THE ACCOUNTANT 2 : Tuesday 6th May 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THE ACCOUNTANT 2' this week at my local multiplex cinema. This American action thriller film is Directed by Gavin O'Connor who made his feature film making debut with 'Comfortably Numb' in 1995 and went on to Direct the likes of 'Miracle' in 2004, 'Pride and Glory' in 2008, 'Warrior' in 2011, 'Jane Got a Gun' in 2015, 'The Accountant' in 2016 and 'The Way Back' in 2020. This film is a sequel to O'Connor's 2016 film 'The Accountant' and saw its Premiere screening at SXSW in early-March this year and was released Stateside and here in Australia on 24th April, having garnered generally favourable critical reviews, and has so far recouped US$69M from its US$80M production budget. A third film is apparently in development.

The film opens up with now retired and former FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) Director Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) meeting up with a mystery assassin Anais (Daniella Pineda) in some dive bar. He offers her only a seven year old photograph of a Salvadorean family and their young son that he wants her to track down for him. Anais doesn’t respond to the offer but warns King he’s been followed by a small group of heavies. King is assassinated in the ensuing gunfight while escaping the bar while Anais walks away calmly into the night having dispensed with several of the gun wielding goons. King’s protege and current Deputy Director of FinCEN, Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), soon afterwards identifies his body and sees 'find the accountant' written on his arm and decides to take up the case.

Medina, despite being mistrustful of Christian Wolff’s (Ben Affleck, who also Co-Produces here) illegal activities acting as an Accountant to various underworld clients dotted around the world, asks him for help finding the family in the photo. Wolff agrees to help. Later that night while Medina is sleeping, Wolff organises a collage of information which shows that the family in the photo fled from El Salvador to Los Angeles, encountering various challenges en route. Cobb (Grant Harvey), the man tasked with killing Anais and King, informs his supervisor Burke (Robert Morgan) who tells him to continue pursuing Anais for fear that she realises what Burke did to her, several years earlier.

Christian calls his estranged brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal), with whom he has not made contact for eight years. He calls Brax while he is sat at a large dining table eating ice cream straight out of the tub and having a one sided conversation with a very compliant yet also very afraid young woman. After Brax cuts short the call from Christian, and on the second attempt to connect Christian says that he needs Brax's help and to be in Los Angeles in 24 hours. As Brax gets up to leave, he is seen walking over several dead bodies to get to the lift, clearly still a deadly assassin for hire, and still with the ice cream tub in hand. 24 hours later and Brax arrives in Los Angeles to be greeted by Christian in the grounds of a very down market apartment he has rented, and in an attempt to clear the air on their period of estrangement. 

Justine (Allison Robertson), still residing at the New Hampshire compound where she met Christian, works with a group of autistic children to hack into all manner of differing technologies to help Christian. Their group is able to source a photo of Anais but are unable to identify her. Uncomfortable with their illegal methods, Medina severs her ties from Christian and Brax. She visits a hospital mentioned in one of King’s reports, where she learns that Anais is actually the mother from the photo. Anais was involved in a near fatal car accident and after spending months in hospital recovering and undergoing numerous treatments and losing her memories, she developed intense combat skills before escaping. Batu (Andrew Howard), a contractor for hitmen, sets a contract for Medina which Braxton rejects. Justine warns Christian who rides over at breakneck speed on his motorcycle and he arrives after Anais and Medina have fought in close quarter combat, with Anais gaining the upper hand and stabbing Medina in the stomach with a kitchen knife. Anais flees the scene while Christian tends to Medina's wounds, but not before she has observed the photo still on the wall of her husband (subsequently shot at point blank range by Burke and buried in a mass grave) and young son (also presumed to be dead). 

Braxton and Christian deduce that Anais’ still living, autistic son Alberto (Yael Ocasio) is being held captive at a prison camp in Juarez with other children of trafficking victims, all of whom have been separated from their families. Burke orders Cobb to fly down to Juarez and kill all the children and bury them in the desert. Christian and Brax lay siege to the compound and are able to save Alberto and the rest of the children after killing Cobb and his small army of guards. Justine blackmails Batu into cancelling his contract on Medina. Anais, having regained some of her memories, realises Burke is the person who imprisoned her son and killed her husband in Juarez. She finds Burke in hiding in Costa Rica and kills him. Justine and the autistic children prepare to welcome Alberto to their facility in New Hampshire, and Braxton and Christian discuss taking a brotherly hiking trip together.

