What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 21st April 2016.

Having reported in the last couple of weeks the major movies to watch out for in the balance of 2016, I thought I would round things off in a similar vein with the animated films slated for release between now and the end the year. Always finding an audience of both young, and young at heart, it is worth watching out for these top twelve animated offerings coming your way soon, with six highlighted this week and the remaining six next week. Check the release dates nearer the time as dates may vary for a whole heap of reasons.

• 12th May - 'THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE' - from Sony Pictures Imageworks on a budget of US$80M, Directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly featuring the voices of Sean Penn, Danny McBride, Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader.
• 16th June - 'FINDING DORY' - from Pixar Animation, this follow up to 2003 hugely successful 'Finding Nemo' is Directed by Andrew Stanton again and stars the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton and Bill Hader.
• 23rd June - 'ICE AGE : COLLISION COURSE' - the fifth instalment in this successful franchise from Blue Sky Studios is Directed by Mike Thurmeier and stars our usual characters voiced by Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez and Simon Pegg. The first four films made a combined US$2.8B off budgets totalling US$324M which is why the ice age keeps on keeping on.
• 28th July - 'RATCHET AND CLANK' - based on the video game series of the same name, this Sci-Fi action comedy origin film stars the voices of Sylvester Stallone, John Goodman, Paul Giamatti and Rosario Dawson and is brought to us by Sony Interactive Entertainment and the originators of the video game.
• 11th August - 'SAUSAGE PARTY' - definitely not for the kids, this is adult animated comedy Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and stars a huge voice cast that includes Seth Rogen, Kirsten Wiig, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Edward Norton, Salma Hayek, Danny McBride and Bill Hader.
• 18th August - 'KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS' - this stop-motion animated fantasy film is set in ancient Japan, is Directed by Travis Knight and stars the voice talents of Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei and Rooney Mara.

And so what is happening in the week ahead at a cinema near you. Three news releases are happening that jump-start with a comedy bio-pic of a little known but perhaps fondly remembered Winter Olympic athlete who came from absolutely nowhere but achieved momentary greatness almost thirty years ago and won the hearts and minds of a nation. Then a close encounter of a new kind as father and son go on the run after discovering something very unusual and very special about the young lad that make him just about the hottest ticket in town. And to wrap things up a French foreign language offering about a famed socialite singer who couldn't really sing but she believed she could, when all around her kept up with the ruse . . . but at whose expense really I wonder. 

Aside from these three there is still plenty of great film fare still on general release that has been Reviewed and Previewed between these pages. When you have sat through your film of choice in the week ahead, share your views and opinions with our readership at Odeon Online in the Comments Box below this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile, enjoy this week films.

EDDIE THE EAGLE (Rated PG) - this true sports bio drama comedy story recounts the rise to infamy of one of England's great unsung Winter Olympic sports athletes, and is Directed by Dexter Fletcher and made for US$23M. Having had its worldwide premier at Sundance in late January, the film was released in the US in late February and in the UK in late March, and has so far grossed US$32M. Based on the story of one Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards who rose to fame during the 1988 Winter Olympics as Great Britain's first and only hope in Olympic Ski Jumping at the Calgary, Alberta Games of that year.

Here young lad Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) has dreams of becoming an Olympic Champion, but alas they are only dreams and he is unable, despite his best efforts, to turn this into anything approaching reality. As a young aspiring teenager he gives away his Summer Olympic dreams in favour of the Winter Olympics and in particularly ski jumping - a sport that Great Britain has not competed in for sixty years. After various setbacks and embarrassments at the hands of competing nations he is taken in by former ski jump champion Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) who nurtures his skills and his abilities to allow him, against the odds, to compete at the highest level. Being old enough to remember the real Eddie Edwards and those Calgary Olympics and the homecoming post-games that this new national hero received despite his failings, this will be an uplifting story of the true underdog with tenacity in the face of adversity, and a competitor whose belief in taking part was more important than winning, and who never gave up hope despite the set backs, the chides, and the abuse from his competitors and those even in his own team. A must watch for the sentimentalists and those wanting a feel good tale of courage and conviction.

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (Rated M) - Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols, this Sci-Fi drama film was made for just US$18M and has a strong cast, a solid story and is already receiving much critical acclaim around the traps for its original premise, convincing performances, and its engaging entertainment factor. Telling the story of  Roy (Michael Shannon) and his eight year old son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) who are on the run from federal and local law enforcement officers and a religious cult after it is discovered that young Alton has special otherworldly powers. With so many hot on their heels, father and son must thwart those that are chasing them as they head towards a date and time of special significance that could change everything, for everyone. Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver and Sam Shepherd also star.

MARGUERITE (Rated M) - loosely inspired by the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, this French/Czech/Belgian Co-Production was Co-Written and Directed by Xavier Giannoli and is set in the 1920's and stars Catherine Frot as Marguerite Dumont a wealthy Paris socialite. She has an overwhelming passion for the opera and for singing, and believes that she has the voice of an angel, and sings often for her friends, even though she is not particularly good at it. Her friends, family and loved ones however, are either too timid or too embarrassed to tell her about her vocal skills, and in fact play along with her fantasy. But things start to take a very different turn when she decides to perform in public in front of a real audience. What does this mean for the would-be-diva who is tone-deaf and couldn't hit a note if her life depended on it - it can go only one of two ways! Not to be confused with the Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant film 'Florence Foster Jenkins' film as Directed by Stephen Frears due out later in 2016.

With three new movies out in the week ahead, and plenty more great cinematic content still out on general release, there is no excuse not to get yourself out to your local multiplex or local independent theatre for some movie goodness. I'll see you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-