What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 27th October 2016.

The heavily hyped, highly anticipated next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is released this week in the form of 'Doctor Strange' as Previewed below. Representing the 14th film in the MCU, the good Doctor is a lesser known character in the rapidly expanding portfolio of Marvel superheroes to get the big screen treatment as the MCU enters its third stage which launched with the hugely successful 'Captain America : Civil War' earlier this year. Stephen Vincent Strange - world acclaimed neurosurgeon - first appeared in Marvel's Comic Books back in July 1963 created by artist and conceptualist Steve Ditko with the storyline coming from Stan Lee. Since then there have been a long line of comic books, novels, video games, cross-over animated television series and a few films including a 1978 live action film titled 'Dr. Strange' with Peter Hooten in the lead role, the animated direct to DVD 'Doctor Strange : The Sorcerer Supreme' in 2007, and a brief cameo in the 2010 animated 'Planet Hulk'. Now in 2016, after a gestation period that commenced in 1986 when a movie adaptation went into pre-production and then faltered, various Writers including David S. Goyer, Alex Cox and Wes Craven coming and going over subsequent years, and as Studios came and went, finally Scott Derrickson scored the gig to Direct. As a self-confessed fan of the mystic superhero since childhood, he had his mind set on just one Actor to play the lead role - Benedict Cumberbatch. After this outing, we'll see Cumberbatch reprising his role as Doctor Strange in 'Avengers : Infinity War' due in May 2018.

This week there are just three new cinema releases coming to an Odeon near you, but each have been critically acclaimed and therefore merit your strongest consideration when pondering what to see on the big screen in the week ahead. We kick off with the latest offering from your favourite cinematic universe that has already yielded thirteen films of superhero goodness, with this fourteenth introducing us to a new lesser known character who learns to fight mystical threats against our humble world using newly acquired metaphysical powers and a higher learning. We then move to rural Texas and a modern day game of cops and robbers in the mid-West that brings a couple of young guns up against an old hand Ranger and his trusted pardner. The week then wraps up with a French foreign language film about rape, female empowerment and revenge from a Director not too concerned about courting controversy.

As always, remember to share your views and observations with your like minded readers here, by leaving your Comment below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear form you, and in the meantime, enjoy your film.

'DOCTOR STRANGE' (Rated M) - the fourteenth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is upon us in the guise of one Doctor Stephen Strange, a lesser known character in the comic canon, but one nonetheless who has carved out a niche following and who has been around since being created by artist Steve Ditko in 1963, with Stan Lee penning the mystical mind bending story. Made for US$165M, the early Reviews of 'Doctor Strange' have been very positive, with Marvel looking as though they have backed another winner, with Scott Derrickson in the Director's Chair and also taking a Screenplay and Story credit, and Benedict Cumberbatch playing the title role ably supported by a strong cast.

And so Doctor Stephen Strange is a world acclaimed neurosurgeon - both brilliant and egotistical. When a car accident robs him of the use of both hands and therefore his ability to perform surgery he scales the globe seeking a cure that will repair and restore the use of his hands. When this doesn't eventuate and he has lost his way in life and used up all of his accumulated wealth, he comes across 'The Ancient One' (Tilda Swinton) in a mysterious mountain enclave known as the Kamar-Taj located in the Himalayas. Here The Ancient One shows him what might be and what he is capable of, and he also learns that those others of the enclave represent the front line of defence against dark forces intent of destroying reality. 'Through the mystic arts we harness energy to shape reality' she tells him. It's not long before Strange is caught between the world he once knew, and giving that all up to defend the world against mystical threats as an all powerful sorcerer using his new found metaphysical abilities. Also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Benjamin Bratt, Benedict Wong and Rachel McAdams.

'HELL OR HIGH WATER' (Rated MA15+) - released Stateside in mid-August having Premiered at Cannes in May this year, and only now reaching Australian shores, this film has already received high praise from the critics and has made US$30M from its US$12M budget. Directed by David Mackenzie this modern day Western crime thriller tells the story of two brothers, Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby Howard (Chris Pine) whose mother has recently died, leaving the family farm in West Texas facing foreclosure if the mortgage isn't paid off imminently. Needing to raise some fast cash to pay off the loan to secure the house and farm, and set themselves up, the two brothers embark on a spree of local bank robberies on the Texas Midlands Bank. What they don't count on though is that local wise, grizzled and fast approaching retirement Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his partner in law enforcement Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are hot on their tails and closing in. This cops and robbers saga plays out until the final showdown, when Ranger Marcus Hamilton just might prove that in fact this is a country for old men!

'ELLE' (Rated MA15+) - this French foreign language film is Directed by Paul Verhoeven in his first feature film outing in ten years and his first in French. The film Premiered in competition at Cannes earlier this year and it has been chosen as the French entry into the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards in February 2017. The film has been critically acclaimed. Telling the story of hard as nails high flying corporate Chief Executive Officer of a Paris based video game production company, Michele LeBlanc (Isabelle Huppert) who lives her love life as tough and as ruthless as her business life. Until that is, one day she is raped in her own home by an unknown assailant, which changes her life forever. When Michele, determined to track down her attacker, finally does so, what begins is a cat and mouse game of violent sexual encounters that could escalate out of control at any time, but which nonetheless she appears to be aroused by - or is this just part of her plan to exact revenge on the perpetrator?

Three highly acclaimed films then to choose from this coming week that give you ample excuses to get out to your local Odeon at least once over the next seven days. When you have done so, share a Comment with us and let us know what you thought of you movie going experience. In the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-