Gavin O'Connor is back Directing 'The Accountant 2' and while it doesn't have the same depth of the first more straight laced instalment, Affleck and Bernthal clearly exude an on-screen chemistry while throwing humorous barbs at each other and getting into laughable situations (speed dating bingo and line dancing for example), that serve to lighten the load from the all guns blazing human trafficking main plot. The performances of the remaining cast of characters are all more than serviceable, the action set pieces are well staged, the pacing is solid, but the main plot is a little meh!, but what carries the film through is the buddy relationship and the rapport between the two main characters. You could do worse at the cinema this week, and its certainly worth the price of your movie ticket.

'The Accountant 2' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE FLASH : Tuesday 13th June 2023.

I saw the M Rated 'THE FLASH' at an early screening this week two days ahead of its official worldwide release. This much hyped and eagerly awaited American Superhero film is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be the thirteenth instalment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and is Directed by Andy Muschietti whose previous feature film making credits take in his debut with 2013's 'Mama', then the Stephen King novel adaptation of 'It' in 2017 and 'It Chapter Two' in 2019. This film is released in the US this week also, following multiple delays caused by Director changes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and post-production setbacks. It had a production budget of about US$220M, and has garnered mixed or average reviews.

The film opens up with a Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) late for work and hurriedly walking into his local cafe to collect his usually pre-prepared breakfast from the obliging female assistant working the counter, but on this day she is off sick and so his breakfast has not been prepared. He painstakingly looks at his watch and gives the young male assistant his order who would rather pass the time of day chatting than prep up his morning sustenance. Barry's phone rings and it is Batman's trusted butler and assistant Alfred (Jeremy Irons) demanding that he is urgently needed in Gotham City to attend a robbery at a hospital where the thieves have made off with a suitcase containing vials of a deadly virus. While waiting for his order Barry reluctantly asks whether Batman can attend to the scene or Wonder Woman even, but both are it seems indisposed. Barry makes his exit to the bathroom and appears out in the street as The Flash. What follows is The Flash's superspeed run to Gotham City to attend to the hospital that has seen a huge sinkhole appear immediately outside and the entire wing of the hospital about to come crashing down into it. Of course high up in the hospital tower is a suite containing several new born babies, a nurse and a therapy dog who all go crashing out the plate glass window as the side of the building begins to topple. But, with The Flash on the scene he is able to save all the babies, the nurse and the dog and bring them to safety on the ground. 

In the meantime the Batman (Ben Affleck) has arrived on his Batbike and is chasing down the villains through the streets of Gotham, amongst much vehicular carnage, the exchange of rapid gunfire, mortars and burning rubber. Eventually, Batman brings the last villain to heel while dangling off a bridge with the villain holding onto Batman by his fingertips and Alfred blurting down the phone to not allow the case of virus vials to fall into the river. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) appears and using her lasso of truth hauls Batman and the villain to safety. Job done, the city saved and the three part ways with The Flash returning to the cafe just a few minutes later for the assistant to hand over his custom made breakfast. 

Barry then goes to work and is chastised by his boss for being late - a perpetual habit it seems. Later, as The Flash, Barry revisits his childhood home where he fondly remembers his parents Nora (Maribel Verdu) and Henry (Ron Livingstone). Nora sends Henry out to the local supermarket to buy an extra can of tomatoes for a special pasta sauce she is making. With the young Barry upstairs in his bedroom, he sees his father return and hears his mother scream out. Rushing down to the kitchen, Barry sees his mother slumped against the kitchen cabinet with a knife sticking out of her stomach and his father holding the knife yelling out for Barry to call 911. However, Henry is accused of her murder and imprisoned, with the trial set for tomorrow. Barry speaks with Henry over the phone, with Henry telling his son that the court case is a foregone conclusion and that all the odds are firmly stacked against him, just before the phone call is cut off automatically.

Racked with emotional turmoil, Barry inadvertently runs at such a speed that he travels back in time, and upon returning to the present day has a conversation with Bruce Wayne about it, saying that he can change the past and save his mother and father, and that he could do likewise for Bruce and save his parents too. But Bruce explains that if you mess with the past you can cause untold damage to the future, and to drop the idea. At that Bruce jumps back into his Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 and drives off. Despite Bruce's warnings The Flash goes back to the time of Nora's death, and changes the outcome so that she lives.

