JURASSIC WORLD : FALLEN KINGDOM - Wednesday 27th June 2018.

'JURASSIC WORLD : FALLEN KINGDOM' which I saw this week is another much hyped highly anticipated sequel coming to our big screens in the form of this follow up offering to 2015's hugely successful 'Jurassic World' and the fifth instalment in the 'Jurassic Park' series. This film is intended to be the second in a planned trilogy of films, with the third due for release in June 2021, with Colin Trevorrow set to return to Directing duty. 'Jurassic World' made US$1.67B at the Global Box Office off the back of a US$150M Budget and making it the fifth highest grossing film of all time and the most financially successful in the franchise so far. Colin Trevorrow Co-Wrote and Directed the 2015 film, and this time he returns as Co-Writer and Executive Producer alongside Steven Spielberg, giving away the Directorial duties to J.A. Bayona whose previous Directing credits include 'The Orphanage', 'The Impossible' and 'A Monster Calls'. The principle cast reprise their roles, and the film was released in the US last week too. Off the back of a US$170M Budget, the film has so far grossed US$809M, and has received mixed Critical Reviews although Chris Pratt's performance, the Direction, the visuals and some of the darker moments have been worthy of praise.

Set three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park on Isla Nublar off Central America's Pacific Coast, the escaped dinosaur's have roamed freely, until now when their very existence is threatened by an impending volcanic eruption that is likely within the very near future to destroy their island sanctuary. As the film opens we see an underwater two man submarine manoeuvring in close proximity to the skeletal remains of the Indominus rex resting at the bottom of the former Jurassic World lagoon. They send out an circular saw on the end of an extended mechanical arm and remove a section of bone, and send it instantly to the surface to be retrieved by a helicopter crew, in the obligatory pouring rain.

Meanwhile in Washington, a Senate Committee debates with Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) whether the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar should be saved or allowed to perish in the pending volcanic eruption, which is likely to consume the whole island. Malcolm believes it should be the latter course of action to correct John Hammond's error of judgement in cloning the dinosaurs over twenty years ago. In the intervening period the former Operations Manager of Jurassic World, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) has established the Dinosaur Protection Group in an attempt to save the dinosaurs from extinction. The Senate ultimately decides against the dinosaurs, which prompts John Hammond's former partner Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) to contact Dearing. Shortly afterwards, Dearing meets with Lockwood and his business associate Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) at his upstate Californian country mansion.

Lockwood is an ill man, confined to a wheelchair, has 24/7 aid at home, care of Iris (Geraldine Chaplin), and has entrusted Mills with pushing Lockwood’s fortune into the future and making it survive after he dies. Mills and Lockwood announce to Dearing that they have plans to relocate as many dinosaurs off Isla Nublar to a new island sanctuary where they will be safe, can roam free and where no tourists will be allowed to tread. Mills however, raised a concern about locating 'Blue' the last surviving Velociraptor. However, Dearing knows exactly the man for the job - one Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) the former Velociraptor trainer and handler from Jurassic World, and with whom she shared an emotional bond back then, but which has since cooled off considerably.

The rescue team comprising Dearing, Grady, Dr. Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) - a paleoveterinarian, and Franklin Webb (Justice Smith) - an IT systems analyst and hacker, arrive on Isla Nublar and are greeted by Ken Wheatly (Ted Levine) a seasoned mercenary who heads up the dinosaur rescue mission on the island (for a significant fee!). Grady, Rodriguez, Wheatly and the merry band of gun totting mercenaries head off in search of Blue, using the parks tracking system which has been rebooted by Webb. Owen, alone, tracks down Blue, and as the two are about to become reacquainted, a mercenary fires and shoots Blue, leading Wheatley to shoot Grady with a tranquilliser dart. Blue is boxed up and Rodriguez is tasked with saving its life. Grady is left on the ground where he fell.

Grady comes around just as molten red glowing lava steadily creeps up on him devouring the forest where he lay. Grady, with half the island dinosaur population, burst out of the forest as the volcano erupts spewing out billowing smoke, ash, lava and molten boulders all around them. He reunites with Dearing and Webb who have narrowly escaped an attack by a Baryonyx, and end up falling over a steep cliff into the ocean below to escape the destructive eruption. The three survive and are washed up on the shoreline, to see helicopters flying over head carrying their precious cargo of captured dinosaurs to be loaded on a waiting freight ship. The three board an abandoned truck and drive it onto the departing ship, to witness behind them the volcano destroy the island in a ball of fire, gas and smoke.

At the Lockwood mansion, his young granddaughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon) overhears a conversation in which Mills is discussing with auctioneer Gunnar Eversol (Toby Jones) his plans to secretly host an auction at the estate to sell off the collected dinosaurs each to the highest bidder, irrespective of what the bidders intentions are. In addition, Mills also raises introducing the Indoraptor, a genetically-engineered new breed of dinosaur created by former geneticist of both Jurassic World and Jurassic Park, Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) by using the DNA of the Indominus rex and a Velociraptor to ultimately weaponise it. Maisie tells Lockwood of Mills' plans, and in turn Lockwood confronts Mills saying that he is none too pleased and that he should call the Police to alert them. At that Mills smothers Lockwood with a cushion and kills him.

The dinosaurs are moved into the mansion, in individual cages in readiness for displaying in the auction room and the gathered multimillionaires from around the world. Rodriguez is back at the mansion, under duress overseeing the recovery of Blue. She is freed by Webb, who also releases Blue from its cage. Grady and Dearing are held in a cage while the auction gets underway. They manage to escape with the help of a head butting dinosaur in the neighbouring cage.

The pair find Maisie who lead them to a window overlooking the auction room, just as bidding on the Indoraptor ramps up to US$28M. With the help of his new head butting dinosaur friend, Grady disrupts the auction proceedings sending it in to chaos with bodies flying asunder. After the fracas has died down Wheatly enters the auction room and fires two tranquillisers into the Indoraptor. He then gingerly enters the cage, with the aim of extracting a trophy tooth to add to his growing collection of dinosaur molars. However, the Indoraptor is no ordinary dinosaur - it has intelligence and wits and comes around from its mock unconscious state and promptly rips off Wheatly's arm, before tearing him to shreds. It then exits thorough the opened cage door having munched on Eversol, and promptly attacks and kills various others.

The Indoraptor goes on the rampage tearing up the inside of the mansion while seeking out Grady, Dearing and youngster Maisie. Maisie runs off trying to divert the Indoraptor's attention, and promptly retreats to the sanctity of her bedroom, and hides under the bed covers, hoping the killer dinosaur won't spot her ruse.

Needless to say she under estimates the intellect of this beast who comes after her. Blue meanwhile, having been released by Rodriguez, tracks down the Indoraptor inside Maisie's bedroom and a fight breaks out, during which time Maisie and Grady escape through the bedroom window out onto a ledge. The duelling dinosaurs crash out onto the roof of the mansion, in the pouring rain once again sending them flailing in opposite directions. The Indoraptor is more sure footed and is hot on the heels of Grady and Maisie who have no where left to run, until Dearing appears followed by Blue. On the glass roof directly above Lockhart's dinosaur museum Blue and the Indoraptor fight it out, until the roof gives way and in falls the Indoraptor, impaling itself on the skeletal remains of a Triceratops skull.

Back inside the mansion when the dust has settled, Rodriguez alerts Grady and Dearing that a hydrogen cyanide tank has been ruptured and is leaking toxic gas, as a result of an earlier explosion when the proverbial brown stuff hit the fan when the Indoraptor was running amok. Furthermore the extraction system was down, meaning that all the caged dinosaurs would soon perish. Dearing has her hand hovering over an emergency override button that will open the huge doors and allow the dinosaurs to escape to freedom, but upon Grady's advice she can't bring herself to press the door release button, for fear of what dinosaurs walking amongst us in America's back yard would do to civilisation as we know it. The alternative is to let all the dinosaurs perish, and return Earth to normalcy without letting it slip back to the Jurassic age.

So instead, not wishing to allow the dinosaurs to become extinct once again, Maisie hits that button, the doors open, and out into the cool night air escape the dinosaurs. Mills does a bolt with the remains of the Indominus rex bone sample and is promptly trampled underfoot by a stampede of dinosaurs and is then ripped in two and devoured by a passing T-Rex and Carnotaurus. Grady and Dearing leave the estate with Maisie, after bidding farewell to Blue, who runs off into the surrounding forest under cover of night time with the other dinosaurs to roam far and wide and turn up in the most unexpected places.

In a further US Senate hearing, Dr. Malcolm advises that humans and dinosaurs now have no alternative but to learn to co-exist. Watch out for the post-credits sequence, which really adds nothing that you hadn't already worked out, but adds a teaser of sorts to the next instalment.

I enjoyed 'Jurassic World : Fallen Kingdom' but not as much as the first instalment in this rebooted series of the franchise. For me, this offering really adds little new to the storyline that we haven't already seen before. Here Isla Nublar is destroyed in hails of fire and brimstone, and in 'Jurassic Park II and III' the action takes place largely on a neighbouring island of Isla Sorna after the annihilation of the original theme park. Also, we've seen T-Rex rampaging through downtown USA in San Diego towards the final set piece of 'Jurassic Park II', and here we are again, with the dino menace let loose in upstate California. That said, this is an enjoyable, fun, fairly mindless yet  well crafted enough follow up that demonstrates Bayona's skill at the visual art, eking enough of a coherent story to captivate the interest for two hours of run time and continuing the story arc even if a tad over zealously. At times suspenseful, at times humorous and even a little Gothic, and occasionally gory, but where else can this go now, other than seeing how dinosaurs interact with their human co-habitors, and I guess we know its going to end badly for one species. Well audiences have chipped in over US$800M so far making this film the third highest grossing film of 2018 to date, so it can't be all bad. Catch this dino creature feature on the big screen while you can.

'Jurassic World : Fallen Kingdom' merits three claps of the clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 28th June 2018.

The 65th Sydney Film Festival may have closed its doors recently on 17th June on another year of showcasing the finest in filmed entertainment from around the world, but one final item of news worthy coverage are the winners of the 'Audience Awards - Features and Documentaries'. As voted by the cinema going public who sat through a film presentation at the SFF and were able to cast their vote electronically immediately afterwards, these awards are perhaps the most noteworthy as they are voted by a real audience who can make or break a film's release with its critical analysis and Box Office receipts.

Congratulations to the winners of the Audience Awards – Features :
* 'THE INSULT' at #1: a Lebanese drama film directed by Ziad Doueiri and Co-Written by him too, and tells the story of a minor incident between a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian refugee that turns into an explosive trial that ends up dividing the two communities. The film has eight award wins and another fourteen nominations including an Oscar nod as Best Foreign Language Film at this years Academy Awards.
* 'SEARCHING' at #2 : an American psychological mystery thriller Directed by Aneesh Chaganty. The film is shot from the point-of-view of smartphones and computer screens, and tells the story about a father trying to find his missing 16-year-old daughter, and stars John Cho and Debra Messing.
* 'RAFIKI' at #3 : Directed by Kenyan Wanuri Kahlu this story here surrounds two Kenyan girls set to become two Kenyan wives, but Kena and Ziki long for more in their lives. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between their own personal happiness, or playing it safe by falling into a life of domesticity, children and acceptance. This film was Kenya's first entry into the Cannes Film Festival this year, and is banned in its native country.
* 'AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL' at #4 : Directed by Chinese Hu Bo who took his own life before the film was released. Running at almost four hours, the film takes a deep dive into the lives of four protagonists; each in a terrible situation and each inter-connected in some way. A young man severely injures a school bully after pushing him down a staircase. His classmate, neglected by her mother, is having an unfortunate affair with a school teacher. A man witnesses and is tormented by a suicide, while an elderly man is being forced into a home by his son. These four damaged people set their sights on the city of Manzhouli, in Inner Mongolia, where the eponymous elephant sits still.
* 'LEAVE NO TRACE' at joint 5th: this American drama film is Directed by Debra Granik. A father and thirteen year old daughter (Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie) live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful urban nature reserve near Portland, Oregon. They rarely have any contact with the world, but when a small mistake tips them off to authorities, they are sent on an increasingly erratic journey that will change their lives forever.

* 'AGA' at joint 5th : Directed by Bulgarian Milko Lazarov whose story here centres around an isolated couple living in the snowy Northern Wilderness of the Arctic - one of the coldest places on Earth. Nanook and Sedna live isolated from the rest of humanity and each day for them is a difficult one, as their traditional way of life erodes, the environment becomes more and more unpredictable and they yearn for their estranged daughter Aga, to return home having left to work in a diamond mine.

Congratulations to the winners of the Audience Awards - Documentaries :
* 'BACKTRACK BOYS' at #1 : this Australian Doco by Director, Producer and Cinematographer Catherine Scott was made over a two year period and charts the unfolding story of three young Aussie lads who are on a rocky path towards jail until they meet a rule-breaking rough talking jackaroo named Bernie Shakeshaft who runs a youth training programme from a shed on the outskirts of Armidale, New South Wales. When everyone else has all but given up on troubled kids like Zach, Alfie and Rusty, they head to BackTrack. It’s a place where they can feel safe and continue their education, but most importantly, it’s where they learn to support each other and reach for their dreams, and it's where they join his legendary dog jumping team. This was followed up closely behind by 'TEACH A MAN TO FISH' at #2; 'I USED TO BE NORMAL : A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY' at #3; 'OYSTER' at #4 and  'JILL BILCOCK : DANCING THE INVISIBLE' at #5. For more details on all the awards given out at the SFF, and a brief synopsis of these films, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sff.org.au/

Turning attention to this week and we have four hot new release movies coming to an Odeon near you. We begin with a sequel to an acclaimed Mexican drug cartel story that was released three years ago, and this film reprises the roles of the two principal cast members who must team up once more to thwart an all out drug war on the US border with Mexico. Prepare for another gritty no holds barred all guns blazing drama. We then to move to the high seas and the tale of survival of two sailors aboard their stricken yacht after the mother of all hurricanes disables their boat. Stranded mid-ocean, injured and without a mast, what is a girl to do? Next up is a French foreign language film about a hard partying A-lister play boy who suddenly has a baby daughter thrust upon him that he never knew he had. What could possible go wrong? We wrap up the week with the third instalment in this animated feature film series that sees a mixed bunch of monsters taking a well earned holiday aboard a cruise ship - what's not to like about that prospect?

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'SICARIO 2 : SOLDADO' (Rated MA15+) - this is the follow up film to 2015's Critically acclaimed 'Sicario' as Directed by Denis Villeneuve and Written by Taylor Sheridan and starring Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin, with Emily Blunt about a principled FBI agent who is enlisted by a government task force to bring down the leader of a powerful and violent Mexican drug cartel. That film cost US$30M to make and raked in US$85M at the global Box Office and picked up fifteen award wins and a further 153 nominations including three Oscar nods, three BAFTA nods and two AACTA nods. Now three short years later, we have this follow up action crime thriller Directed by Italian film maker Stefano Sollima and once again written by Taylor Sheridan with Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin reprising their roles. The film goes on wide release in the US this week too.

The plot follows the drug war at the US and Mexican border as it has elevated to the point where the cartels have begun smuggling Sicario terrorists, forcing the CIA's Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to once again team up with ex-hitman and undercover operative Alejandro Gallic (Benicio del Toro) to eliminate the problem. The pair kidnap Isabela Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of a drug lord, in a covert operation designed to incite war between rival cartels, but the mission goes south when it is rumbled by the Mexican authorities, prompting Graver to order Reyes' death. When Gillick refuses, he turns rogue to protect her as Graver assembles a new team to hunt them both down. Also starring Jeffrey Donovan, Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

'ADRIFT' (Rated M) - this American romantic drama film is set on the high seas and is Directed and Co-Produced by Icelandic film and theatre Director, Producer and occasional Actor Baltasar Kormakur, whose previous Directorial efforts include 'Contraband', '2 Guns' and 'Everest'. Here he tells the true story based on Tami Oldham's 1998 book 'Red Sky in Mourning : A True Story of Love, Loss and Survival at Sea' in which two experienced sailors Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) embark on a four thousand mile journey to deliver a 44 foot yacht, The Hazana, from Tahiti to San Diego in 1983. The pair sailed directly into Hurricane Raymond, and whilst the boat survived, in the aftermath of the storm Tami comes round to find Richard badly injured, the boat is without a mast, their radio is down and they are drifting somewhere mid-Pacific Ocean. She has to muster all her wits to find a way to save them both, and get to the nearest port of call, Hawaii. The film cost a budgeted US$35M, has so far recouped US$32M, went on general release in the US on 1st June and has received generally mixed or average Reviews, although Woodley's performance has been praised, as has the Director's visuals.

'TWO IS A FAMILY' (Rated M) - here French Director, Producer, Writer and occasional Actor Hugo Gelin delivers us a remake of an original Mexican film titled 'Instructions Not Included' that was released in 2013. Now five years hence he brings us this European comedy drama version that was first released in its native France way back in December 2016, and only now gets a limited theatrical run in Australia. Starring Omar Sy as Samuel, a hard partying Francophile living the A-list sun drenched dream down Marseille way only to be woken one fine day by his former lover Kristin (Clemence Poesy) carrying a infant baby that she claims is his. She promptly drives off in the opposite direction at a rapid rate of knots leaving Samuel with the wailing baby Gloria in tow. Practically incapable of looking after a baby, Samuel rushes to England in an attempt to return the child to her mother, without any luck needless to say. He stays in London and, after finding work as a television stuntman, the father daughter relationship gradually begins to blossom. When Kristin eventually reappears, Gloria (Gloria Colston) has matured into a bright and bubbly eight year old … and the inseparable father-daughter team find their bond tested.

'HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 : MONSTER VACATION' (Rated PG) - aka 'Hotel Transylvania 3 : Summer Vacation' here sees the third instalment in this animated franchise that for the first two films in this series grossed US$821M off the back of a US$165M budget investment, making a third film almost a no brainer I guess! Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, this film features an all star voice cast and sets off a few months after the events of the previous film. The story here centres around  Dracula (Adam Sandler), Mavis (Selena Gomez), Johnny (Andy Samberg), and the rest of their family, both human and monster, and friends as they take a well earned vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship. Dracula however, becomes attracted to the ship's mysterious captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), but what he doesn't know is that Erika is secretly the Great-Granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan), the infamous monster slayer and Dracula's ancient nemesis. Now it is time for Mavis to step up to the 'Drac Pack' and rally up family, friends and those significant others so they can stop Erika and save Dracula, before it's too late. Also starring the voice talents of Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Fran Drescher, Mel Brooks, and Keegan-Michael Key. The film cost US$65M to bring to the big screen.

With four new release films out this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. Meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

INCREDIBLES 2 : Tuesday 19th June 2018.

'INCREDIBLES 2' which I saw in a packed out theatre earlier this week finally hits our big screens after a hiatus of fourteen years. Now comes the long awaited sequel to 2004's 'The Incredibles' - that highly praised computer animated Superhero film from Pixar that took US$633M at the global Box Office and picked up two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing, as well as the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature and the first entirely animated film to win the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Brad Bird wrote and Directed the first film, and it's no surprise that he reprises those two earlier roles for this second instalment, as do the majority of the principle voice cast. The film was released in the US last week too, cost US$200M to make and has so far raked in US$329M at the global Box Office, and has received generally favourable Reviews, with Critics praising the quality of the animation, and the sense of humour the film instills.

'Incredibles 2' takes off immediately where 'The Incredibles' finished, with the introduction of the mole like villain The Underminer (John Ratzenberger) attempting to rob the Metroville Bank, in which he is partially successful. His plans are however, thwarted by the Parr family on the spot, who with their combined super powers overcome the mole like mechanical digging machine and prevent a much bigger catastrophe. But alas, they are promptly arrested for causing too much damage to whole city blocks in the process. As a result, Agent Rick Dicker (Jonathan Banks) advises the Parr's that the 'Super Relocation' programme, of which the are a part, is being mothballed, forcing Supers, just like them, across the world to uphold their undercover identities for good, and to learn to adjust once and for all. There is nothing more that Dicker can do for them, except grant them temporary accommodation in a motel somewhere.

In the days that follow holed up in their motel room eating takeout and going stir crazy, Bob Parr, aka Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and wife Helen, aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) together with good friend Lucius Best, aka Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are contacted by Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) a big fan and advocate of Super heroes, who also happens to own a hugely successful telecommunications company named 'Devtech'. He plans a makeover of Supers to promote them in the best possible light so regaining public trust, admiration and support to overthrow governmental decisions around the globe to exile Supers.

Helen, is considered the least destructive of the Super family and the most level headed, and so she is chosen by Deavor for a publicity stunt to set the wheels in motion to begin regaining the confidence of the people. She is dispatched to New Urbem under her alter ego Elastigirl to openly fight crime on the streets wearing a camera to record her every move and those criminals halted in their tracks.

So Bob reluctantly has to play the stay at home Dad, offering to look after the kids Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile and Nicholas Bird) whilst Helen is out there being Super. During her time on the streets of New Urbem, she witnesses the launch of a new high speed rail system with the unveiling the subject of much pomp & ceremony. When the train is set to take its maiden journey, it slips into reverse and gradually accelerates away at a rapid rate of knots getting out of control very quickly. It's Elastigirl to the rescue and she successfully thwarts a disaster, with all the cameras flashing and her image beamed around the world on the news channels.

Deavor has meanwhile allowed the Parr's to reside in one of his luxury homes on the outskirts of town fitted out with all the mod-cons, gizmo's and gadgets to make their stay as comfortable as possible. During Helen's absence, Bob tries to settle into a routine with the kids, but comes to the realisation that baby Jack-Jack has super powers all of his own - a fact that he struggles with initially coming to terms with, and controlling, when these at first manifest themselves in various situations. This causes Bob numerous sleepless nights from which he is becoming increasingly agitated, temperamental and lacking in patience.

Seeking some support and solace from the very demanding Jack-Jack whose various super powers require almost constant monitoring, Bob goes to see Edna Mode (Brad Bird). A long time close family friend and Super costume designer, Edna is at first very reluctant to baby sit the young toddler, but soon comes round when she witnesses the little tykes powers for herself. In the meantime, Helen has uncovered the evil enemy behind the earlier train incident that caused the driver to fall into a catatonic state at the controls. Screenslaver (Bill Wise) is a mystery criminal who controls computer and television screens to project hypnotic imagery that almost instantly brainwashes those looking on.

In an incident involving a high ranking government official known as the Ambassador (Isabella Rossellini) who supports the legalisation of Supers, in which her fleet of helicopters is overtaken remotely by Screenslaver's nefarious antics. With Elastigirl to the rescue once more, Screenslaver is thwarted and unmasked only to reveal a humble pizza delivery lad who had no recollection of how he came to be. At a subsequent party at Devtech's HQ to celebrate Screenslaver's defeat, Helen siddles away into a separate room and looks at video footage filmed from her hidden suit camera. This reveals an anomaly in that the pizza delivery guy was being controlled by hypno-goggles. At this point Evelyn Deavor (Catherine Keener) the sister of Winston and the inventive one in the family reveals herself to be the Screenslaver, and forces a pair of hypno-goggles onto Helen, so controlling her.

Evelyn sees the Supers as a threat to all humanity and is Hell bent on seeing to it that the are never legalised. So she took it upon herself to sabotage her brothers mission and has plans to brainwash the leaders of the world by exposing them to her controlling hypnotic imagery so that they do not pass the legislation making Super's legal. Ultimately, both Bob and Lucius are coaxed into a trap and fitted each with hypno-goggles, so controlling them too. Meanwhile, various other Super's who have all come out of the woodwork thanks to Winston's PR campaign success and Elastigirl being in the news for all the right reasons, have also been subjected to Screenslaver's controlling powers.

Meanwhile, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack have all been suited and booted by Edna Mode with new super outfits. Keen to avoid the same fate as their parents, the three of them lurch to the rescue attempting to secretly board Deavor's luxury ocean going liner on which are gathered many world leaders for a hearing on reinstating the legality of the Supers. On board, the Screenslaver, who has Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone all under her control are forced to give a negative address to paint them negatively in front of the worlds watching media. However, the kids get in there soon afterwards  and free up Mum and Dad Parr and Frozone from those pesky controlling hypno-goggles, and a fight breaks out. As control of the luxury liner has been lost and it is on a collision course for New Urbem, its the dynamic trio once again to the rescue to prevent disaster. Mr. Incredible has to turn the giant rudder underwater to divert the ship, Frozone has to make a course of ice to prevent the ship from reaching land, and Elastigirl is off to capture Evelyn who thinks she's getting away. In the aftermath, Evelyn is arrested and carted away in the back of a patrol car, and Super's are legalised and legitimised, and the world is a better, safer place for it!

I enjoyed 'Incredibles 2', but not as much as the first instalment, but was it worth the fourteen year wait between instalments - yes definitely! The main characters are familiar now and maturing, and the role reversal between Helen and Bob gives rise to some moments of genuine humour, and in this time of the 'MeToo' movement seems aptly current and not out of place. What I did question however, was why give baby Jack-Jack seventeen different super powers when the rest of the family have to settle with just one or two each. Clearly little ol' Jack-Jack is something very special, and the world had better watch out when he grows up! The quality of the animation is top notch, creative and faultless with breathtaking scenes where the action ramps up, or it is seen simply in the level of detail in every frame. In this age of Marvel and DC Superhero movies bombarding our big screens several times every year, its great to see a refreshing grounded Superhero offering about the average family next door harbouring super powers aplenty while hiding in plain sight. Pixar have done it again, with another follow up to add to their already burgeoning canon of animated classics. A film for kids of all ages, young and young at heart!

This film is worthy of four claps of the clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 21st June 2018.

On Sunday evening 17th June, the 65th Sydney Film Festival drew to a close with its screening of American drama comedy 'Hearts Beat Loud' as Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Brett Haley and starring Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Toni Collette and Ted Danson. The film tells the story of an old school Brooklyn record store owner and his daughter, who become overnight sensations on the Internet when a song they recorded together goes viral. The film Premiered at Sundance in January this year, went on release in the US earlier this month, and saw its Australian Premier at the Sydney Film Festival.

In other breaking SFF news, the winner of the AU$60,000 Sydney Film Prize, announced at the festival's closing ceremony, is the same-sex drama 'The Heiresses' ('Las Herederas') the first feature film by Paraguayan filmmaker Marcelo Martinessi. Set in Asuncion, Paraguay's capital city, this story centres around down on their luck and their fortunes socialite Chela (Ana Brun) as she adjusts to a new, more impoverished reality after her life partner of thirty years Chiquita (Margarita Irun) is imprisoned for fraud. After falling into work almost by accident, as a taxi driver for her elderly and wealthy neighbours, Chela meets Angy (Ana Ivanova), a younger woman who awakens her desire and her sense of adventure to live her life to the full. Martinessi is reported as saying 'I grew up in a world shaped by women: mother, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, ladies in the neighbourhood. I wanted my first feature to get into that female universe'.

The 2018 Sydney Film Prize was awarded by a five-person jury chaired by Australian artist and filmmaker Lynette Wallworth, and featuring fellow Australian Actor Ewen Leslie, Filipino Producer and Writer Bianca Balbuena, South African film composer and songwriter Chris Letcher, and Tokyo Film Festival program director Yoshi Yatabe. This Prize is awarded each year to the most 'audacious, cutting-edge and courageous film' in Sydney Film Festival's official competition. For the complete wrap-up you can go to : https://www.sff.org.au/

Turning attention to the week ahead, there are five new films coming to your local Odeon. We launch with the fifth instalment in this hugely popular and successful modern day dinosaur franchise that saw a reboot three years ago that smashed Box Office records and propelled that film into the Top Five of all time - will this second film in a planned trilogy have equal success? Only you can make that happen! We then move to a comedy about a gay male couple whose life is turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of a young grandson. Next up is an Aussie dark comedy about two brothers wanting to rid themselves of their stepdad in a well planned murder plot that doesn't go off quite as well in the execution. We then turn to a hiking adventure offering with an octogenarian widow setting herself the challenge to climb a Scottish mountain in memory of her father. And then we conclude with an acclaimed Israeli film about the futility and boredom of war from the standpoint of four soldiers manning a desolate and remote desert outpost.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here warmly invited to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'JURASSIC WORLD : FALLEN KINGDOM' (Rated M) - and so another much hyped highly anticipated sequel marks its return to the big screen in the form of this follow up offering to 2015's hugely successful 'Jurassic World' and the fifth instalment in the 'Jurassic Park' series. This film is intended to be the second in a planned trilogy of films, with the third due for release in June 2021. 'Jurassic World' made US$1.67B at the Global Box Office off the back of a US$150M Budget and making it the fifth highest grossing film of all time and the most financially successful in the franchise so far. Colin Trevorrow Co-Wrote and Directed the 2015 film, and this time he returns as Co-Writer and Executive Producer alongside Steven Spielberg, giving away the Directorial duties to J.A. Bayona whose previous Directing credits include 'The Orphanage', 'The Impossible' and 'A Monster Calls'. The principle cast reprise their roles, and the film is released in the US this week too.

Set three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park on Isla Nublar off Central America's Pacific Coast, the escaped dinosaur's have roamed freely, until now when their very existence is threatened by an impending volcanic eruption that may destroy their island sanctuary. Former Jurassic World Operations Manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) forms a dinosaur rescue organisation - The Dinosaur Protection Group and teams up with Sir Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), the former partner of John Hammond, to bring the creatures to an estate  sanctuary in America, joined by Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) a former dinosaur trainer at Jurassic World and the love interest of Claire Dearing. Having successfully rescued many dinosaurs before the island erupts in a ball of fire and brimstone, Claire and Owen are on the receiving end of betrayal when they discover that the dinosaurs are being auctioned off at Lockwood's Estate. But a more immediate threat looms large when a dangerous and intelligent hybrid dinosaur escapes and begins to reign down death and destruction on the Estate and potentially the much wider community. Also starring Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, B.D. Wong, Geraldine Chaplin and Jeff Goldblum.

'IDEAL HOME' (Rated M) - here we have an American comedy drama offering Written and Directed by Andrew Fleming who has helmed numerous film and television series episodes over the years including features 'The Craft', 'Dick', 'The In-Laws', 'Nancy Drew' and 'Barefoot' amongst others. The film saw its World Premier screening as Sydney's Mardi Gras Film Festival back in February this year, is released this week in Australia and next week Stateside. The film tells of gay couple Paul (Paul Rudd) and Erasmus Brumble (Steve Coogan) whose life is turned upside down and inside out when unexpectedly a ten year old lad comes a knocking on their door claiming to be the grandson of Erasmus. But neither Erasmus as a TV Chef, nor Paul as his TV show Director, are quite prepared to give up the lifestyle they have become accustomed to in order to become full-time parents. But maybe this little lad has a thing or two that he can teach the oldies about the value of family and the need to belong. Jack Gore stars as Bill Brumble, the estranged Grandson of Erasmus, with Alison Pill and Jake McDorman.

'BROTHERS' NEST' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian black comedy offering is Directed, Co-Produced and stars Clayton Jacobson, the brother of Aussie film star and television personality Shane Jacobson, who also stars in this film. The two brothers last collaborated on the highly acclaimed 2006 Australian comedy 'Kenny' which propelled Shane Jacobson into the limelight, from which he has not been absent since. Here, two brothers Terry and Jeff (played by the two brothers Shane and Clayton respectively) have hatched a plan with meticulous detail to dispense with their stepfather Roger (Kym Gyngell). One cold Victorian morning the pair arrive at their family home with plans to make the murder look as though it was a suicide. Their motive, to get their mother (Lynette Curran) to change her Will in their favour. However, what they don't plan on is the repercussions of spending a whole day together under the same roof when the brothers personalities clash with varying views of the world, old grudges come to the surface and their troubled past is reignited. Also starring Sarah Snook.

'EDIE' (Rated M) - this film Premiered at the June 2017 Edinburgh International Film Festival, and has since gone on a very limited release winding up Down Under only now. Directed by Scottish Writer, Director and occasional Actor, Simon Hunter who's previous feature length credits are the 1999 horror thriller 'Lighthouse' and 2008's Sci-Fi actioner 'Mutant Chronicles' here he has a very different change of pace with this offering. The film tells the story of 83 year old Edith Moore aka Edie (played by 85 year old Sheila Hancock) who as the film opens has just bid farewell to her difficult and controlling husband George (Donald Pelmear) who we learn was incapacitated by a stroke three decades or so before. Edie's daughter Nancy (Wendy Morgan) wants to check her mother into a care facility, but octogenarian Edie has different plans given her new found independence. In her possibly last hurrah, Edie decides to climb Scotland's Mount Suilven having remembered her fathers wish to scale the fabled peak all those decades ago, but due to her husbands ill health, she was never able to accomplish, until now. She boards a train bound for the Highlands, armed with an old stove and an even older pair of gum boots and so her adventure begins. En route she meets the owner of a local camping shop Jonny (Kevin Guthrie) who  agrees to lend her assistance on her journey, from which they both have new experiences and learnings. The film has received generally positive Reviews.

'FOXTROT' (Rated MA15+) - this Hebrew language Israeli film has been widely acclaimed having picked up sixteen award wins and another fourteen nominations from around the festival circuit including three wins, one of which was the Silver Lion at last years Venice Film Festival. It was also entered into the Academy Awards this year as a Best Foreign Language Film contender but was never nominated. Written and Directed by Israeli Samuel Maoz the film opens up with Michael and Dafna Feldmann (Lior Ashkenazi and Sarah Adler respectively), an affluent Tel Aviv couple, learning that their son, Jonathan, a soldier in the Israeli Defence Force, has died in the line of duty.  The military authorities refuse to inform the distraught parents where and how Jonathan died, or if his body had been recovered. Several hours later, they are told in a matter-of-fact kind of way that there has been a mix-up, and that it was coincidentally some other Jonathan Feldman that had been killed. We then backtrack to follow Jonathan's experiences during his military service as one of four soldiers manning a desolate checkpoint under primitive conditions, with more camel traffic than human traffic to pass the time of day, until late one night, the soldiers kill four young Arabs travelling together after they mistake a beer can that fell out of their car for an explosive device.

With five new release films out this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. Meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HEREDITARY : Monday 11th June 2018.

'HEREDITARY' which I saw this week is a much publicised American supernatural horror film Written and Directed by first timer Ari Aster and it has been touted as the most scary film of 2018, and for some time before that too. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January and went on release in Australia and the US just last week, and the UK this week. The film has garnered generally widespread acclaim by the Critics of this world, but less favourably so by audiences. The film cost just US$10M to make, and in its opening weekend took close to US$14M, and has so far racked up US$22M. The film is Produced and distributed by A24 - the crew behind such notable horrors at 'The Witch', 'Green Room' and 'It Comes At Night'.

The story unwinds in a slow burn terrifying emotional rollercoaster of a ride when Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family passes away. We are first introduced to the Graham family in a very cleverly realised opening tracking shot of an elaborate miniature house under 'construction' inside a home studio. As the camera pans in on a bedroom inside the small yet very lifelike house and gets closer, we see a figure curled up inside a bed, asleep. Into the room walks Steve Graham (Gabriel Byrne) to wake up his son Peter (Alex Wolff), carrying a newly pressed suit that he is to wear today to the funeral, of his grandmother Ellen.

At the funeral, as Steve, Peter and younger sister Charlie (Milly Shapiro) sit in the pews, mother Annie (Toni Collette) delivers the eulogy. Annie has little good to say about her recently deceased mother, explaining that the pair had a fraught and at times tense relationship over the years that ebbed and flowed, that she was also a very secretive person with only a very close circle of friends, and had her own private rituals. After the service, the family of four return home - a large older style house that stands alone in its own grounds.

Annie is a miniature artist who builds tiny houses, buildings and furnishes them with ornate and intricately detailed items of everyday furniture and appliances and of course, custom made people. She is currently working on a special project for an exhibition, on which the deadline is approaching. A few days have passed and Steve receives a phone call from the funeral home saying that Ellen's grave has been desecrated. He chooses not to report this news to Annie, for fear that this will upset her further.

During that first week, Annie tells Steve that she is going out to catch a movie. Instead she rocks up to a support group for those that have suffered a recent heartbreaking death in the family or of someone close. She sits reluctantly largely unwilling to take part, but when asked, as a newcomer to the group, to share her experience, Annie opens up. Now that she's been invited to speak to the assembled group of about a dozen others she speaks of the history of mental illness on her side of the family, how her depressive father starved himself to death, how her schizophrenic brother accused her mother of trying to put people inside his body and eventually committed suicide, and how Ellen herself suffered from multiple personality disorder.

Later, Peter announces that he is going to a friends party and asks to use his Mum's car. On the condition that he doesn't drink, she agrees, asking at the same time if he intends taking his sister along too. He agrees, although is none too pleased at the prospect of dragging his little sister along, but does so. At the party, Peter disappears to partake in a bong with his friends, leaving Charlie to fend for herself in a room full of complete strangers. She eats a slice of chocolate birthday cake cut with a knife that had beforehand been used to chop up nuts.

Within minutes Charlie begins the early onset of anaphylactic shock which steadily worsens. Peter lifts Charlie into the back of the car and races off to the hospital. Gasping for air, Charlie opens the window and leans her head out, just as Peter swerves abruptly to avoid the carcass of a dead animal lying in the road directly in front of him. Peter loses control of the car momentarily and veers close to a telephone pole, on the side that Charlie is hanging out of. She is decapitated. Peter is stunned and sits motionless in the car after bringing it to halt. He knows exactly what has happened but daren't turn around to see.

He comes to his senses and drives home, enters the house quietly and goes to bed without telling his parents, who discover Charlie's body and severed head by the road side the next morning. Annie breaks down uncontrollably over Charlie's death, wailing in her mourning from which not even Steve can console her, and now having to attend the second family funerals within days of each other.

Peter begins seeing visions of Charlie around the house - real or imagined we don't know, but to him they are very real, and very creepy. Annie returns to the support group, but this time does not enter electing to sit outside in her car pondering. As she exits the car park she is waved down by Joan (Ann Dowd) another member of the support group who lost her son and her grandson in a drowning accident six months earlier. Annie is invited to connect with Joan whenever she feels it necessary to aid her recovery. This she does and visits Joan at her apartment where she reveals that she used to sleepwalk, and on one such occasion with almost dire consequences for herself and Peter. Joan confides that she has learned to communicate with her deceased eight year old grandson by means of a seance. After convincing a very sceptical Annie to participate, Joan demonstrates how the connection is real. Having been totally creeped out by her seance experience, Annie exits stage left rather sharply.

However, a day or so later, Annie wakes Steve and Peter and orders them both downstairs, and to ask no questions but to trust her. She convinces them both to conduct their own seance and to connect with Charlie although both her husband and her son are extremely reluctant. Annie lights a candle, and asks them to join hands. Peter especially is freaked out by the request. Annie places an upturned glass on the table which after a connection is established moves itself across the table. The candle then erupts like a Bunsen burner turned up to full, and a glass cabinet is smashed. Annie goes into a trance like state seemingly possessed by the spirit of Charlie, until Steve wakes her by throwing a glass of water over her.

After this episode Annie believes that Charlie's spirit has become malevolent. She throws Charlie's sketchbook into the open fire, only for the flame to jump across to Annie's sleeve and take hold, until she retrieves the smoking book from the fire and stamps out the flames so extinguishing the fire on her arm at the same time. Annie later rifles through her mother’s keepsakes and comes across a photo album that linked Joan to Ellen, and a book in which her mother had highlighted a section referencing the demon Paimon, a 'King of Hell' whose preference is to inhabit the bodies of vulnerable males. It transpires that Ellen and Joan's mother were members of a coven that worshipped Paimon, of which Joan is now a member.

Following this realisation, Annie ventures up into the attic and pulling down the step ladder is confronted with a swarm of flies and a godawful stench. Searching around in the dimly lit attic space with pesky flies all around her, she comes across a blackened headless corpse lying in a corner, that she suspects to be that of her mother Ellen, but can't be sure. Simultaneously, at school Peter is taking part in an English lesson and with his mind elsewhere he is hallucinating. His arm shoots up in the air involuntarily, his eyes bloodshot and his face contorts. Then he slams his face down so hard on his desk, and repeats sending him back reeling with his nose badly broken and blood pouring. He has no idea what just happened, except that he had no control. He screams out in panic.

Steve collects the unconscious Peter from school and drives him home and puts him to bed to rest and recover from his unexplained but deeply distressing ordeal. Annie ushers Steve to the attic to view the corpse and for him to burn Charlie's sketchbook stating that it is the only way to rid them of their daughters spirit. She insists that he burn it, knowing that she cannot from her previous attempt. Steve initially refuses, believing that his wife has lost her mind and further that it was she who desecrated the grave and moved Ellen’s corpse herself. Annie, out of frustration with her husband, throws the sketchbook into the fire herself, only for the flames to jump to Steve instantly engulfing him in fire.

Peter wakes up sensing that something is not quite right. The house is dark and quiet. He gingerly creeps downstairs closing doors as he goes. He finds his father's charred lifeless body, and is then chased by a now-possessed Annie into the attic where he bolts the door closed behind him. Annie clinging upside down on the ceiling frantically and repeatedly bangs her head against the attic door. Inside the attic, Peter is confronted by followers of Ellen all looking on silently with their aged, naked ashen bodies. Behind him Annie appears, levitated up near the ceiling rafters, cutting off her own head with a wire saw. Peter, horrified by the scene before him jumps out the window to escape and is knocked unconscious upon landing in the garden shrubbery below. 

A light pulsates and descends towards Peter's unconscious body. He comes around and spies his mothers levitating headless body as it moves towards and up in to the family treehouse. There he finds Charlie's head sitting on top of a makeshift statue of the demon god Paimon. Joan, the figures seen in the attic, and the headless corpses of Annie and Ellen now all bow down in front of Peter, as he is announced as Paimon. 

I would have to say, that for me, 'Hereditary' was not nearly the scarefest I was given to believe having read other Reviews. However, don't let that detract from the storyline, or the look and feel of this ultimately macabre modern day emotional rollercoaster horror offering. The five principle cast members are all terrific - Milly Shapiro (in her feature film debut) as the clucking disturbed dead panned thirteen year old daughter, Alex Wolff as the pot smoking sad eyed simply existing older teenage son, Gabriel Byrne as the stoic just wants a simple happy life husband, Ann Dowd as the do gooder hiding a malevolent secret and then there's Toni Collette who as the wife and centrepiece gives the performance of her career as the mother battling grief on two substantive levels while trying to keep things together under the influence of emotional turmoil, psychological trauma and something dark and sinister that threatens the whole family unit. This plays out more as a family drama during its first two thirds with the horror coming in the form of real emotional upheaval exploited by great lighting, sound effects and camera angles that accentuate every scene. Only the last third of the film starts to become more horrific in the traditional sense as the true meaning of what the family has 'inherited' becomes real. This film is believable, realistic and grounded in a reality that modern day horror genre bending films are increasingly taking advantage of, but all that said, it didn't keep me awake that night, I didn't look under the bed and it didn't keep me thinking long after the credits rolled, unlike 'Paranormal Activity', 'Wolf Creek' and 'Get Out' did. Certainly worth the price of your ticket though.

This film warrants four claps of the clapperboard, from a potential five. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-