Shaken, Soaked and Seasick: What It’s Like to Survive ‘The Odyssey’ in 4DX
Three entertainment journalists from Variety attended a screening of Christopher Nolan's three-hour epic 'The Odyssey' using 4DX cinema technology, which features moving seats, water spraying, and wind effects. Two reviewers had previously watched the film in IMAX and 70mm formats, whilst one encountered it for the first time. All brought provisions and ventured in to assess whether the technology's immersive promise justified the physical experience.
Results divided the group sharply. One critic found the motion and water effects genuinely enhanced intense sequences like shipwrecks and mythological hazards, yet judged them excessive during character-driven or architectural scenes—ultimately disabling the water feature midway through and concluding that a less complex narrative might better suit the format. A second reviewer could not sustain the full three-hour experience, developing pronounced motion sickness after roughly ninety minutes of continuous seat movement and withdrawing before the film's conclusion. Both accounts underscore tension between technological novelty and viewer tolerance.
- Three Variety critics tested 4DX viewing of Nolan's 'The Odyssey' with mixed outcomes
- One found motion and water effects enhanced ocean sequences but felt excessive during slower moments; another abandoned screening due to motion sickness after 90 minutes
- 4DX technology aims for immersion but risks overwhelming audiences during extended films