When The Flash attempts to get back to the present-day, he winds up in an alternate 2013 where Nora is alive. Barry greets his parents warmly and settles down for dinner over a bowl of pasta, but through the kitchen window he sees his past self approaching the house. He quickly dashes outside and intercepts his younger self. After explaining the realities of time travel to a bewildered younger Barry, he realises he is in the day of the lab accident that bestowed upon Barry his powers - 29th September. And so the older Barry takes the younger Barry to the Central City Police Department where he helps give his younger self his powers during a freak storm in which a lightning bolt strikes the side of the building through a window and smashing a mix of chemical bottles spilling all over him, but in the process, the older Barry looses his powers. Older Barry attempts to train younger Barry in the use of his powers but has trouble doing so, as his younger self is a lot more impetuous. Later with the pair out in the city, they learn via TV news broadcasts, of General Zod’s (Michael Shannon) invasion on Earth. And so the two Barry’s go to Wayne Manor in the hopes of locating Batman, as the pair need all the help they can get if they are to save our little green planet from destruction.

Entering the somewhat run down and neglected Wayne Manor, they find an alternate version of Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) who has long since given up on crime fighting since Gotham has become one of the safest cities in the country. However, explaining the predicament the two Barry's now find themselves in, they convince him to help them find Superman who is being held captive in a Russian base high up in the Arctic Circle. 

Upon gaining entry to the base they eventually find the massive steel sphere that Superman is encased in. Instead though of finding Superman, they find his cousin Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle) who is physically weakened and mentally drained, but they rescue her anyway. After doing so and escaping through the roof of the base, Kara quickly recovers her powers when exposed to the sun's solar energy, and she almost single handedly dispenses with the small army of Russian soldiers guarding the base. The older Barry asks Bruce to help him get his powers back by recreating the accident that bestowed him those powers in the first place. The first attempt fails and nearly kills Barry prompting Kara aka Supergirl, to fly Barry into the storm and get struck by lightning which has the desired effect.

Supergirl and Batman join the two Barry's in attempting to defeat Zod, who by now has begun the process of destroying Earth. During the battle with Zod, Supergirl learns that Zod killed the infant Kal-El when his pod got knocked off course. She is naturally enraged. Just as Supergirl overpowers Zod and seemingly gains the upper hand, Zod manages to kill her and take a sample of her blood which he will use to revitalise the dying planet Krypton. Batman meanwhile sacrifices himself to save the Barry's.

The younger Barry insists he travel back in time to save them both and does so multiple times but keeps failing, each time becoming a slightly darker unhinged version of himself, and as the time continuum becomes increasingly fragmented. The older Barry tries to reason with the dark Flash but his attempts prove futile in the Speed Force as the multiverse begins to implode, but not before older Barry has visions of alternate Supermen (Christopher Reeve, Adam West, George Reeves and Nicolas Cage). A future version of Dark Flash then arrives to kill his younger self, so saving the multiverse and restoring the equilibrium. 

In the aftermath, Barry fixes the timeline and reconciles himself with his mother's death. Back in the present day new evidence is provided in Henry's court case so earning him his freedom. Outside the court house Barry is met by his former girlfriend, Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) who asks him out on date at which he quickly responds with a resounding yes, after which Bruce Wayne pulls up in his Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 who is not the Ben Affleck version of the character, but the George Clooney version. If you sit in your seat right until the end credits have rolled, you'll see a scene in which Barry is assisting a very drunken Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) while telling him of his recent experiences. 

'The Flash' is arguably one of the best DCEU big screen adaptations to date and Director Andy Muschietti has proved himself more than capable in helming a cinematic extravaganza such as this. The action sequences are exactly what we have all come to expect from a Superhero movie, and the CGI rendering whilst not perfect is passable. Ezra Miller is well cast in the role of dual Barry Allen's/The Flash and seeing Michael Keaton reprise his role as Batman for the first time in thirty years is a real trip down memory lane, whilst nods to former Batmen and Supermen also adds to the nostalgia, but is probably there more for the fan service than to add any weight to the plot lines. There are moments of real humour and emotion interspersed between the action set pieces that help elevate this final instalment in the DCEU, before new joint CEO's James Gunn and Peter Safran's new franchise - the DCU rolls out, above many of the also-rans that have gone before. The final act is long and drawn out however, and overly repetitive, and just how many more films do we need to have in this genre that feature a multiverse for Chrissakes - after all we've had two in the last two weeks, plus a whole bunch more in recent years. Nonetheless, 'The Flash' is certainly worth the price of your movie ticket. 

'The Flash' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HYPNOTIC : Tuesday 16th May 2023.

I saw the M Rated 'HYPNOTIC' at my local independent movie theatre this week, and this American Sci-Fi action thriller is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed, Edited and scored by Robert Rodriguez. His previous film making credits include his 1992 debut with 'El Mariachi', then 'Desperado' in 1995, 'From Dusk till Dawn' in 1996, the 'Spy Kids' franchise which has so far spawned four films with a fifth reportedly in development for Netflix, 'Sin City' in 2005 and 'Sin City : A Dame to Kill For' in 2014, 'Planet Terror' in 2007, 'Machete' in 2010 and 'Alita : Battle Angel' in 2019. This film saw its 'work-in-progress' World Premier at SXSW in late March this year, was released Stateside last week too and cost in the region of US$65M to produce and has so far grossed just US$3.5M having garnered mixed reviews. It is reportedly the worst Box Office opening for any Rodriguez film and Ben Affleck led feature, and was partly blamed on the lack of marketing by the studio behind this production. 

The film opens up with Austin Police Detective Danny Rourke (Ben Affleck) recounting to his therapist (Nikki Dixon) the abduction of his young daughter Minnie (Lonie Nieves) which ultimately led to the break-up of his marriage. Afterwards, he is collected by his partner, Nicks (J.D. Pardo), who advises him they have received an anonymous tip that a safety deposit box at a bank is about to be robbed. 

At the stakeout, they observe a mysterious man give unheard instructions to a civilian woman, a bank teller, and two armed Police officers who seemingly without question follow his instructions as he enters the bank. Rourke beats him to the targeted safety deposit box, unlocks it and finds a solitary photograph of Minnie inside with the handwritten message 'Find Lev Dellrayne' on it. Rourke chases the man to a parking lot rooftop, where he witnesses him command two Police officers to shoot each other as he escapes, by seemingly jumping off a tall building much to Rourke's astonishment.

Rourke believes the heist has something to do with the disappearance of his daughter, and so he starts digging around. Forensics lead Rourke to the address of fortuneteller and hypnotist Diana Cruz (Alice Braga) who it turns out was the anonymous caller of the bank heist earlier in the day. After he describes the man from the heist, a client of Cruz's, under the control of the man from the bank, drives a motorcycle through Cruz's shop window before killing himself. Rourke takes Cruz into custody. She explains that the mysterious man from the bank is named 'Lev Dellrayne' (William Fichtner), and that both he and her are escaped 'Hypnotics' - powerful hypnotists trained by a secretive government 'Division' to control people's minds. Rourke is mysteriously immune to their control, more than likely caused by a block in his mind brought about by a traumatic or emotional experience in his life. Meanwhile Dellrayne, outside the station, commands Nicks to attack Rourke and Cruz, which he does with Cruz putting a bullet between his eyes to stop his onslaught.

Rourke and Cruz flee to Mexico now that they are on the TV news for the slaying of Nicks. There, they learn from a former Division contact Jeremiah (Jackie Earle Haley) that Dellrayne is looking for 'Domino', a powerful weapon developed by the Division, stolen, and hidden by Dellrayne when he escaped. 

Dellrayne then wiped his own memory leaving behind certain 'triggers' allowing him to gradually recall Domino's location and regain his own hypnotic power. Dellrayne eventually reveals himself to be Jeremiah in disguise and pursues Rourke and Cruz through a hypnotically constructed environment before Rourke taps into his own previously unknown hypnotic power and so giving them the chance to escape.

Cruz seeks out River (Dayo Okeniyi) a reclusive Division hacker, with Rourke who discovers Rourke's wife Vivian in a Division database. Later, Rourke investigates River's database himself, and discovers that Minnie is in fact Domino, the daughter of two of the most powerful hypnotics - Rourke and Cruz (who it turns out is Vivian). As 'Cruz' interrupts him, Rourke comes to the realisation that the room he is sat in and all of the events up to this time have been constructs. He wakes up in a large room populated by Division agents, all of whom he has seen or interacted with throughout the carefully constructed story, including Nicks, Dellrayne and even his therapist. 

Vivian and Dellrayne explain that Rourke and Vivian are both hypnotics, and their daughter Minnie was born and raised within the Division. He however, escaped with her to stop her from becoming their weapon. Hiding her and then wiping his memory, Rourke no longer remembers where she is, and the Division has been putting him through constructs of the search for her to make him remember, on twelve previous occasions. Rourke is plugged back into the construct for the thirteenth time now, where he repeats the session with his therapist and the stakeout at the bank heist. However, Rourke escapes using his own powers and flees as the Division realises that 'Find Lev Dellrayne' refers not to a person but a place - 'Deer Valley Lane' the location of a ranch where Rourke's foster parents have been hiding Minnie.

Rourke arrives at the ranch and is reunited with Minnie (Hala Finley), who has now aged by three years and has grown to have full control of her powers. The Division arrive en masse and surround the ranch but it is all revealed to be another construct this time of Minnie's creation. Minnie restores Vivian's memories that she was involved in Rourke and Minnie's escape, but wiped her memory so that when Minnie was powerful enough to defeat the entire Division at once, Vivian could unwittingly lead them to her. Minnie forces the Division agents to turn on each other so taking themselves out, including Dellrayne who turns his own gun on himself and plugs three bullets into his chest, after which she, her parents, and Rourke's foster parents embrace in their newfound freedom. In a mid-credits sequence, Dellrayne is shown to have survived, having constructed Rourke's foster-father Carl (Jeff Fahey) to look like him during the fight with Minnie. He is seen walking back to the helicopter from whence he came. 

'Hypnotic' is entertaining and watchable enough and at a brisk 92 minutes run time it never outstays its welcome. Here the maestro of B-grade movies Robert Rodriguez channels the likes of Christopher Nolan and Alfred Hitchcock dabbling in the worlds of Sci-Fi and thrillers with a good dose of action thrown in to keep viewers motivated enough to sit through this picture's preposterous premise which is slow to get off the ground but once the momentum builds it delivers a reasonably satisfying conclusion. Ben Affleck phones his performance in, as the grizzled square-jawed actor can see with his eyes closed that this barely above average thriller is hardly going to cause a stir in the pantheon of genre bending films of a similar ilk. 

'Hypnotic' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

AIR : Tuesday 11th April 2023.

I saw the M Rated 'AIR' earlier this week, and this American biographical sports drama film is Co-Produced, Directed and stars Ben Affleck whose previous film making credits take in 'Gone Baby Gone' in 2007, 'The Town' in 2010, 'Argo' in 2012 and 'Live by Night' in 2016. This film saw its World Premier screening as the Closing Night film of SXSW in mid-March recently, has so far garnered generally positive reviews, was released Stateside last week too and has grossed to date US$35M off the back of a circa US$80M production budget. It was originally slated for release on Amazon Prime Video before Amazon Studios decided to release the film theatrically following strong results from test screenings.

Here then, it is 1984 and the Nike, Inc. business sits looking down the barrel of bankruptcy due to is declining footwear sales, with the company capturing just 17% of the American sports footwear sales market, compared to Converse and the dominant player in the market Adidas. Recognising the financial strife they are in, Marketing VP Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), together with co-founder and CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), task Nike's basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon, who also Co-Produces here) to come up with a new pitch for a shoeline based on current American sports, believing that basketball's days are numbered. While considering other basketball players chosen in the 1984 NBA draft, Nike's executives think third pick Michael Jordan is off limits, being both a fan of Adidas and too expensive for the basketball division's meagre budget of US$250K, which it aims to spread amongst three or four players, whereas Jordan is rumoured to have been offered US$250K plus a brand new red Mercedes 380 SL by Adidas, with Converse being his second pick. 

One evening while feeling down but not defeated, Vaccaro is sat at home with his TV dinner watching highlights of a Jordan game together with a TV commercial by Arthur Ashe for his Head tennis rackets. Seeing the eighteen year old Michael Jordan from a different perspective he is convinced that Nike should pursue the player that he now considers to be a once in a generation talent with both Jordan and Nike building off one another. With his new found enthusiasm he first pitches the idea to Strasser and then Knight who dismiss the notion as wildly too expensive to blow their entire budget on just one player, and besides the Board would never agree to it. 

Vaccaro heads to LA to meet his friend George Raveling (Marlon Wayans), who coached Jordan in the 1984 Summer Olympic tournament in Los Angeles and asks for his support in courting the star. Vaccaro then drives to the Jordan household in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he turns up unannounced. He tells Michael's mother Deloris (Viola Davis) that Nike would give Jordan all the attention that he would not get from his preferred brands Adidas and Converse and begins to recite the opening lines that each of those companies would greet them with. He also asks Deloris to ask a pointed question to the Board members when she meets with those two companies, and to carefully and cautiously gauge their responses and reactions.

After receiving a very angry call from Jordan's agent David Falk (Chris Messina) about visiting his client's family, Vaccaro learns that the Jordans have still scheduled a meeting at Nike's Beaverton, Oregon HQ the following Monday. Vaccaro and Strasser start preparing their pitch while tasking shoe designer Peter Moore (Matthew Maher) to work through the remaining week and weekend to prepare a single prototype, which Moore names 'Air Jordan' after Nike's Air Sole was deemed inappropriate. In the meantime, Knight reluctantly accepts to assign the basketball division's entire US$250K budget to hire Jordan. 

Monday arrives and the Jordan's pull up at Nike's HQ to be met by Vaccaro. He ushers them up to the Boardroom where they are warmly welcomed by Strasser, Moore, and Howard White (Chris Tucker) with Knight deliberately arriving seven minutes late. Vaccaro can sense that Deloris and Michael are non-plussed by the meeting, so he breaks off a video presentation and makes an off-the-cuff impassioned speech on how he sees Michael's future unfolding with Nike, the good times and the bad, and how long after the Nike executives in the room with him that day are gone and forgotten, his legacy will live on. Vaccaro's speech turns the meeting around but he subsequently learns that Adidas matched the US$250K offer while adding a red Mercedes 380SL into the mix, and he believes the deal is done and dusted with Adidas. 

However, he later receives a call from Deloris, who states that Michael will sign with Nike for US$250K, plus that he earns a percentage of every Air Jordan sold anywhere in the world. Vaccaro believes the company's CEO and Board would not accept such a bonus proposal, which sets a precedent. Once Knight is told he calmly shrugs and says that if it is necessary to ensure the endorsement, then accept the terms, saying to himself how much can it be worth, they sold US$3M in shoes last year! Vaccaro calls back Deloris to tell her that Nike will accept her terms and then speaks with Michael welcoming him to Nike. He then goes out into the open plan office and loudly announces 'we signed Jordan'. 

The closing credits reveal various milestones in Michael Jordan's stellar basketball career, how Phil Knight has so far given away US$2B of his personal fortune to philanthropic causes, how David Falk sold his agency for US$100M, how Peter Moore designed the Jumpman logo for the Air Jordan shoe, and how the Air Jordan shoe sold US$162M in the year following its launch and how today sales are upwards of US$4B and Jordan has earned US$400M from residuals. 

'Air' is a notable return to form for Director Ben Affleck since his last misstep with 'Live By Night', for which he can be forgiven on the strength of this gem of a film about a struggling underdog company whose courage of its convictions ultimately wins the day, and well and truly turns the fortunes of Nike around turning it into the one of the most recognised brands and successful companies in the world. The script moves the film along at a steady pace, the ensemble cast are spot-on with their performances, the recreation of the mid-1980's is a slam-dunk and the music score took me right back there to my early twenties. My only criticism is that Michael Jordan as a character in this film is only ever seen from the back of his head, or his hands caressing the prototype Air Jordan shoe, or as the real life Michael Jordan in archival footage as the end credits roll. This film is less about the sport and more about the marketing guys working tirelessly to sign MJ and the advertising strength that his name will bring to brand Nike - and on that level 'Air' delivers, and the rest, as they say, is history!

'Air' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 6th April 2023.

Since 2012 the Sun Valley Film Festival has invited fans and filmmakers to America’s first ski resort to celebrate the magic of storytelling. Every (Northern Hemisphere) Spring the Festival celebrates with a slate of cutting-edge films, industry panels, engaging Coffee Talks with entertainment luminaries, a Screenwriters Lab led by award-winning writers, and a series of parties culminating with the spectacular SVFF Awards Bash. This years Festival ran from Wednesday 29th March through until Sunday 2nd April and is held in the ski resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. The Sun Valley Film Festival invites guests to be a part of the legacy of storytellers, artists and filmmakers that have defined the town’s rich cinematic history. From screenings in the snow to an unforgettable reception at Hemingway’s restored hunting lodge, SVFF captures the spirit of a bygone era, one that comes alive for one magical weekend each March as it celebrates the shared wonder of film. In tandem with the town’s cinematic past, the Festival’s intimate accessibility attracts industry icons who return year after year, creating a community of artists that define the Festival’s unique atmosphere. With over 4,000 annual attendees, SVFF is quickly becoming known as the Festival for Filmmakers - a boutique event beloved by film fans and auteurs alike.

This years slate of feature films included the following titles :-

* 'Air' - from Director, Co-Producer and star Ben Affleck, with Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina and Marlon Wayans.

* 'Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out' - from Director and Co-Producer Jake van Wagoner and starring Emma Tremblay, Jacob Buster and Will Forte.

* 'Bad Press' - from Directors Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler and starring Angel Ellis, Jerrad Moore and Lanzy Krehbiel-Burton.

* 'Birth/Rebirth' - from Director Laura Moss and starring Marin Ireland, Judy Reyes, A.J. Lister and Breeda Wool.

* 'Bobi Wine : The People's President' - this Documentary from Directors Christopher Sharp (who also Co-Produces) and Moses Bwayo (who is also Co-Cinematograhper).

* 'Deep Rising' - is a Documentary from Director Matthieu Rytz and is narrated by Jason Momoa.

* 'Dreamin' Wild' - from Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer Bill Pohlad and starring Casey Affleck, Zooey Deschanel, Walton Goggins, Noah Jupe, Beau Bridges and Chris Messina.

* 'Fancy Dance' - from Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer Erica Tremblay and starring Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Crystle Lightning, Audrey Wasilewski and Shea Whigham.

* 'Flamin' Hot' - from Director Eva Longoria in her feature film making debut, and starring Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Matt Walsh and Tony Shalhoub.

* 'Fremont' - from Director Babak Jalali and starring Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White and Gregg Turkington.

* 'Joyland' - from Director and Writer Saim Sadiq and starring Ali Junejo and Alina Khan.

* 'King Coal' - from Director, Co-Producer, Co-Writer and Co-Editor Elaine Sheldon and narrated by Elaine Sheldon. 

* 'Land of Gold' - from Director, Writer, Co-Producer and star Nardeep Khurmi and also starring Pallavi Sastry and Caroline Valencia.

* 'The Longest Goodbye' - this Documentary is from Director and Co-Writer Ido Mizrahy.

* 'Midday Black Midnight Blue' from Directors, Co-Producers and Co-Writers Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott and starring Chris Stack, Samantha Soule, Will Pullen, Addie Johnson Talbott, McCaleb Burnett, Shane McRae, Dale Soules, and Merritt Wever.

* 'Nascondino' - this Documentary is Directed by Victoria Fiore.

* 'Showing Up' - from Director, Co-Writer and Editor Kelly Reichardt and starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro, Andre Benjamin, James Le Gros, and Judd Hirsch.

* 'Surrounded' - from Director and Co-Producer Anthony Mandler and starring Letitia Wright, Jamie Bell, Jeffrey Donovan, Brett Gelman and Michael K. Williams.

* Wild Life' - this Documentary is Directed and Co-Produced by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin and stars Kristine Tompkins, Rick Ridgeway, Jimmy Chin and Yvon Chouinard. 

This years Honourees for the Vision Award was presented to Actor and Producer Josh Brolin; the Pioneer Award was presented to Actor, Writer, Producer and Director Emilio Estevez; with the Rising Star Award being presented to Sophie Thatcher.

For the full run-down on the aforementioned films, plus all the details of the SVFF Short Films and a whole lot more good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://sunvalleyfilmfestival.org/

This week then we have seven new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, kick starting with a sports bio drama that follows the history of a shoe salesman and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball. This is followed by a big screen adaptation of the popular tabletop role playing game that sees a charming and handsome thief and a band of would-be adventurous types join forces to find a long lost relic, but things don't go quite according to plan when they cross paths with various miscreants. Next up and based on a true story, we follow the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican as he investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ultimately uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep covered up. Then we turn to a story of a geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital that is threatened with closure, and how the local community come together to fight back. Following on from this we have a film that charts the travels of a curious grey Sardinian donkey across the Polish and Italian countryside, as he experiences the highs and lows of society, all the while never losing his innocence. Next is an Aussie offering that follows a high schooler and talented dancer who rebels against the discipline required for her to succeed following an unexpected accident. And closing out the week we have an animated film telling the story of The Super Mario Bros. on their journey through the Mushroom Kingdom.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or 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 week ahead.

'AIR' (Rated M) - this American biographical sports drama film is Directed by and stars Ben Affleck whose previous film making credits take in 'Gone Baby Gone' in 2007, 'The Town' in 2010, 'Argo' in 2012 and 'Live by Night' in 2016. This film saw its World Premier screening as the Closing Night film of SXSW in mid-March recently, has so far garnered generally positive reviews and is released Stateside this week too.

The film reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionised the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time. Starring Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike shoe salesman who ultimately signs the young rookie Michael Jordan to a deal to wear their shoes; Ben Affleck as Phil Knight the Co-Founder of Nike; Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Michael's mother with Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina and Chris Tucker.

