the director of prioritising diversity over artistic integrity. He subsequently promised a full-length film before the end of the year that would remain ‘true to the art of Homer’. Three months later, the first instalment has arrived, and it’s considerably shorter than advertised. Created in collaboration with London-based startup Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker, the seven-minute episode follows Odysseus as he reluctantly joins the Greek forces heading into the Trojan War. There’s a dramatic departure from Ithaca, some fighting, lots of grim expressions and, eventually, a small wooden horse. But, somehow, it all feels lifeless and inhuman. ‘Perfectly encapsulates Elon’s taste. Absolute s***,’ one X user declared. The production was created in less than two weeks by a team of just three people (Picture: Grok Imagine) The first episode follows Odysseus as he sets sail for the Trojan War (Picture: Grok Imagine) There were some particularly strong opinions about the film’s historical accuracy (Picture: Grok Imagine) Another offered an equally enthusiastic assessment: ‘This was dogs***, video quality aside. Just soulless slop with no thought or anything.’ ‘Hard pass. AI will never replace the talent of actors, writers, directors and editors,’ a third wrote. Others were particularly amused by Musk’s insistence on historical accuracy, given that the production apparently struggles to distinguish between different periods of European history. One viewer pointed to the inclusion of ‘belt buckles, Medieval tunics and late Roman cloaks’, alongside architecture that bore little resemblance to ancient Greece. ‘This is the worst kind of slop,’ they concluded. Musk was a vocal critic of Nolan’s casting choices in his adaptation of the epic (Picture: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Another criticised the complete absence of meaningful character development, writing: ‘There isn’t a single scene in this at all. No quiet conversations. No conversations at all that last for more than 30 seconds. Flat and dead with no intention.’ Professional critics have been similarly unforgiving. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw awarded the production a solitary star, comparing its dramatic impact to watching a computer screensaver. Meanwhile, a Telegraph reviewer described the experience as an assault on the eyeballs, criticising its grotesque visual inconsistencies. It’s an especially awkward reception considering Nolan’s version, starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, has reportedly earned around $1.8billion (£1.35billion) worldwide. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Musk’s alternative, meanwhile, was reportedly produced in less than two weeks by a creative team of three, at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Wonder Studios co-founder Xavier Collins has defended the project, explaining that the team was not instructed to produce an ‘anti-woke’ alternative to Nolan’s film. Instead, he said the objective was to explore the capabilities and limitations of the technology. The team plans to take the criticism on board, including complaints about the pacing and inaccuracies in the design of the ships, with hopes that subsequent episodes will improve. Perhaps the most revealing criticism came from a viewer who remarked: ‘What you don’t realize is that Elon Musk is soulless slop so he probably loved it.’ And with Nolan’s version having already conquered the box office, Musk’s attempt to reinvent The Odyssey has so far proved the decidedly less popular version. Arrow MORE: Looney Tunes star Eric Bauza, who voiced Bugs Bunny and more, dies suddenly aged 46 Arrow MORE: Everyone thinks Wildwood will win an Oscar – but you need to see it yourself Arrow MORE: There could soon be more satellites than stars in the sky – thanks to billionaires Switched On Get plugged into the week’s must-watch shows, unmissable moments, and expert reviews with Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr.