Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ might be a half-baked experience for Filipinos

Christopher Nolan’s cinematic adaptation of the classic epic “The Odyssey” has just opened in Philippine cinemas.

“The Odyssey” is the first film shot and designed entirely for IMAX 70mm, yet audiences worldwide are questioning his creative decision after online users pointed out that only about 40 cinemas globally are capable of screening Nolan’s work in its intended format.

Here in the Philippines, humor colors the conversation. One Filipino quipped online that Gateway Cineplex or Cinema 76 could deliver the “full IMAX 70mm experience.” The joke lands precisely because, of course, they can’t.

So what exactly is IMAX 70mm, and why does Nolan keep insisting it’s the ultimate way to watch his films?

IMAX 70mm, sometimes called 15/70 film, uses massive reels of celluloid. Each frame is 70 millimeters tall and 15 punctures wide, projected horizontally. It also uses a specific camera, larger compared to industry standard. Much like a small countertop oven, it becomes bigger and heavier at 300 pounds when encased in a sound dampener called “the blimp” since it is notoriously known for its noise when pulling strips of film at high speeds.

The result, however, makes up for its demanding nature. An image nearly nine times larger than the standard 35mm film. It’s not just big—- it’s breathtakingly sharp, with a depth and texture that digital projection struggles to replicate. Nolan has long championed this format, calling it “the best possible experience.”

But the reality is, the Philippines doesn’t have a single IMAX 70mm theater. The IMAX screens we do have— Malls from both the Metro and in the regions— are digital IMAX with laser projections. They’re almost the same, but they don’t use film reels. Instead, they rely on high-end digital projectors, delivering a widescreen 1.90:1 aspect ratio rather than the promised 1.43:1 “full frame” that IMAX 70mm provides.

That difference matters. In IMAX 70mm, the film fills the audience’s entire field of vision. By contrast, when projected on a typical 35mm screen, the image is cropped at the top and bottom, leaving visible letterboxes. Digital IMAX offers a partial remedy: the picture is still slightly cropped, and the analog richness of film grain is lost. The result remains immersive, but it isn’t quite the same.

Could the Philippines ever host IMAX 70mm screenings? Technically, yes. But it’s a tall order.

Installing IMAX 70mm requires specialized dual GT projectors, theaters designed to accommodate the format, and trained staff to handle reels that can weigh hundreds of kilograms. Even in the United States, only a handful of theaters—like AMC Lincoln Square in New York or TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles—are equipped for it. The cost is enormous, and the audience for such screenings is niche.

That’s why cinephiles are questioning Nolan. If film is already inaccessible for some, why make the experience even harder to reach? The sentiment resonates with Filipinos, especially with regular ticket prices already hovering around ₱400 at most and IMAX climbing to nearly ₱1,000. On top of that, the country faces a piracy problem—an estimated 58% to 70% of Filipinos consume pirated media.

With no 70mm cinema available, many began asking what Filipinos would be watching instead. The answer is most likely the digital IMAX release—offering sharper resolution than standard digital, immersive 12‑channel audio, and a screen large enough to mimic a 3D effect. Still, it won’t capture the analog grandeur Nolan designed for.

This however, won’t be a lesser experience, not necessarily. Nolan said that he crafted his films to play across formats, ensuring the bulk of the film to remain intact. The difference lies in scale and texture—details that cinephiles obsess over, but casual viewers may not notice.

Still, the absence of IMAX 70mm in the Philippines sparks a broader conversation about accessibility. Why should only a handful of theaters worldwide get to showcase films in their intended format? And what does it mean for countries like ours, where audiences are just as passionate but infrastructure lags behind?

For now, Filipino moviegoers will have to settle for digital IMAX—or even standard 4K projection in smaller venues. It isn’t “fake” Nolan, but it is Nolan through a different aspect ratio. Audiences here will decide whether “The Odyssey” lives up to its hype, even without the magic of 70mm analog.

Perhaps one day, if demand grows and investment follows, the Philippines could host its own IMAX 70mm theater. Until then, the jokes about Gateway and Cinema 76 remind us to laugh at the gap and appreciate our local scene.

Because in the end, whether it’s 70mm film, digital laser, or a tablet at home, Filipinos will continue to love watching films.

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