'DUNGEONS & DRAGONS : HONOUR AMONG THIEVES' (Rated M) - is an American fantasy heist action comedy film Directed and Co-Written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, based on the tabletop role-playing game 'Dungeons & Dragons'. This film is not connected to the original trilogy of films that launched with the feature film 'Dungeons & Dragons' in 2000, then the made for TV 'Dungeons & Dragons : Wrath of the Dragon God' in 2005 and the direct to video third film 'Dungeons & Dragons 3 : The Book of Vile Darkness' in 2012. Here then, a charming thief Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers (Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith and Sophie Lillis) embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people (Hugh Grant, Daisy Head and Jason Wong). The film was originally set to be released on 23rd July 2021 but due to scheduling conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and various other studio delays a release date of last week in the US and this week in Australia was finally set upon, having seen its World Premier screening at SXSW earlier in March. It has garnered generally positive critical reviews, and cost US$151M to produce. 

'THE POPE'S EXORCIST' (Rated MA15+) - this American supernatural horror film is Directed by Julius Avery whose previous feature film credits are 'Son of a Gun' in 2014, 'Overlord' in 2018 and 'Samaritan' in 2022. This film is based on the Italian Catholic Priest and Exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth of the Diocese of Rome and who lived from 1925 until 2016, and who claimed to have performed thousands of exorcisms throughout his life, as recounted in his memoirs 'An Exorcist Tells His Story' and 'An Exorcist : More Stories'. Chief Exorcist of the Vatican Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden. Also starring Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero, and is released in the US next week on 14th April. 

'ALLELUJAH' (Rated M) - this British drama film is Directed by Richard Eyre who made his feature film Directorial debut back in 1983 with 'The Ploughman's Lunch' which he would then follow up over the successive years with the likes of 'Iris' in 2001, 'Stage Beauty' in 2004, 'Notes on a Scandal' in 2006, 'The Other Man' in 2008 and 'The Children Act' in 2017. This film is based on the Alan Bennett play of the same name and saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, before its release in the UK in mid-March, having garnered mixed reviews. Here then, when the geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanising the local community, and so they invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital's most distinguished nurse. What could possibly go wrong? Starring Jennifer Saunders, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Russell Tovey, David Bradley and Bally Gill. 

'EO' (Rated MA15+) - is a Polish drama road movie Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski that won the Jury Prize at the May 2022 Cannes Film Festival, was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the recent Academy Awards and all up has scored another twenty award wins and a further fifty-three nominations from around the awards and festival circuit. The film follows a a grey donkey with melancholic eyes, named Eo who performs in a circus but when that circus suddenly closes down unexpectedly he is cast aside. On his journeys he encounters good and bad people, experiences joy and pain, endures the wheel of fortune as it randomly turns his luck into disaster and his despair into unexpected bliss, but not even for a moment does he lose his innocence, as we explore a vision of modern Europe through his eyes. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has so far taken US$2.3M in Box Office receipts.

'THE RED SHOES : NEXT STEP' (Rated PG) - this Australian family drama film is Directed by Jesse Ahern and Joanne Samuel with the former in his Directing debut and the latter helming on her second feature film following 2020's 'The Legend of the Five'. Here then, we follow high schooler and talented dancer Sam Cavanaugh (Juliet Doherty), who is about to dance the lead in ‘The Red Shoes’ ballet when her older sister Annie (Daniele Clements), a brilliant dancer, is struck by a car while on Facetime with her. Guilt-ridden, Sam quits the academy, returns to high school, runs wild with new friend Eve Leary (Lauren Esposito), and lands herself in community service, which requires her to clean studios at the academy, providing a constant reminder of the tragedy. When Gracie (Primrose Kern), ‘The Red Shoes’ principal, is injured, Sam is pressed by her ballet teacher Ms. Harlow (Carolyn Bock) to take over the role and dance with Ben (Joel Burke), an old friend, long-time crush, and renowned dancer.

'THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE' (Rated G) - is a computer animated fantasy film not to be confused with the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 live action fantasy adventure film 'Super Mario Bros.' that starred Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo. This film is Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and is based on Nintendo's 'Mario' video game franchise. With help from Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy), the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, an Italian Brooklyn based plumber (Chris Pratt) travels through the Mushroom Kingdom with the princess and an anthropomorphic mushroom named Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) to find Mario's brother, Luigi (Charlie Day), and to save the world from a ruthless fire-breathing Koopa named Bowser (Jack Black). Also starring Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. The film is released Stateside this week too, and in Japan on 28th April. 

With seven new release movie offerings 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. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-