What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 6th February 2014

To tempt your silver screen local independent or multiplex tastebuds this coming week we have four new hotly awaited offerings spanning the biographic, the comedic, the dramatic and the futuristic. Here they are summarised for your movie going consideration this week in no particular order :-

MANDELA : THE LONG WALK TO FREEDOM - based on his 1994 internationally acclaimed best selling book of the same name, this stars Idris Elba in the lead role as the imprisoned freedom fighter and later South African President, Nelson Mandela. Charting his life up to the point of his Presidency this should capture much interest given the success of the book, the buzz already garnered by awards season, and the great man's recent passing.

LAST VEGAS - this has a stellar cast of no less than Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline and so this should go off! The trailers make me think this is THE HANGOVER, Part 4 : The Wolf Pack Pensioners Do Vegas! Looks good on paper and despite a strong tried and tested pedigree cast does this have the comedy chops and star power to deliver . . . only you can decide!

LABOUR DAY - is Directed by strong up & comer Jason Reitman and set on labour day 1987 with a cast including Josh Brolin and Kate Winslett. The former is an escaped convict who holes up in the home of mentally unhinged housebound divorcee mother of the latter. At first charged with danger given the frantic circumstance, this evolves in to something more touching and emotional as relationships develop and feelings are nurtured. An interesting premise that might be well worth a look.

ROBOCOP - rebooted for a new 21st Century audience unfamiliar with the original 1987 outing that spawned two sequels. The initial franchise was hugely successful (1 & 2 especially), and in 2014 is deemed ripe for the picking for a makeover. The storyline hasn't changed much but the technology has come on leaps & bounds in the last thirty years give or take! Cop Alex Murphy (new comer Joel Kinnaman) gets blown to smithereens in front of his own house & family in 2028, and comes back as part human (not much left except a head, torso, one arm and some vital organs) and part super technologically advanced machine designed to clean up crime on the streets and be the future of law enforcement so that the corporate suits can get rich . . . very rich! Also starring a strong support cast including Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson this looks good, polished and sharp and will excite the teenagers who will go in droves to see this I'm sure!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-