SINNERS : Tuesday 22nd April 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'SINNERS' earlier this week, and this American period supernatural horror film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ryan Coogler, whose former feature film output includes his big screen debut with 'Fruitvale Station' in 2013, which he would follow up with 'Creed' in 2015, 'Black Panther' in 2018 and 'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' in 2022. This film was released last week too in the US, had a production budget of US$90M, has so far recovered US$87M, and has generated universal critical acclaim.

Here then, set in the early 1930's in the Southern United States during the height of the Jim Crow era, the film follows identical twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return to their home town in the Mississippi Delta after years in Chicago working for the mob. Using money stolen from gangsters, they purchase a sawmill from racist landowner Hogwood (David Maldonado) to start a juke joint for the local black community (an informal establishment featuring music, dancing, gambling, and drinking, primarily operated by African Americans in the southeastern USA). Their cousin Sammie 'Preacher Boy' Moore (Miles Caton), an aspiring guitarist, joins them despite opposition from his pastor father Jedidiah (Saul Williams), who warns his son that blues music is the music of the Devil. 

The twin brothers quickly set about recruiting other staff - pianist Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) and singer Pearline (Jayme Lawson) as performers, Smoke's estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) as cook, local Chinese shopkeepers Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bo Chow (Yao) as suppliers, and cotton field worker Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller) as bouncer. Meanwhile, Stack reconnects with his ex-girlfriend Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), who passes for white, and who tells Stack that she is still angry at him for abandoning her when he left for Chicago. Smoke and Annie argue over her belief in things otherworldly, as Annie insists her practices kept the twins safe, but Smoke bitterly reminds her that their infant daughter still died. Elsewhere, Irish-immigrant vampire Remmick (Jack O'Connell) flees from Choctaw vampire hunters and violently turns a pair of local farmers into vampires.

At the joint's opening night, Sammie's guitar playing accompanied by Delta Slim's skills at the keyboard is remarkable, and unknowingly summons spirits of both past and present to join the already captivated crowd. The performance draws Remmick's attention, and he arrives with his two farmer vampires, offering money and music for entry. Suspicious, the twins hesitate and the vampires leave. Reminding the twins that the bar needs the income, Mary meets Remmick outside but becomes wary of his group. 

As she starts to return to the bar, Remmick glides into the air and bites her, turning her into one of his own. She returns inside, where she seduces Stack and bites him. Smoke intervenes and shoots her unloading several rounds into her at point blank range, but she is unharmed by regular bullets, gets up smiling and escapes. Cornbread is also attacked by other vampires and turned as well.

The juke joint quickly empties, and so the vampires attack and turn the fleeing patrons, including Bo. Stack comes round as a vampire, but Annie repels him with pickled garlic juice. She advises the survivors that only silver or wooden stakes can kill vampires, and that they cannot enter a building unless invited. Now leading a horde of vampires but still unable to enter the bar, Remmick tries his luck at negotiating. He praises Sammie's supernatural talent with the guitar and states that vampirism offers immortality, freedom, and escape from racism, and that he also wants to use Sammie's skills to summon the spirits of his lost community. He also warns that Hogwood, who secretly heads the local KKK, plans to attack the joint at dawn. When the survivors refuse his offer, Remmick and Bo confront Grace, threatening to attack her young daughter Lisa (Helena Hu). A desperate Grace dares the horde to attack the juke joint, inviting them in. In the ensuing battle, Grace and Annie are killed and Delta Slim sacrifices himself by slashing his own wrist with a broken bottle of Irish beer, distracting the horde with the smell of his own fresh blood from the remaining survivors. 

Smoke, Sammie, and Pearline attempt to escape, but Remmick and Stack ambush them. Smoke and Stack clash in an intense head to head and toe to toe fight, while Sammie and Pearline face off with Remmick. Pearline is bitten and begs Sammie to flee before turning. In a final confrontation, Sammie smashes his guitar over Remmick's head, before Smoke arrives just in time to kill him with a stake. As the sun rises, the vampire horde are all incinerated. 

Urging Sammie to flee, Smoke ambushes and kills Hogwood and his fellow Klan members in a hail of bullets, but is himself mortally shot. Before dying, he has a vision of Annie and their baby daughter. Sammie, battered, bruised and grief-stricken, returns to his father's church. His father pleads with him to renounce the Devil's music and seek salvation. Sammie refuses, leaving with the broken off neck of his guitar in hand.

In a mid-credits sequence we fast forward to October 1992, some sixty years later, to a bar in Chicago where Sammie (Buddy Guy) has just come off stage as a celebrated blues musician. Stack and Mary pay a visit to the now elderly Sammie, where Stack reveals that Smoke spared him that night at the juke joint, allowing him to go free under the condition that Sammie would live in peace. The couple offers Sammie the chance at immortality, but he declines. Stack asks Sammie to play a song, and Sammie obliges. Afterwards, as Stack and Mary are leaving, Sammie tells them that though that fateful night still haunts him, until the sun went down, it was the greatest day of his life. Stack agrees, and turning back to face Sammie says it was the last time he saw Smoke, the last time he saw the sun, and the only time he ever truly felt free.

With 'Sinners' Director Ryan Coogler has delivered us a genre bending film that is all at once part vampire horror film, part historical drama, part social thriller, and part all singing all dancing musical offering all wrapped up in a neat entertaining package that is exciting and will keep you engaged from start to finish. The performances of the principle cast are all top notch, and while the first half drags a little, Ryan Coogler uses this time wisely to establish the characters and their respective back stories so that we are invested in their joy and commitment to Smoke, Stack and the juke joint and then their pain and anguish as the proverbial brown stuff hits the fan. This film needs to be experienced in a movie theatre, and you won't be disappointed. It is worthy of the financial, critical and awards success that surely will follow for this original story.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

CREED III : Tuesday 7th March 2023.

I saw the M Rated 'CREED III' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American sports drama film stars and is Co-Produced and Directed by Michael B. Jordan in his feature film making debut. This is a sequel to 2015's 'Creed' and 2018's 'Creed II' and is the ninth instalment in the 'Rocky' film franchise, although this is the first time that series creator Sylvester Stallone does not have a role in the film, albeit he does have a Producer credit. 'Creed III' had its World Premiere showcasing in Mexico City on 9th February and was released in the US and internationally last week. The film cost US$75M to produce, has so far grossed US$117M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews. In early February Michael B. Jordan confirmed that 'Creed IV' was going to happen and that potential spin-offs were also under consideration.

The film opens up in Los Angeles back in 2002 with a young Adonis 'Donnie' Creed (Thaddeus J. Mixon) sneaks out late one night with his best friend and Golden Gloves champion Damian 'Diamond Dame' Anderson (Spence Moore II), to see him compete in an underground boxing match. After Dame's victory, he tells Donnie about his dream to turn professional and become a world champion. During a stop off at a liquor store, Donnie impulsively attacks a man named Leon punching him repeatedly to the head, before Dame arrives and pulls a gun ordering Leon's men to stand clear.

We then fast forward fifteen years and Donnie (Michael B. Jordan) is in the ring fighting Ricky Conlon (Tony Bellew), recently released from his sentence and working his way back to be a contender for a championship fight, in a rematch and ultimately wins. After this Donnie retires from boxing as a World Champion, to concentrate his efforts on his music producer wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and their young daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent). Fast forward again to the present day and Donnie runs Delphi Boxing Academy with his coach Tony 'Duke' Evers Jr. (Wood Harris), and is promoting his protege, World Champion Felix Chavez (Jose Benavidez Jnr.), in a match against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). Donnie and Bianca maintain a watchful eye over the declining health of Donnie's adoptive mother Mary-Anne (Phylicia Rashad), while Amara seems intent on following in her fathers footsteps to become a boxer, which gets her into trouble at school for punching another student.

Dame (Jonathan Majors) meanwhile has recently been released from his eighteen year prison sentence for pulling a gun at the liquor store back in 2002 and for various other priors, and reconnects with Donnie outside his gym. The pair go to a local diner for a bite to eat, during which Dame shares his wish to continue his boxing career, saying that despite his age he has continued to train and maintain in shape during his time inside. Donnie reluctantly invites him to the gym to spar with Chavez, however, his aggressive style draws contempt from Chavez and Duke. Later Dame is invited to Donnie's home for dinner, where he meets his family and shares with Bianca their time together at a group home when they were young boys, which Bianca was clueless about. Privately, Dame asks for a title shot against Chavez, giving Donnie's previous one-in-a-million shot as an example of how it is possible, which Donnie refuses.

Dame is invited to a party for Bianca's record label, during which he cryptically tells Bianca about Leon and that Donnie was keeping it a secret from her. At the party, Drago is attacked by an unknown assailant, and becomes too injured to participate in his match against Chavez, which is scheduled for about ten days time. With there being no way of Drago healing in time and not wanting to lose the money spent on the event, Donnie suggests Dame as an opponent to Chavez, pitching an underdog fight much like Rocky Balboa's first title shot, which Chavez accepts. During the fight, Dame fights dirty but is let off with a warning, but knocks out Chavez, so becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Following the match, Donnie visits Mary-Anne, who shows him letters Dame wrote to Donnie over the years while in prison that she kept from him due to believing that he was a bad influence. One letter contained a photograph showing Dame with his fellow inmates, one of which Donnie recognised as the one who assaulted Drago. Realising that Dame orchestrated the attack, Donnie confronts him in a park where he is celebrating his win with his homies. An angry Dame reveals that he manipulated all their encounters to set him up as a champion, before punching him and giving him a black eye. Donnie is unable to confide to Bianca about his guilt over Dame, who revels in his newfound fame and publicly slanders Donnie as a fake who deserted him.

Mary-Anne has another stroke and subsequently dies. After her funeral, Donnie confesses to Bianca the truth, that Leon was the abusive caregiver in the group home he and Dame lived in before he was adopted. After Donnie attacked Leon at the liquor store, Dame pulled out a gun just as the Police arrived. Donnie fled the scene, but Dame was arrested, which led to his eighteen year jail term. In an attempt to wipe out the memory, Donnie never once contacted Dame out of shame and guilt. Knowing Dame would not stop defaming him, Bianca tells him there's only one way to bring him down.

Donnie goes on live TV broadcast 'First Take', where Dame calls in to goad Donnie over the phone. Donnie there and then decides to come out of retirement and challenge Dame for the championship, which he accepts. Following the obligatory training montage with Duke and a recovered Drago, Donnie faces Dame in the 'Battle of Los Angeles' at Dodger Stadium in front of a capacity crowd. 

Donnie faces Dame in an exhausting, evenly matched bout during which Donnie has visions of his abusive foster home and Dame's life in jail, leading to a knockdown in the twelfth and final round. Donnie sees his family in the crowd and lets go of his fear and guilt, as advised by Duke. Adonis rises and intimidates a tired Dame, delivering a knockout in the closing minute or so to win the match and the World Championship. Afterwards, Donnie walks into Dame's changing room and reconciles with a dejected Dame, with both men admitting it was not the other's fault. 

With 'Creed III' Director, Co-Producer and lead Actor here Michael B. Jordan more than ably demonstrates his deft touch here both behind and in front of the camera. All the touchstones are in place here from the original 'Rocky' franchise to the more recent 'Creed' spin-offs, and Jordan has proven that you don't need Sylvester Stallone in the picture to continue with the legacy that he first created some 46 years ago now. This film more than stands on its own two feet and punches well above its weight with both the emotional heft of a compelling back story coupled with the trademark fight sequences culminating (as always) with the big pay off for our titular hero who wins the day against the odds. Whilst its all familiar territory and previously well trodden ground, 'Creed III' serves to embellish the 'Rocky' franchise with a film of powerful performances (both Jordan and Majors are excellent as pugilistic adversaries with a connecting back story), shifting family elements, and well choreographed fight scenes that help propel the drama along at a steady pace.

'Creed III' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 2nd March 2023.

The 12th annual AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) International Awards were announced virtually on Friday 24th February. Presented by AACTA, a non-profit organisation whose aim is to identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television, awards were given for the best films of 2022, regardless of the country of origin, and are the international counterpart to the awards for Australian films, which was held in Sydney on 7th December. 

Seven awards are handed out in the films category, with those winners and nominees, as given below:-

* Best Film : awarded to 'AVATAR : THE WAY OF WATER', beating out 'Elvis', 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', 'The Banshees of Inisherin' and 'Top Gun : Maverick'. 

* Best Direction : presented to Baz Luhrmann for 'ELVIS', beating out James Cameron for 'Avatar : The Way of Water', Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', Martin McDonagh for 'The Banshees of Inisherin' and Steven Spielberg for 'The Fabelmans'.

* Best Actor : presented to Austin Butler for 'ELVIS', beating out Joel Edgerton for 'The Stranger', Colin Farrell for 'The Banshees of Inisherin', Brendan Fraser for 'The Whale' and Hugh Jackman for 'The Son'.  

* Best Actress : awarded to Cate Blanchett for 'TAR', beating out Ana de Armas for 'Blonde', Margot Robbie for 'Babylon', Michelle Williams for 'The Fabelmans' and Michelle Yeoh for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'.

* Best Supporting Actor : awarded to Brendan Gleeson for 'THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN', beating out Woody Harrelson for 'Triangle of Sadness', Sean Harris for 'The Stranger', Brad Pitt for 'Babylon' and Ke Huy Quan for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'.

* Best Supporting Actress : presented to Kerry Condon for 'THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN', beating out Jamie Lee Curtis for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', Olivia DeJonge for 'Elvis', Stephanie Hsu for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and Jean Smart for 'Babylon'.

* Best Screenplay : awarded to Martin McDonagh for 'THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN', beating out Todd Field for 'Tar', Rian Johnson for 'Glass Onion : A Knives Out Mystery', Ruben Ostlund for 'Triangle of Sadness' and Dana Stevens and Maria Bello for 'The Woman King'. 

For the details of the four television awards, plus a whole lot more besides, you can go to the official website at : https://www.aacta.org/aacta-awards/aacta-international-awards/

This week, we have three new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, launching with the third instalment in this spin-off series of films and the ninth in the overall franchise, that sees this boxing champion thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight. This is followed by a story of a duty manager at a seaside cinema, who is struggling with mental health issues, and forms a relationship with a new employee on the south coast of England in the 1980's; and we close out the week with a Chinese WWII thriller about a group of underground workers who risked their lives to send intelligence and defend the motherland, set after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour when the Wang Jingwei regime declared war on Britain and the US.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three 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 coming week. 

'CREED III' (Rated M) - is an American sports drama film that stars and is Directed by Michael B. Jordan in his feature film making debut. This is a sequel to 2015's 'Creed' and 2018's 'Creed II' and is the ninth instalment in the 'Rocky' film franchise, although this is the first time that series creator Sylvester Stallone does not have a role in the film, albeit he does have a Producer credit. 'Creed III' had its World Premiere showcasing in Mexico City on 9th February and is scheduled to be released in the US and internationally from this week. In early February Michael B. Jordan confirmed that 'Creed IV' was going to happen and that potential spin-offs were also under consideration.

Following the events of the last film, Adonis 'Donnie' Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is thriving in both his boxing career and his home life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian 'Dame' Anderson (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving an eighteen year long prison sentence, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Donnie must put his future on the line to battle Dame – a fighter who has nothing to lose. Also starring Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu and Phylicia Rashad. 

'EMPIRE OF LIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this British romantic drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sam Mendes, whose previous film making credits take in the likes of his debut in 1999 with 'American Beauty', then 'Road to Perdition' in 2001, 'Jarhead' in 2005, 'Skyfall' in 2012, 'Spectre' in 2015, and '1917' in 2019. This film saw its World Premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in early September last year and was released in the US in early December and in the UK in early January this year, having garnered mixed or average reviews and has so far grossed US$5.6M at the Box Office. Here then, set in the early 1980's in the English seaside town of Margate, Hilary Small (Olivia Colman) works as a duty manager at the 'Empire Cinema'. Hilary struggles with bipolar disorder, lives alone, has been prescribed lithium by her Doctor, and is having an extramarital affair with her boss Donald Ellis (Colin Firth). A new employee, Stephen (Micheal Ward), who is Black British and lives with his mother Delia (Tanya Moodie), a nurse, starts his new job at the cinema. Hilary is taken with the handsome and charming Stephen and the two form a strong connection during those turbulent times. Also starring Toby Jones, the film was nominated for thirty-three awards including three BAFTA's, a Golden Globe for Olivia Colman and an Academy Award nod for cinematographer Roger Deakins. 

'HIDDEN BLADE' (Rated MA15+) - is a Chinese World War II espionage thriller Written, Directed and lensed by Cheng Er whose previous feature film making credits include 'Lethal Hostage' in 2012 and 'The Wasted Times' in 2016. During World War II and beginning the day after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour and at the height of China’s war of resistance against Japan, a group of courageous citizens develop a top-secret underground espionage network right under the nose of the newly established puppet regime. At increasingly great peril to themselves, the double-agents masterfully extract classified information from deep behind enemy lines, an effort that gives rise to the united front that will help turn the tide of the conflict. Starring Tony Leung and Wang Yibo, the film was released in its native China towards the end of January and in the US in mid-February having grossed so far US$123M at the Box Office, and garnered generally favourable Reviews. 

With three 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

JUST MERCY : Wednesday 5th February 2020.

'JUST MERCY' is an M Rated American true story legal drama which I saw at my local multiplex earlier this week and is Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton in his fourth feature film after 2012's 'I Am Not a Hipster', 2013's 'Short Term 12' and 2017's 'The Glass Castle'. Following this outing Cretton is slated to Direct 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' for the MCU Phase 4 due for release in 2021 and currently in pre-production. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in early September last year, went on limited release on Christmas Day in the US (to qualify for awards season recognition), has garnered generally favourable Reviews so far, and has taken US$38M at the Box Office before its much wider release from mid-January. 'Just Mercy' is based on the 2014 memoir of the same name, written by Bryan Stevenson.

After some initial scene setting and a quick back story, the main thrust of this film moves to 1989 when young Harvard law graduate Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) relocates himself to Alabama to help fight poor down trodden and often abused people who more often than not are unable to fund proper legal representation for themselves. Meeting up with Eva Ansley (Brie Larson) he forms the 'Equal Justice Initiative' in Montgomery, Alabama, initially operating out of Eva's home before moving into a more appropriate office environment.

Stevenson then travels to Holman State Prison in Atmore, Alabama to meet with a number of its death row inmates for whom the legal system has failed them. There he meets with inmates Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan), Anthony Ray Hinton (O'Shea Jackson) and Walter 'Johnny D' McMillan (Jamie Foxx), amongst a few others. He offers to help all three, but McMillan's cause seems to be the most compelling as the case against him is full of holes.

McMillan on the face of it, appears to have been wrongfully imprisoned for the 1986 murder of eighteen year old Ronda Morrison in Monroeville, Alabama. His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury, and in the 1988 trial, the judge imposed the death penalty, even though the jury imposed a sentence of life imprisonment. Stevenson examines the evidence and discovers that it hinges entirely on the testimony of convicted criminal Ralph Myers (Tim Blake Nelson), who provided a highly self-contradictory testimony in exchange for a lighter sentence in his own upcoming trial at the time.

Stevenson's first move is to visit the local prosecutor Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall) for assistance, but Chapman dismisses him without even looking at his notes, saying that as far as he is concerned justice has been served and it is his job to keep his towns people and his local community safe. Having drawn a blank with Chapman, Stevenson then drives out to the McMillan family homestead on the outskirts of town. There he meets with McMillan family friend Darnell Houston (Darrell Britt-Gibson) who says that he was working with Ralph Myers in an auto workshop the morning of the murder and as such there is no way that Myers could have witnessed the events that unfolded that fateful day. Furthermore, the whole of the McMillan family and extended family swear that Johnny D was in fact at a fish fry that same morning, but that too was not accounted for in his defence. Darnell's testimony plus previously undisclosed or obviously overlooked facts would cause the prosecution's case to fall apart. But when Stevenson submits Darnell's testimony, police quickly arrest him for perjury. However, while Stevenson is able to get the perjury charges dropped, Darnell is intimidated into refusing to testify in court for fear of further reprisals against him.

Bryan then meets with Myers in prison. Eventually Myers admits that his testimony was coerced from him after police played to his childhood fear of burning and threatened to have him executed by electric chair. Myers was as a seven year old boy badly burned when his pyjamas caught fire wile he slept and has facial and upper body scars as a result, and says that he can still smell his skin burning, a smell that he is familiar with too from his experiences with prison inmates executed by the electric chair. 

Stevenson then appeals to the local court to grant McMillan a retrial, and successfully convinces Myers to recant his testimony on the stand, but regardless the judge refuses to grant a retrial. Distraught, Bryan vents his frustrations about the case to Eva. He appears on '60 Minutes' in an attempt to generate public support in McMillan's favour, and then appeals to the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court overturns the circuit court's decision, and grants McMillan his retrial. 

Stevenson then seeks to have the charges completely dismissed. He later visits Chapman at his home and tries to convince him to join him in his motion, but Chapman steadfastly refuses and angrily orders him off his property. On the day of the motion, Stevenson appeals to the judge. Chapman surprisingly, given the almost overwhelming evidence presented agrees to join him in his motion and the case is dismissed. With no prosecution, the judge declares that with immediate effect McMillan is free to go, and so after six years Johnny D is finally reunited with his family, a free man. 

In the closing credits, we learn that McMillan remained friends with Stevenson until his death in 2013. A follow-up investigation into Ronda Morrison's death confirmed McMillan's innocence and speculated that a white man was likely responsible, although to this day the case has never been solved. Furthermore, Sheriff Tate (Michael Harding) who at the time arrested McMillan just because he looked guilty and was ultimately responsible for either concealing or completely ignoring the evidence that would have conclusively proven that McMillan was innocent, was elected to the office of Sheriff a further six times. Meanwhile Stevenson successfully had Anthony Ray Hinton's case overturned and after 28 years on Alabam's death row was finally freed in 2015. Herbert Richardson, was not so lucky, and he was executed by electric chair on 18th August 1989, and was one of 66 people to have been executed in Alabama since the resumption of capital punishment, most of whom would not have been executed if they had received timely and effective legal aid and advice.

'Just Mercy' is an important real life story of racial prejudice, the rich and poor divide, and the inequalities inflicted upon man just because of the way he may look, or the colour of his skin. Lesson's that still ring true today, just as much as they did thirty years ago when this story started to unfold. Jordan gives a nuanced, understated and restrained performance as the considered, tenacious and patient Stevenson, and Foxx gives arguably one of his best performances in years. This is a slow burning film, that Director Cretton allows the story to speak for itself without diving into dramatic over the top poetic licence territory, and my research of the Equal Justice Initiative and Bryan Stevenson seems to indicate that this story is faithfully recreated keeping largely to the facts as they unfolded. This film has so far collected seven award wins and another eight nominations from around the festivals and awards circuit, and the importance of this film cannot be underestimated. Worth the price of your cinema ticket for sure.

'Just Mercy' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

CREED II : Tuesday 4th December 2018.

I saw 'CREED II' earlier this week, and this sports drama film probably needs little introduction. After all it is the sequel to 2015's highly acclaimed 'Creed' film as Directed and Written by Ryan Coogler and Co-Produced and starring Sylvester Stallone in his seventh turn as our titular pugilist hero Rocky Balboa. That film cost US$40M to make, grossed US$174M and picked up a whole slew of awards and nominations along the way. Now the team reunite for 'Creed II' the eighth film in the 'Rocky' franchise, but this time Directing duties are given over to Steven Caple Jnr. in only his second feature film outing as Director. Ryan Coogler takes an Executive Producer credit and Sylvester Stallone takes on the role once more as Rocky Balboa, Co-Wrote the Screenplay and also Co-Produces. Released in the US on 21st November, the film has so far recovered US$100M from its US$50M Budget investment, and has generated generally positive Reviews.

The film opens up somewhere in a drab and dreary Ukraine. It is early morning, and woken up from his slumber on the sofa is Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). The man who did the wake up call is his father Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) as he looks out of his apartment window on to the grey city scape before him. We then cut to Las Vegas and a bout at the MGM Grand involving Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler (Andre Ward) for the WBC (World Boxing Council) World Heavyweight Championship title. His trainer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) gives Adonis a final pep talk, before his girlfriend Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson) has the final word. Needless to say Adonis wins the title and is crowned World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

With his new found fame, Adonis decides to propose marriage to Bianca, which she accepts. Bianca later suggests to Adonis that they move away from Philadelphia and return to Los Angeles where she can concentrate on her escalating singing career, and he can still train and be based there. However, Philadelphia has been good to him, he is established, is known, and furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, Rocky lives there, and there is a great sense of loyalty between the pair.

In the meantime, Ivan Drago, a former Russian boxer who killed Adonis's father, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers seen in flashback), in the ring thirty-three years earlier, sees a chance to regain the glory that was taken from him as a result of his loss to Rocky Balboa in Moscow later that same year by pitting his son, Viktor Drago, against Adonis. Boxing Promoter Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby) has been maintaining a watchful eye on Viktor's progress in the ring in recent times, and when he feels that Viktor is ready, he pitches the idea to both sides.

Ivan and Viktor both arrive in Philadelphia even though the bout has not yet been agreed to. Ivan visits Rocky in his restaurant one evening unannounced. The pair eye off against each other for the first time in more than thirty years. Ivan says that he returned to Russia a broken man after his fight in which he lost to Rocky, and that Russia turned its back on him. He has nothing . . . . except his son now. Ivan goads Rocky by saying that his son Viktor will break his boy. When Adonis mentions the idea to Rocky, he refuses to support the notion, and says that he'll be going into the ring without him therefore. Feeling betrayed and dejected, Adonis leaves with Bianca for LA where they take out a luxurious apartment overlooking the city skyline, and close to Apollo's widow and Adonis' adoptive mother Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad).

The day of the bout with Drago is quickly upon them. Adonis has been training in LA with Tony 'Little Duke' Evers (Wood Harris), the son of Apollo's, and later Rocky's, trainer. Bianca meanwhile has announced that she is pregnant. With so much going on his life - marriage proposal, baby on the way, recently relocated to LA, newly crowned World Champ, new trainer, no Rocky - Adonis rushes into his world title defence bout with Drago.

Drago is clearly the far superior Boxer, in terms of his height, weight, reach, strength and build. Adonis is ill prepared and comes off worse, and badly injured as well. Maintaining a bedside vigil, Bianca and Little Duke receive news that the Boxing Governing Body has upheld the decision to disqualify Drago for punching Adonis while he was still down, so allowing the World Champ to still retain his crown. Viktor and Ivan return to Russia where their popularity soon grows on a wave of national support.

Afters several weeks of recuperation in hospital Adonis is released with a frenzy of the media in waiting. Back at his apartment over the following weeks and months he becomes increasingly distant from Bianca. His body is still hurting, his confidence has taken a blow, and his mind is on other things. Mary Anne reaches out to Rocky in the hope that with his support and advice he will pull through his personal crisis. Rocky arrives at Mary Anne's palatial house, and waits for Adonis to arrive expecting to meet with his mother. Instead the pair say a few candid words to each other and make up their differences. Rocky agrees to train Adonis in preparation for a rematch with Drago which the Boxing Governing Body are putting pressure on Adonis to name an opponent or forfeit his title, due to the time that has now lapsed between world title contests.

Meanwhile back in Russia at a grand dinner at which Viktor and Ivan are the centre of attention by the gathered guests and dignitaries, in waltzes Ludmilla Drago (Brigitte Neilsen), the former wife of Ivan and mother to Viktor, who deserted them both soon after Ivan's loss to Rocky. Viktor can hardly contain himself out of anger towards seeing his mother all proud, glamorous and clearly well off while they have nothing. He walks out of the dinner quickly followed by Ivan, much to the chagrin of the other guests. Meanwhile back in LA Bianca has given birth to a girl, whom they name Amara.

Viktor continues to goad Adonis, while Ivan puts his son through a relative pedestrian albeit fairly brutal training regime. Rocky, on the other hand, drives Adonis out to the middle of the Californian desert to a run down dust bowl of an outdoor gym with makeshift equipment and a boxing ring. Rocky tells Adonis, that it is a place where fighters come to be 'reborn'.

What follows is the obligatory training montage that sees Adonis beating the sand and the dust with a sledgehammer with all his might, running to keep up with Rocky driving the car ahead, getting pummelled to the stomach with a medicine ball, strengthening his neck by lifting weights with his head, shadow boxing with the camp fire at dusk and sparring with an opponent in the ring with each man having to maintain a foot inside a tyre. This brutal regime goes on for seemingly a few weeks, but eventually Adonis has got his mojo back, he's in great shape and ready for the fight of his life (predictably).

The rematch is staged in Moscow, amidst all the glitz and glamour that Russia can muster and in front of a capacity crowd all cheering on Drago. Early on Adonis, in a more controlled and focused manner that his first bout against Drago, is on an equal footing with the Russian, exchanging blows one for one. Drago wins the second round by punches landed and the number of times Adonis falls to the mat.

And so it continues, into Rounds three, four, five and six. Drago has always won his fights by a knock out early on, and so is unaccustomed to going the distance with a worthy adversary, and someone who can take a pummelling and still keep coming back. A fact that Adonis plays to his advantage. In Round 10, after being floored again, Adonis gets mightily pissed off at himself and barely rising up off the mat musters the strength and the inner rage to let his punches rain down on Drago, sending him to the mat twice.

Ludmilla, who had been sitting ringside with other supporters of Viktor, departs when the fortunes of this title bout start leaning very much in Adonis' favour. Viktor sees this and is caught off-balance emotionally. Ivan also noted her prompt departure, but has now seemingly reconciled the fair-weathered nature of those supporters who had run Ivan out of Russia originally thirty years before. With Viktor cornered and Adonis landing multiple strikes without any retaliation by his opponent, Rocky watches in disbelief as Ivan steadily inches his way to where his son is cornered and throws in the towel, conceding the fight to Adonis to ensure his son isn’t seriously injured or worse.

Though Viktor is ashamed by his defeat, Ivan embraces his son motioning that it's OK that he lost and that he put up an admirable fight. Bianca, also watching from a ringside seat enters the ring to celebrate with Adonis who motions for Rocky to join them. Rocky stops himself from joining the celebrations telling Adonis that it is 'his time' and so he takes a seat and watches them from outside the ring. Sometime after the fight and back in LA, Adonis visits the gravesite of his father to make peace with him and for carrying the heavy burden of his legacy. Ivan and Viktor are seen jogging through the streets back in Ukraine. Rocky visits his estranged son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia) in Vancouver and meets with his young grandson Logan, for the first time. 

For the eighth film in the 'Rocky' franchise this instalment is light on genuine surprises and follows a tried and tested, and predictable, formula. Champion Boxer has crisis of confidence, check; has inner demons he must overcome, check; gets beaten up, loses and has a rematch, check; must face off against a formidable opponent against the odds, check; undergoes a brutal training regime seen in montage, check; goes the full ten rounds in the World Title fight despite being battered, bruised, bloody and broken, check; slo-mo body and facial blows, check; but wins the day and is victorious, check; and the principle characters all have their own little side story to deal with along the way too, check! Despite the predictable formulaic nature of this franchise as described, it is nonetheless a well executed sequel to 'Creed' that has strong performances from Jordan and Stallone once more especially, the fight scenes are well choreographed and excitingly shot from a myriad of angles, and the film has heart and conviction that invests you in the characters, their lives, challenges, triumphs and emotions. Certainly worth the price of your ticket.

'Creed II' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-