HELLBOY : Tuesday 16th April 2019.

'HELLBOY' which I saw this week is a reboot of a franchise that first launched back in 2004 when Writer and Director Guillermo del Toro first brought us his rendition of the Dark Horse Comics Graphic Novel 'Hellboy' starring Ron Perlman in the title role as an immensely powerful Demon who works for the governmental organisation, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (B.P.R.D.). That initial instalment was generally well received by Critics and took US$100M at the Box Office off the back of a US$66M production budget. Then four years later in 2008 Guillermo del Toro returned to the Directors chair with 'Hellboy II : The Golden Army' with Ron Perlman once again portraying our titular hero. That film was equally well received by Critics and scored US$161M off the back of a US$85 budget. Then in 2009 a third instalment was in development with del Toro returning once more to helm a film titled 'Hellboy III : Dark Worlds'. However, due to funding challenges that film was subsequently scrapped, in favour of this reboot which was released last week. Directed this time around by Neil Marshall whose previous film making credits include 'Dog Soldiers', 'The Descent', 'Centurion' and two episodes of 'Game of Thrones', this film stars David Harbour in the title role, after Ron Perlman refused to return to the franchise without del Toro's involvement. So far this film has recouped US$26M of its US$50M production budget and has received generally negative Reviews.

During World War II, Hellboy as an infant child was summoned from Hell by Nazis looking for an edge in the latter days of the war. He was instead adopted by the US, and raised under the auspices of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (an agency founded by Hellboy's adoptive father Trevor Bruttenholm, played by Ian McShane) to help fend off paranormal threats. One such threat comes in the form of an ancient medieval sorceress named Nimue, the Queen of Blood (Milla Jovovich) who was betrayed by her coven, beheaded by King Arthur and dismembered by both Merlin and his King in fifth century England. King Arthur then ordered that the various parts of Nimue's body - her head, her arms, her legs and torso be secured in separate iron crates and taken to various far reaching parts of England never to be unearthed again.

We then fast forward to England via Tijuana where the now adult Hellboy (David Harbour) gets into a wrestling match with a former colleague that has turned Vampire. Hellboy reluctantly kills the Vampire in the ring by impaling him on a post, and in his last dying moments turns back into his human form warning that the apocalypse is coming.

A few weeks later, Hellboy returns to the B.P.R.D HQ in America whereupon he is dispatched to England by his father, and in particular the Osiris Club (an ancient English outfit dedicated to uncovering supernatural mysteries) to hunt down and dispense with three giants who have been running amok across the English countryside. Hellboy joins the giant hunters but is ultimately betrayed by them in an ambush. However, the giants arrive and slaughter the hunters leaving Hellboy to fend off the giants and overthrow each of them, which he does of course using his particular set of skills.

In the meantime, Gruagach (Stephen Graham and Douglas Tait), a hog like beast who has a score to settle with Hellboy seeks advice from Baba Yaga (Emma Tate and Troy James), a one eyed ancient witch who lives in a house propped up by chicken legs, who suggests restoring Nimue to her all powerful former self by reconnecting each of her body parts. Baba Yaga knows of the secret location  of where her head is housed, and once secured the awoken Nimue will reveal after 1500 years where her other body parts are located.

After falling unconscious following his battle with the three giants Hellboy comes around in the apartment of Alice Monaghan (Sasha Lane), whom he shares a connection with since her childhood, when she was kidnapped by fairies and subsequently acquired powerful skills as a medium. Bruttenholm descends upon the apartment with a SWAT Team and reveals that someone has located Nimue's remains and will more than likely find her last piece housed at the Osiris Club. Heading up the SWAT Team is M11 Agent Ben Daimio (Daniel Dae Kim), whom Hellboy now joins forces with, aided by Alice with her very own particular set of skills.

Upon arriving at the Osiris Club, the three find everyone well and truly slaughtered. Alice connects with the lifeless body of the clubs resident seer Lady Hatton (Sophie Okonedo), whose spirit is still present. Her spirit manifested through Alice reveals that Nimue has plans to find a King so that they can together raise the apocalypse. In the corridors of the building Hellboy runs into Gruagach holding onto Nimue's dismembered lower arm. Gruagach escapes however, after Hellboy is distracted by a vision of Nimue appealing to the powerful force that they could be together.

Daimio takes them to M11's headquarters, located deep underground in an old WWII bunker once used by Winston Churchill, and secretly hidden under a fish and chip shop. While Daimio secretly acquires a special bullet to kill Hellboy when the opportunity presents itself, Hellboy has a heated exchange of words with Bruttonholm over his 'adoption' and upbringing. Dissatisfied with the answer, Hellboy leaves but is magically transported to Baba Yaga's house - the one that walks on chicken legs. In exchange for an eye, the ancient witch reveals the location where Nimue plans to restore herself - the site of an ancient oak tree high up on craggy outcrop at Pendle Hill - the very place where she was slain by King Arthur and Merlin centuries ago. Hellboy reneges on the agreement to give up an eye, and Baba Yaga curses him.

At Pendle Hill Nimue has assembled with Gruagach and her coven of witches which she kills all but one. Hellboy, Alice and Daimio make haste for Pendle Hill only to be confronted by an army of the dead rising up to thwart them. Leaving Alice and Daimio to fend off their undead attackers, Hellboy makes haste to the old oak tree, where he is subdued by Nimue. In making her escape after Alice and Daimio arrive, Nimue poisons Alice with a thorn taken from her crown. 

The surviving witch directs the team to Merlin, believing that only he can save her. Finding Merlin hidden deep within a remote coastal cave system, the old wizard is woken from centuries of slumber and cures Alice. He then tells Hellboy that his mother was human and a direct descendant of King Arthur. As such, Merlin (Brian Gleeson) offers him Excalibur, but Hellboy refuses it after seeing a vision of himself using the sword to raise the apocalypse. Nimue meanwhile attacks London with her plague-like powers, and later unleashes all manner of demons to wreak havoc and mayhem across the capital city violently killing many in the process.

The three return to M11 headquarters, where they find everyone dead and Bruttenholm missing. They reach St Paul's Cathedral, where Nimue is in hiding, and to be confronted by Gruagach. Daimio, who earlier revealed to Alice that when he was a soldier deep in some dense jungle territory tracking down a man hunting animal that he was the sole survivor of a were-jaguar attack which left him permanently scarred to his face. Seeing Hellboy and Graugach go head to head, Daimio transforms into his jaguar form and jumps to support Hellboy in the fight. Nimue kills Graugach and then pleads with Hellboy to side with her. 

After he refuses, she sends him crashing down into a hidden crypt, revealing King Arthur's tomb and Excalibur, partially encased in stone. After Nimue kills Bruttenholm, Hellboy pulls Excalibur, causing him to assume his true form. Nimue further appeals to Hellboy, but Alice channels Bruttenholm's spirit, who manifests itself and appeals to Hellboy's inner sense of humanity. Hellboy then decapitates Nimue, sending all the demons and Nimue's head back to the very depths of hell. Hellboy and Bruttenholm exchange their final farewells, and Daimio tosses away the bullet he had manufactured to kill Hellboy. 

Lobster Johnson (Thomas Haden Church) is a vigilante who has a reputation for violence, such as killing mobsters and burning his trademark lobster claw symbol into their foreheads with the palm of his gloved hand. Lobster was there when the Nazi's summonsed the young Hellboy in the closing days of WWII, and helped thwart, together with Trevor Bruttonholm, the Nazi's plan. The ghost of Lobster also appears to Hellboy in a mid credits sequence as he mourns his late father by his graveside comforted by a bottle of his favourite whisky. Watch out too for an end credits scene involving Baba Yaga. 

I have to say that I was underwhelmed by this version of 'Hellboy'. Once you get past the extreme violence, the viscera, the entrails, the blood, guts and gore, the hacked limbs, the gouged eyes and the almost relentless carnage which I guess is all delivered in the context of a mightily pissed off demonic centuries old queen, the storyline here is disjointed, most of the humour fails to land, and ultimately it's all (CGI rendered) style over substance. The film moves along at a frenetic pace from one action set piece to the next giving the viewer hardly time to catch up on the plot with its gaping holes and impossible time lines. David Harbour puts in a convincing performance as does Milla Jovovich and Daniel Dae Kim, but I am left wondering what Ian McShane was thinking, and the CGI and creature effects are mostly delivered well, but those are the only redeeming features in this sub-par offering when compared to del Toro's earlier offerings.

'Hellboy' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 18th April 2019.

As reported in last weeks segment of this regular weekly latest release feature, April 25th sees the release of the hotly anticipated final instalment in the Avengers saga with 'Avengers : Endgame'. But this film is just one of nine Superhero movies being released in 2019 - quite possibly the most in any single year since the genre really launched way back when.

As a recap, and as a reminder of what is to come this remaining year, here is a quick summary of those Superhero movies you may have already seen, and those scheduled later this year.

* 'GLASS' - released January 18th and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy. The direct sequel to 2000's 'Unbreakable' and 2016's 'Split'. The film took US$247M at the worldwide Box Office.
* 'CAPTAIN MARVEL' - released March 8th and Directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden and starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn. An origin story and serving as the 21st film in the MCU. The film has so far taken US$1.05B at the global Box Office.
* 'SHAZAM' - released April 5th and Directed by David F. Sandberg and starring Zachary Levi, Mark Strong and Asher Angel. An origin story and serving as the seventh film in the DCEU. The film has so far taken US$261M in world wide Box Office receipts.
* 'HELLBOY' - released 11th April and Directed by Neil Marshall and starring David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane and Daniel Dae Kim in this supernatural Superhero film. It is a reboot of 2004's 'Hellboy' and 2008's 'Hellboy : The Golden Army' both Directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman as Hellboy. The film has so far grossed US$24M.
* 'AVENGERS : ENDGAME' - due for release on April 25th and Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and starring a truly ensemble cast of all your favourite Superhero talent. It is the direct follow on film to 2018's 'Avengers: Infinity War', a sequel to 2012's Marvel's 'The Avengers' and 2015's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', and the 22nd film in the MCU. Box Office expectations are huge!
* 'X-MEN : DARK PHOENIX' - due for release on June 7th and Directed by Simon Kinberg and starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner and Nicholas Hoult. This film is a sequel to 2016's 'X-Men: Apocalypse', is the twelfth instalment in the 'X-Men' film series and the seventh and intended final instalment in the main series.
* 'SPIDER-MAN : FAR FROM HOME' - due for release on July 5th and Directed by Jon Watts and starring Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cobie Smulders and Zendaya. This is a direct sequel to 2017's 'Spider-Man : Homecoming' and the 23rd film in the MCU.
* 'THE NEW MUTANTS' - due for release on August 2nd and Directed by Josh Boone and starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton, this horror film out of the Superhero genre is based on the Marvel Comics of the same name and is intended to be the thirteenth and final instalment in the 'X-Men' film series.

* 'JOKER' - due for release on October 4th and Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy. This film is intended to be the first in a series of DC based films separate from the DCEU and is an origin story of how Arthur Fleck back in the early '80's slowly rises up to become the menacing underworld legend and arch enemy to Batman.

And so turning attention back to this weeks latest release films to tease you out to your local Odeon, of which there are five this week, we launch with the sixth film in this successful supernatural horror franchise that takes us back to the LA of the '70's where the ghost of a mysterious woman is likely to claim your children for her own, and scare the bejeezus out of you in the process. We then turn to an Irish horror thriller which sees a single Mum and her young son rent a house in the rural Irish countryside in which is a massive menacing sinkhole, into which clambers the young lad only to return as a very different version of himself. Next up is an acclaimed South Korean drama offering of three friends and a mysterious incident they experience that changes their lives for ever. This is followed up by a Christian drama film recounting the true story of an adopted son who falls into a frozen lake, is retrieved but has no pulse for a staggering 45 minutes, and miraculously comes round later as though nothing happened at all - clearly touched by the hand of God some would argue. We then close out the week with the bizarre true story of a high flying corporate executive type who gave it all away to very successfully grow medicinal marijuana in the face of local community, thieves, drug cartels and the authorities while practicing her new found faith in God as a 'Sister of the Valley'.

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 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.

'THE CURSE OF THE WEEPING WOMAN' (Rated M) - aka 'The Curse of La Llorona' is an American supernatural horror thriller Directed in his feature length debut by Michael Chaves and Co-Produced by James Wan. This film serves as the sixth instalment of 'The Conjuring Universe' following 2013's 'The Conjuring', 2014's 'Annabelle', 2016's 'The Conjuring 2', 2017's 'Annabelle : Creation' and 2018's 'The Nun'. Michael Chaves is also slated to be on Directing duties for the eighth film in the franchise 'The Conjuring 3' due for release in September 2020, following the June 2019 release of the seventh film 'Annabelle Comes Home'. The first five films in the series have collectively grossed US$1.569B from combined budgets of US$104M, making the ongoing future of this franchise a no-brainer I guess. This film has however, garnered mixed or average Reviews so far.

Anna Garcia (Linda Cardellini), is a social worker and widow raising her two children in  Los Angeles during the '70's. She is called to check in on one of her cases, and finds signs of foul play. As she digs deeper, she finds striking similarities between the case, and the terrifying supernatural occurrences haunting her own family. Enlisting the help of a local faith healer, she discovers that La Llorona has latched herself onto Anna and will stop at nothing to take her children. La Llorona, also known as the Weeping Woman, is a female ghost in Latin American folklore who drowned her children and now cries while looking for them in the river, often causing misfortune to those who are near, or hear her. As she searches for them, she takes other lost children, making them her own. Anna's only hope of surviving La Llorona's deadly wrath is a disillusioned priest who practices mysticism to keep evil in check. Also starring Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez, Sean Patrick Thomas and Tony Amendola.

'THE HOLE IN THE GROUND' (Rated M) - Lee Cronin Directs and Co-Writes this Irish horror thriller offering that saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year and was released in the UK and Ireland on 1st March, and this week on limited screens in Australia too. One night, Sarah O'Neill's (Seana Kerslake) young son Chris (James Quinn Markey) disappears into the forest behind their rented rural home, where there is a large sinkhole. When he returns, he looks the same, but his behaviour grows increasingly disturbing. In time, Sarah begins to believe that the boy who returned, may not be her son at all - a notion first introduced to her by the husband of a woman who was mysteriously murdered in the community. Also starring James Cosmo, Simone Kirby and Steve Wall.

'BURNING' (Rated M) - this psychological drama film is from South Korea and is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Lee Chang-dong and is based on the short story 'Barn Burning' from the collection of seventeen short stories as found in 'The Elephant Vanishes' written between 1980 and 1991 by author Haruki Murakami. The film premiered at the May 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it was in competition for the Palme d'Or, and it was also selected as South Korea's entry into the Best Foreign Language Films category at this years Academy Awards making it into the final nine shortlisted films amongst its haul of 32 award wins and a further 104 nominations from around the circuit. Telling the story of three individuals, and a mysterious incident they experience. Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) bumps into an old friend, Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), on a part-time delivery job. Hae-mi asks Jong-su to take care of her cat while she leaves on a trip to Africa. When she returns, Hae-mi introduces Jong-su to Ben (Steven Yuen), a man she met in Africa. One day, Ben and Hae-mi pay Jong-su a visit, and Ben reveals his secret interests to Jong-su, that has life changing consequences for them all.

'BREAKTHROUGH' (Rated PG) - here we have an American Christian drama offering Directed by Roxann Dawson and based on the 2017 book titled 'The Impossible : The Miraculous Story of a Mother's Faith  and her Child's Resurrection' by Joyce Smith and collaborator Ginger Kolbaba. The film tells the true story of a suburban St. Louis fourteen year old teenager, John Smith (Marcel Ruiz), a Guatemalan adopted child, who slipped through an icy Lake St. Louis while playing with friends in January 2015 and had no pulse for nearly 45 minutes. He was put in a coma after being rescued by first responder Tommy Shine (Mike Colter) who had a moment with God to save the young lad. The film follows his parents Joyce and Brian (Chrissy Metz and Josh Lucas respectively), whose faith in God keeps their hope alive that John will pull through. The film also stars Dennis Haysbert and Topher Grace.

'BREAKING HABITS' (Rated M) - Directed and Written by Documentarian Robert Ryan this unbelievable true story tells of former high flying corporate executive Christin Meeusen who was cheated on by her stealing, polygamist husband of seventeen years, and who fled penniless with her three young children as her American dream began to unravel. Determined to make a living for her family, she discovered the lucrative business of cannabis farming, and met her calling as founder of medicinal-marijuana empire 'Sisters of the Valley' (a group of feminist activists who present themselves as non-affiliated nuns that grow and sell medical marijuana products to ill patients). Shedding her former life, Christine became Sister Kate, now on a mission to provide her products to those in need, fighting off the County Sheriff and protecting her crop from deadly black market racketeers, thieves and drug cartels in the years before marijuana was legalised in California. This is the true story of nuns, guns and drugs.

With five new release movies 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 in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SHAZAM! : Wednesday 10th April 2019.

'SHAZAM' which I saw earlier this week, is the seventh instalment in the DC Extended Universe based on the DC Comics of the same name, which first appeared in 1939 under his original name 'Captain Marvel' and subsequently changed to 'Shazam' in 1972 due to trademark conflicts over another character named 'Captain Marvel' owned by Marvel Comics. He is the alter ego of Billy Batson, a boy who, by speaking the magic word 'SHAZAM' (an acronym of six 'immortal elders', being Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury), can transform himself into a costumed adult with the powers of superhuman strength, speed, flight and various other abilities. The film cost in the region of US$100M to bring to the big screen, is Directed by David F. Sandberg, was released in the US last week too and has so far received generally favourable Reviews with some describing it as one of the best Superhero films. The film has so far taken US$194M at the Box Office. A sequel is already in the works and under redevelopment.

The film opens in 1974 with a car driving along a deserted highway late at night. Driving the car is Mr. Sivana (John Glover) father of teenager Sid (Landon Doak) sat in the passenger seat and in the back youngest son Thaddeus (Ethan Pugiotto). The two brothers are arguing over a toy game that Thaddeus is amusing himself with, when the car seems to take on a life of its own, gathers speed rapidly, the windows frost over and then comes to a grinding halt leaving Thaddeus alone in the now stationary vehicle. He ventures outside to see that he has somehow been magically transported to some kind of ancient looking temple. There he meets the equally ancient looking wizard 'Shazam' (Djimon Hounsou), the last surviving wizard of the Council of Seven Wizards. Shazam explains that he has spent these past centuries seeking out a new champion without success who is 'pure of heart' to whom the old wizard can pass on his magical and mystical powers before he finally departs this mortal coil. He further explains that after the previous champion went rogue, the Seven Deadly Sins were released by him upon the ancient world to wreak widespread havoc, death and destruction. The Sins, are now trapped in stone statues within the temple, yet they tempt Thaddeus with promises of power and riches. However, for succumbing to them so easily he is banished back to Earth as unworthy to be the champion. Upon returning, Thaddeus' car gets T-Boned by an oncoming pick-up truck from which Sid and Thaddeus survive but Mr. Sivana is lying in a crumpled heap on the ground having been thrown from the car. Sid blames his little brother for being the cause of his fathers injuries.

We then fast forward to the present day Philadelphia. Here we meet up with fourteen year old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who frequently taunts the local Police force while searching for his birth mother whom he was separated from when he was just four years old. Billy has been in foster care ever since and repeatedly has run away from his foster carers for varying reasons. He is placed into a new group home run by Victor and Rosa Vazquez (Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans respectively), who have five other foster kids: Mary Bromfield (Grace Fulton), Pedro Peña (Jovan Armand), Eugene Choi (Ian Chen), Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman) and Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), his new roommate who is a budding and nerdy superhero enthusiast.

Meanwhile, a now adult Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) who has spent his life's work in trying to discover a way back into the magical temple, discovers a way of re-entering it. Upon arrival, Sivana confronts the now older and more frail Shazam, steals the 'Eye of Sins' from the 'Rock of Eternity' so freeing the Seven Deadly Sins and in doing so becomes their collective vessel. He uses his new powers to attack the wizard, and later returns to Earth to kill his abusive father, now the CEO of Sivana Industries, his domineering older brother Sid (Wayne Ward) and the other members of the Sivana Industries Board all gathered for a meeting.

While at school, Billy saves Freddy from bullies and leads them on a chase into a subway. While travelling on the subway train Billy experiences the train gather rapid speed, the lights go out, the windows frost over and the train then comes to an abrupt halt with only him in the carriage. He gingerly ventures outside to reveal that he is in the same ancient temple having been summoned by Shazam who chooses Billy as the next champion. By touching the staff and repeating Shazam's name, Billy is transformed into an adult costumed superhero who takes on the wizard's name before the wizard turns to dust, leaving behind only his staff.

Shazam (Zachary Levi) returns home and, with Freddy's help, starts to learn the extent and test out his newly gifted powers : super strength, electricity manipulation, bulletproof skin, hyper speed and flight (which he hasn't quite got the hang of yet!). Freddy posts videos online of Shazam testing his powers, creating an overnight viral sensation. 

Freddy brags to their classmates about knowing Shazam. Billy meanwhile abandons him and skips school to entertain fans with his newfound super powers for money. After seeing Shazam save a bus on the news, Sivana attacks him demanding he give up his power to him. After all, Shazam is just a fourteen year old boy trapped inside the body of an adult, so what use does he have for the powers bestowed upon him. The untested Shazam is easily defeated in close quarter hand to hand combat staged in a shopping mall at Christmas time. Shazam transforms back into Billy to escape into the fleeing crowd trying to exit the mayhem going on all around them. 

Sivana sees news coverage of Shazam and Freddy following Shazam's saving of the bus load of passengers after it had careered off the side of the freeway. From this he deduces Billy's identity and captures Freddy forcing him to reveal where Billy lives. Back at the foster family home, the other kids learn of Billy's secret alter ego, and also tell him that the have been able to locate his birth mother (something Billy has spent years trying to do unsuccessfully) who lives just two blocks away. Billy goes to meet his mother for the first time in ten years, but she tells him that she intentionally abandoned him, believing she was unable to care for him as a teenage single mother. A few minutes later, Billy leaves feeling dejected and rejected saying that he needs to return to his real family.

Sivana calls Billy from the Vazquez home. Once there, Shazam agrees to give Sivana his powers in exchange for sparing his family's lives. Sivana and Shazam travel to the temple through a temporary doorway portal in the house, but the other kids follow and attack Sivana, giving them all time to escape, before Shazam gave up his powers.

Sivana follows Shazam and the kids to a Christmas carnival, where Sivana unleashes the Seven Deadly Sins. Wrath does battle with Shazam, leaving the other Sins free to capture his family, so coaxing him to give up his powers. As Sivana recalls the Sins, Shazam uses that moment to pull the old wizards staff from out of his hands and stun Sivana. Shazam remembers the wizard's wise words and shares his powers with his foster brothers and sisters, transforming them into adult superheroes with powers equal to his own. Shazam snaps the staff in two and as the family of newly formed caped superheroes are kept occupied by the other Deadly Sins, Shazam resumes his battle with Sivana. On a rooftop Shazam baits out Envy, who had remained housed in Sivana's body as the smallest and ugliest of the Seven Deadly Sins, so leaving Sivana powerless. Shazam defeats Envy and saves a falling Sivana who has plummeted off the rooftop. Dropping him in the rubble of the broken Christmas carnival ground, Shazam removes the Eye of Sin from Sivana, which seals away the Sins back into their stone tombs. The family return the Eye of Sin to its rightful place within the temple and the Rock of Eternity, and realise that they can use the temple now as their secret lair.

I would have to say that I was just a little reluctant going in to see 'Shazam!' based on the experiences of the previous DCEU offerings, and yet I was pleasantly surprised. The film glides along on a steady stream of humour, fast paced action and emotion, intertwined with family values, a coming of age story, and good overcoming evil. Finally it seems that the DCEU has overcome its earlier challenges and is now hitting its straps with 'Wonder Woman', then 'Aquaman' and now 'Shazam' perhaps the least known character in the ensemble. That said, it's not up there with the Marvel competition, but on the strength of this offering, the critical response generated so far, the accumulating Box Office take and the fact that a sequel is already in the works, then this lighthearted yet still dark and emotional enough new character offering may be around for long enough for us to become truly invested in him. 

'Shazam!' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a possible five. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online- 

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 11th April 2019.

In just a couple of weeks the most highly anticipated, eagerly awaited and much hyped film of 2019 will hit our movie theatres, with expectations already reaching fever pitch. As if you didn't already know it, the direct sequel to 2018's 'Avengers: Infinity War', a sequel to 2012's 'The Avengers' and 2015's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 'Avengers : Endgame' will arrive at an Odeon near you on 25th April.

Following on immediately from where 'Infinity War' left off the film picks up after half of all life in the universe was killed due to the actions of Thanos once he had amassed all six infinity stones and placed them strategically in his Infinity Gauntlet. The remaining Avengers and their allies must reassemble to revert those actions in one final stand to restore balance to the universe and save all humanity.

With an ensemble cast that consists all of our much loved superheroes and a few nefarious intergalactic villains too, and the conclusion of eleven years of MCU story telling that has so successfully interwoven individual standalone films with cross-over episodes to drive a franchise that we're invested in, Box Office records could well & truly be smashed here. On April 4, industry tracking projected the film would gross US$200–250 million in the US during its opening weekend, although some insiders saw those figures as conservative and expect a $260–300 million debut, with  a potential worldwide debut of approaching US$850M. The first trailer of the film released in December 2018 generated 289 million views in its first 24 hours, and the second trailer released in March 2019 garnered 268 millions views in its first 24 hours. Advance ticket sales seem to indicate that this blockbuster is going to be huge, with the potential to top the worldwide Box Office takings of US$2.05B as seen for 'Infinity War'. At a running time of three hours and two minutes, strap yourselves in for a wild ride as Thanos faces off against all the might and power that the Avengers and their allies can muster. Can't wait!

This week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, we have five new cinematic releases coming your way. Kicking off with the third instalment in this graphic novel franchise that returns with a new Director at the helm and a new Actor playing our titular summonsed from the very depths of Hell lead character, to battle an ancient sorceress intent on destroying life as we know it. This is followed up by a 1946 set just post-WWII drama about an English couple relocating themselves to Hamburg to help rebuild the war torn city to find themselves shacking up with a German widower in his grand home - a situation that has a profound impact on each of them. We then turn to a drama film about a pre-school teacher who comes to realise that one of her young pupils is a child prodigy and over time tries to nurture his talents - but at what costs ultimately to herself, the boy and his parents? Then, next up is a fantasy comedy offering about a ruthless corporate executive who one day finds herself reliving her life as her younger self; and we then wrap up the week with an Aussie feel good sporting offering about a teenage girl caught in the wrong place at the right time and how she uses her science skills to overcome adversity in a soccer final.

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 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.

'HELLBOY' (Rated R18+) - in 2004 Writer and Director Guillermo del Toro first brought us his rendition of the Dark Horse Comics Graphic Novel 'Hellboy' starring Ron Perlman in the title role as an immensely powerful Demon who works for the governmental organisation Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence. That initial instalment was generally well received by Critics and is took US$100M at the Box Office off the back of a US$66M production budget. Then four years later in 2008 Guillermo del Toro returned to the Directors chair with 'Hellboy II : The Golden Army' with Ron Perlman once again portraying our titular hero. That film was equally well received by Critics and scored US$161M off the back of a US$85 budget. Then in 2009 a third instalment was in development with del Toro returning once more to helm a film titled 'Hellboy III : Dark Worlds'. However, due to funding challenges that film was subsequently scrapped, in favour of this reboot which is released this week. Directed this time around by Neil Marshall whose previous film making credits include 'Dog Soldiers', 'The Descent', 'Centurion' and two episodes of 'Game of Thrones'. This film stars David Harbour in the title role, after Ron Perlman refused to return to the franchise without del Toro's involvement.

And so to this story. During World War II, Hellboy (David Harbour) was summoned from Hell by Nazis looking for an edge in the latter days of the war. He was instead adopted by the US, and raised under the auspices of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (an agency founded by Hellboy's adoptive father Trevor Bruttenholm, played by Ian McShane) to help fend off paranormal threats. One such threat comes in the form of an ancient medieval sorceress named Nimue, the Queen of Blood (Milla Jovovich) who has risen, and is threatening to wipe out London by turning everyone to dust and laying the nations capital to siege while unleashing an evil most foul. Also starring Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim and Thomas Haden Church.

'THE AFTERMATH' (Rated M) - this drama film is Directed by James Kent and is based on the 2013 book of the same name by Welsh novelist and Screenwriter Rhidian Brook. The film saw its Premier screening at the Glasgow Film Festival in late February, went on release in the UK on 1st March, in the US on 15th March and has so far collected less that US$4M at the Box Office. Now it gets a run in Australia from this week. Set in the aftermath of a postwar Germany in 1946, Rachael Morgan (Keira Knightley) arrives in the bombed out ruins of Hamburg in the middle of a bitterly cold winter, to be reunited with her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), a Colonel of the British Forces Germany tasked with rebuilding the broken city. As they set off for their new home however, Rachael is stunned to learn that Lewis has made the unexpected decision that they will be sharing their grand new home with its former owners, a German widower Stefan Lubert (Alexander Skarsgard) and his troubled daughter. In this fraught atmosphere, hostility and grief ultimately pave the way to passion and betrayal. The film has so far receive mixed or average Reviews.

'THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER' (Rated M) - Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2018, released in the USA in mid-October last year, and now getting a limited release in Australia, this drama film is Directed by Sara Colangelo and is based on the 2014 Israeli film of the same name. Here Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is a kindergarten teacher from Staten Island, who struggles with feelings of dissatisfaction in her life. Lisa attends a poetry class every week chaired by Simon (Gael García Bernal), but her poetry is dismissed as derivative. One of Lisa's students, Jimmy (Parker Sevak) is regularly collected late from school by the babysitter. One day, as Jimmy waits to be picked up, Lisa overhears him reciting a poem he wrote. Lisa reads the poem at her poetry class, where her fellow classmates and Simon are struck by it and compliment Lisa on her poetic talent. Lisa thereafter decides that Jimmy is a prodigy, and begins to dedicate her time to nurturing his talent, but at what cost ultimately? Also starring Rosa Salazar, the film has generated generally favourable Reviews.

'LITTLE' (Rated PG) - this American fantasy comedy offering is Directed and Co-Written by Tina Gordon, cost US$20M and is released Stateside this week too. In it, a ruthless tech mogul, Jordan Sanders (Regina Hall) soon faces an unexpected threat to both her personal life and her working career when she is given the opportunity to relive the life of her younger thirteen year old self (Marsai Martin) at a time in her life when the pressures of adulthood become too much for her to bear after a girl she offended wishes she was little. Jordan receives help from her overworked and long suffering Personal Assistant, April (Issa Rae), to find a way to return her boss to her normal self.

'BACK OF THE NET' (Rated G) - here we have another true blue Aussie sporting offering that sees the underdog wrong kid in the wrong place at the right time. Directed by Louise Alston, this film charts the story of young teenage science geek Cory Bailey (Sofia Wylie) who gets on the wrong bus and winds up at The Harold Soccer Academy instead of The Harold Academy Australian Semester at Sea. Like a fish outta water Cory must stay put while her parents are overseas volunteering in India. It's not long before Cory makes friends at her new temporary home, but she butts heads with Evie (Tiarnie Coupland) who just so happens to be the academy's star soccer player.  When Cory learns that the Academy is playing host to a National Soccer Championship, Cory is determined to pitch her scientific prowess and her own teams various soccer skills to beat Evie at her own game and get her shot at the tournament finals.

With five new release movies 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 in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

US : Tuesday 2nd April 2019.

And so Jordan Peele here brings us his highly anticipated and already critically acclaimed American psychological horror thriller film 'US' which I saw earlier this week. Peele also Co-Produced with Jason Blum, and wrote the Screenplay. Following hot on the heels of his previous also acclaimed debut feature 'Get Out' in 2017, the film saw its World Premier screening at SXSW in early March and went on wide release in the US on 22nd March and a week later here in Australia. Made for US$20M the film has so far grossed US$181M and in its opening weekend debuted at US$71.1M, the second best opening for a live-action original film after 2009's 'Avatar' and the third-best total for a horror film after 2017's 'It' and 2018's 'Halloween'. The film has also generated widespread Critical and audience acclaim.

It is the Summer of 1986, on Santa Cruz Beach, and the young Adelaide Thomas (Madison Curry) is out for the evening at the beachside amusement park with her parents. While her parents are distracted, Adelaide wanders off down to the waters edge, and upon returning is enticed into a funhouse. At first all seems relatively normal, until the lights go out, and the place is plunged into darkness and silence. Adelaide begins to whistle to calm her nerves, only to have an unknown presence whistle the same tune right back at her. Then in a hall of mirrors she comes across a doppelgänger of herself, but this is no reflection looking back at her. A short time later Adelaide is reunited with her parents, but is unable to speak.

We then fast forward to the present day and Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke are married couple Adelaide Wilson (the now grown up Adelaide Thomas) and Gabriel 'Gabe' Wilson, who together with their son Jason (Evan Alex) and daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) are en route to their family beachside home in Santa Cruz where they plan on spending some quality family time. Gabe is keen on visiting Santa Cruz Beach later that afternoon and has already made plans to meet up with good friends Kitty and Josh Tyler (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker respectively) and their twin kids Gwen and Maggie (Cali and Noelle Sheldon). Adelaide however, is fearful and anxious about returning to Santa Cruz Beach given her experiences there as a young child, and attempts (albeit unsuccessfully) to dissuade Gabe from the trip. Reluctantly Adelaide agrees and the family drives off catching up with the Tylers at the beach. All is good, until young Jason wanders off to use the toilet. Upon returning Jason is distracted by a man wearing a red jump suit, standing motionless on the sand and bleeding from the hands. Adelaide is distraught about her missing son, and when he returns moments later she chides him, before hugging him. He does not mention the man he saw.

Later that same night, a strange family of four appears in the driveway of the Wilson's home. Initially, they stand there motionless in the moonlight, all wearing the same red jumpsuit, and all holding hands. Their menacing presence lasts for about five minutes, with Gabe becoming increasingly agitated by their presence, to the point where he retrieves a baseball bat from inside the house and threatens them if they do not leave his property immediately.

Within a few minutes the red suited family begin attacking the Wilson family home and forcibly gaining entry. The Wilsons quickly realise that the four intruders are in fact doppelgängers of themselves, led by Adelaide's double, Red (Lupita Nyong'o). Each of them is wearing the same red jumpsuit as the man Jason saw on the beach, and Jason's doppelgänger Pluto (Evan Alex) is wearing a white skintight mask over his head and covering his face. 

Red, is the only doppelgänger who speaks while the others grunt, and she tells the Wilsons the story of a girl who lives a happy life while her shadow suffers. The family is then separated by their opposite selves : Red makes Adelaide shackle herself to a table, Zora is pursued by Umbrae (Shahadi Wright Joseph), Gabe is dragged onto the motor boat he had rented for the duration of their break by Abraham (Winston Duke), and Jason is charged to go off and 'play' with Pluto in a cupboard. 

While chasing Zora on foot, Umbrae is interrupted by a neighbour who has come outside to see why Umbrae is standing on the roof of his car. She jumps down and stabs the neighbour with a pair of gold scissors so allowing Zora to escape. Gabe is able to kill Abraham with his boat's problematical and temperamental motor, while Jason quickly learns that Pluto mirrors his actions almost exactly. Jason removes a mask he has been wearing on and off since their arrival, and in so doing Pluto does likewise revealing that half his face is disfigured by a severe burn when he was younger. He is able to distract Pluto with a magic trick and escape, leaving Pluto locked in the cupboard. Red is drawn to Pluto's cries for release, allowing Adelaide the time to break free. The family regroups and is able to escape on Gabe's boat as Red, Umbrae and Pluto come down to the waters edge to see them motor off into the moonlight.

Meanwhile, at the Tyler household not far away, their house is broken into and the family of four are murdered by their identical selves. The Wilsons arrive expecting to find safe harbourage but are forced to kill the Tyler doubles in what turns out to be a bloodbath using the good old trusted baseball bat, a golf club and a heavy stone crystal ornament. With the Tylers and their doubles dead and blood spattered walls and furniture all round them, in a surreal moment they sit around the dining table eating snacks and turn on the news to see that millions of doppelgängers, calling themselves 'the Tethered', have risen up in their red jumpsuits and committed murders against their real counterparts across the US. The doppelgängers subsequently join hands together to form a massive human chain, which the news channels speculate is some form of protest.

Upon seeing the news, Adelaide takes charge of their situation and suggests that they should get as far away as possible, and drive down to Mexico. The Wilsons drive away in the Tylers' car with Zora behind the wheel. They are attacked by Umbrae, who is launched while clinging onto the bonnet into a tree, by a sudden braking manoeuvre. Adelaide gets out of the car to investigate where Umbrae might be and finish her off once and for all. She discovers the broken body of Umbrae hanging from the branches of a tree and she dies shortly afterwards. As day breaks, the Wilsons arrive at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, where they find their own abandoned car set ablaze. 

Pluto is waiting in front of the burning car and has set a trap to kill the Wilsons by laying a trail of petrol to the Tyler's car, but Jason, remembering that Pluto mirrors his every move, walks backward so that Pluto also steps backwards into the burning car and is consequently burned to death. In all the commotion, Red reappears and takes Jason. 

With Adelaide now giving chase to Red in an attempt to find her son, Zora and Gabe find refuge in an abandoned ambulance located behind the now abandoned Santa Cruz Beach amusement park, through which now runs a long line down to the ocean of red jump suit wearing body doubles all holding hands. Adelaide returns to the boardwalk funhouse and walks through a secret tunnel in the hall of mirrors. This leads to an underground facility overrun by rabbits, where Adelaide finds Red.

Red, with her back towards Adelaide and snipping away at paper stood facing a blackboard states that the Tethered were created by the U.S. government decades ago in an attempt to control the public, but the experiment failed and the Tethered were abandoned in an extensive network of underground tunnels and facilities. For generations, they were trapped beneath the surface hidden from view and without any knowledge of their above ground doubles. All they could do was mimic the actions of their counterparts on the surface until Red devised a cunning and meticulous plan for them to escape, which took a very look time to coordinate and execute. The two fight, with Red gaining the upper hand until Adelaide manages to kill Red with the fire poker she has held onto since the prior night. She locates Jason hiding in a locker and rescues him, returning to the surface to meet up with Gabe and Zora. They drive out of the amusement park avoiding the long line of red suited Tethered individuals all holding hands.

'Us' is a worthy follow up to 'Get Out' and here Jordan Peele delivers a genre bending film that has its roots firmly bedded in home invasion horror at the hands of menacing doppelgängers, thriller, drama and with just a sprinkling of Sci-Fi offering blood and death, just the right amount of humour and edge of your seat action to propel the film to all the acclaim it deserves. As for the meaning behind all of this, well that remains open for discussion long after the credits have rolled and the curtain has dropped. Suffice to say the twin performances of Lupita Nyong'o especially is exemplary as she inhabits two very different characters struggling with who and what they are and what motivates them both to survive their living nightmares. Like 'Get Out' Peele has created another original story that further cements his career as an unconventional Director and a storyteller of repute, and a film that is sure to become a classic. 

'Us' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a potential five. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-