What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 14th April 2016.

Over the last few weeks, I have brought you my view of the Top 12 movies to watch out for this remaining year, and last week took that one step further with a 'Best of the Rest' listing another six taking us up to the mid-year this year, with the balance of six for the latter half of the year presented below for your consideration and scrutiny of their cinematic worthiness. These are naturally just my humble opinion for what it's worth and you are of course free to conduct your own research as movies are released into a theatre near you. Check the release dates nearer the time as these may vary of course depending on what territory you are in, and what the studio thinks near the time. Here they are - the remaining six 'Best of the Rest' :-

• 16th June - 'WARCRAFT' - Duncan Jones Directs this big screen adaptation of the world popular action fantasy videogame starring Travis Fimmel, Ben Foster, Toby Kebbell and Clancy Brown.
• 30th June - 'THE LEGEND OF TARZAN' - Directed by David Yates with Alexander Skarsgard in the role of the ever popular Edgar Rice Burroughs tree swinging character with Samuel L. Jackson, John Hurt, Christoph Waltz and Margot Robbie in the line up.
• 18th August - 'BEN HUR' - this Biblical epic has of course been made once before to great record breaking and award winning effect with the classic 1959 Charlton Heston adaptation.  Here Timur Bekmambetov Directs with all the latest 21st Century gadgetry and technology at his fingertips with Jack Huston in the title role with Morgan Freeman, Toby Kebbell and Rodrigo Santoro. Curiosity will drag you to this one I think, unless you have no idea what the 1959 film is all about and you go into it completely fresh and unknowing . . . as many will!
• October 14th - 'INFERNO' - no, not of the Towering kind, but of the Dante kind and the Dan Brown kind which sees Ron Howard Directing this authors best selling work once again with Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon the intrepid symbolist, which sees our reluctant hero racing against time to shake of amnesia, clear his name and solve another intricate riddle across the streets, historical locations and hidden chambers of Florence. Felicity Jones, Omar Sy and Ben Foster also star.
• October 20th - 'JACK REACHER 2' - Edward Zwick Directs Tom Cruise in his second instalment as Jack Reacher - a former US Army Military Police Corps Officer and now a loner drifter, based on the Lee Child novel 'Never Go Back'. 
• December 15th - 'ROGUE ONE : A STAR WARS STORY' - Directed by Gareth Edwards this is a stand alone feature not part of any episode seen so far on the big screen, but fitting into the mythology before the time of 'A New Hope' with Mads Mikkelsen, Forest Whittaker, Felicity Jones and Ben Mendelsohn starring.

This week there are three new cinematic offerings that kick off with the third instalment in a four-part franchise of teenage dystopia taking a new twist as our characters venture over the wall to save the world; then corporate greed coming undone in this comedy of the imprisoned wrongdoer trying to do right upon release; and then wrapping up an Aussie outback doco of music, kids and a teacher on a mission.

With these, and those out there still doing the rounds at your local multiplex, share your movie experience with your friends here at Odeon Online, by leaving your own critique in the Comments section below this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from you. Between now and then, enjoy your movie.

'ALLEGIANT' (Rated M) - the third instalment in the popular teenage dystopian Sci-Fi series of books by Veronica Roth follows on from 'Divergent' and last years 'Insurgent' which made US$289M and US$298M respectively off the back of a combined US$195M budget, so hardly blockbuster status. Like 'Potter', 'Twilight' and 'The Hunger Games' before it, the final book in the Divergent series is split into two films with the final piece of this puzzle 'Ascendant' due for release in June 2017. In the meantime, 'Allegiant' is Directed by Robert Schwentke, who also Directed 'Insurgent', and was made for US$110M and since its release in the US on 18th March has so far made US$137M. The film has so far received largely luke warm reviews, but is likely to find an audience for this so far following the exploits of Tris Prior & Co.

Here we see the same bunch of characters that you by now know, with Tris (Shailene Woodley) escaping the confines of a walled in Chicago of the future with Four (Theo James) for the first time, so leaving behind everything and (almost) everyone she knows and loves. Going in search of an end to the warring factions and the revelations that became known in 'Insurgent' to find a peaceful resolution, her discoveries on the 'outside' cast aside everything she thought she knew before as shocking truths are revealed and a new battle threatens their existence, and that of humanity. Having to work out quickly who they can & can't trust, Tris must also make difficult personal choices to ensure her own safety and future that surround courage, love, sacrifice and where her allegiances lie. Also starring once again, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Zoe Kravitz, Ashley Judd, Naomi Watts, Daniel Dae Kim and Maggie Q, with Jeff Daniels and Bill Skarsgard joining the crew too. 

'THE BOSS' (Rated MA15+) - Directed, Produced and Written by Ben Falcone (husband of Melissa McCarthy) and Produced, Written and starring Melissa McCarthy this film cost US$29M to make and also stars Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates. McCarthy is Michelle Darnell, a champion of industry with a reputation of always getting her way, until the day comes when she is convicted of insider trading and  sent down for a jail term. Having served her sentence, she is released broke, homeless and not liked at all by those she once knew. Tracking down Claire (Kristen Bell), a former employee who seems to be the only person pleased to see her, offers to help her old Boss get back on the gravy train. While staying with Claire and her daughter, Michelle hits upon a idea to launch a new business that will win over the hearts. minds and stomachs of the American people and bring them out on top again but with credibility, integrity and responsibility. But in so doing there are those who are former enemies and would like nothing more than to see Michelle fail.

'WIDE OPEN SKY' (Rated G) -  with the back drop of remote western New South Wales in Australia this is the outback with the highest proportion of 5-14 year olds in the State, has the highest proportion of indigenous children and 40% of the population are classified as low income earners. With little music education in the region, Michelle Leonard formed the Moorambilla Voices Choir some ten years ago - a choral based programme for children aged 8-18 from across the region and sourced from over 55 schools spread across 30 towns, teaching them contemporary, complex and original music rather than the more traditional music taught to most school choirs. The film charts Michelle's story together with that of four young children and an ensemble of 200 others who dare to dream big, who have faith in their teacher, and who want to be part of something bigger when they perform at a concert at Coonamble. Written, Produced and Directed by Lisa Nichol this will be an uplifting, heart warming, passionate story of how important music is, and how it can make such a difference to young lives.

With three new film this week, you can add these to your must-see list together with those still out there on general release and still doing the rounds. After you have sat through your movie(s) of choice, share your thoughts, and in the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-