What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 25th June 2015.

This week with the mid-year school holiday upon us there are a few limited offerings in the week ahead that are for a more mature audience it must be said, but there is a heap of action and animated fare out there for the youngsters, the teenagers and kids of all ages that have been Previewed here in previous weeks, and are still out there on general release.

Three offerings then this week that offer a range of films that take us from a sequel of a not so cute & cuddly animated kids toy in a grown mans world; an adaptation of a classic English novel getting its big screen remake after 50 or so years; and then a musical bio-pic of a legend of the 60’s becoming a troubled man in the 80’s.

As always, when you have seen your movie of choice in the week ahead, you are invited to record your own critique here in the Comments Box below this, or any other Post, and share your thoughts and observations with your friends at Odeon Online. Enjoy your film.

TED 2 (Rated MA15+) - The 2012 comic cuddly and not so cute 'Ted' movie was Directed, Produced, Written  and Starred Seth MacFarlane and was made for US$50M and went on to gross US$550M worldwide in the final analysis. It also garnered an Academy Award nomination, 13 awards wins and 26 other nods, so it was inevitable that a sequel would follow. Here we are then three short years later and 'Ted 2' has arrived at our screens with the same Seth McFarland input as before and the same Mark Wahlberg as John Bennett, Jessica Barth as Tami-Lynn, Giovanni Ribisi as Donny and a host of other names to add gravitas  . . . apparently!

This next instalment sees Teddy Bear Ted marrying Tami-Lynn, his girlfriend from the first film, and wanting to have a child together this is where complications naturally set in. When Ted asks life long friend and thunder buddy John to be a sperm donor for artificial insemination purposes, the couple must prove in a court of law that Ted is in fact human and therefore suitable to have custody of the future child. No doubt there will be gross-out humour, hilarity aplenty, pratt falls and comedic misadventure to make this one another sure fire success with Amanda Seyfried, Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson also involved.

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (Rated M) - Based on the 1874 book of the same name by Thomas Hardy this was adapted for the big screen most notably in 1968 and Directed by John Schlesinger and starred Julie Christie, Terence Stamp, Peter Finch and Alan Bates. Now in 2015 we have this version and the fourth big screen outing for this story as Directed by Thomas Vinterberg and starring Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene a young headstrong farm owner in Victorian England. Attracting the attention and the passions of three very different suitors there is Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) a sheep farmer; William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) a wealthy bachelor; and Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) a reckless and care free Sergeant. What's a girl to do, other than fly in the face of tradition and social expectations and check them all out one by one, have some fun along the way and carve out her our own life path. Strong performances are deftly handled by Vinterberg this is sure to please lovers of the genre, and those who know the source book.

LOVE & MERCY (Rated M) - Directed and Produced by Bill Pohlad this is a bio-pic of 'Beach Boys' creative legend, driving force and front man Brian Wilson who was the mop-haired surf singing musical maestro back in the 60’s when the band of beach brothers were riding the crest of a wave, and before the younger Wilson started to lose his grasp on reality. Here the 1960’s Brian Wilson, enjoying hit after hit record success, is played by Paul Dano, and for his middle aged 1980’s persona it is John Cusack playing the broken unstable confused psycho analysed singer/songwriter. Playing his manipulative psychotherapist Dr. Eugene Landy is Paul Giamatti, and as his future wife Melinda Ledbetter is Elizabeth Banks determined to be the saviour of Wilson against Landy's controlling ways. Not your average or typical musical bio-pic this features strong performances from Paul Dano especially, and a master-stroke of casting to have the two Actors playing the one man and two very different personalities.

That wraps up this weeks movie releases leaving you a few more possibilities to ponder for your big screen entertainment. When you have enjoyed your movie of choice, let us know and don't be shy!

See you at the Odeon!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-