AVENGERS : ENDGAME : Wednesday 24th April 2019.

I saw 'AVENGERS : ENDGAME' at my local Multiplex on its Australian opening night and sat in a packed out theatre showing back to back sessions throughout the day - all to sell out audiences. And so if you didn't already know it, this is 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' arrived this week following much hype, eager anticipation from legions of fans across the world, and plenty of record breaking buzz despite the plot secrecy from Marvel Studios, Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and the principal cast and crew. 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, and simply clicked his fingers. 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 . . . or half of it at least!

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. Advance ticket sales amounted to about US$130M, 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, the film has so far received generally positive Reviews with Critics praising the Direction, the Acting, the sheer entertainment factor, the emotional heft and this being a fitting end to the 22 film spanning story. And all this is off the back of a production budget somewhere in the region of nudging US$400M, which must qualify this film as the most expensive of all time. At the time of publishing this Post on 27th April, Box Office receipts were at US$305M, having been released on 26th April in the US, on 25th April in the UK, and in China, Australia, parts of Asia and Europe on 24th.

The film opens up with Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) at home on his remote property on a bright sunny day. He is teaching his daughter to shoot arrows into a target while his wife and younger son prepare lunch. It's a picture of domestic bliss. His daughter shoots a bullseye, his wife calls lunch ready. As Clint retrieves the arrow from the target he momentarily looses sight of his other beloved family members. When he turns around there is an eerie silence and they are all gone, vanished into dust . . . victims too of the Thanos snap!

Up in deep space a thousand light years from the nearest 7/11 Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jnr.) are drifting, having run out of fuel, food, water and pretty damn soon oxygen. They are stranded following their defeat at the hands of Thanos. Stark sends a final farewell message to Pepper Potts using his Iron Man helmet, before falling asleep from exhaustion. Saviour however, comes perhaps when you least expect it.

Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in the form of Captain Marvel arrives in a flash of bright light and escorts the stricken ship of Stark and Nebula back down to Earth and the Avengers Headquarters. There she reunites the pair with Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Rocket (Bradley Cooper/Sean Gunn), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle). After a somewhat frosty reception between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers and a status update from the remaining Avengers, Nebula comes forward with the strong possibility of knowing Thanos' whereabouts since the team have drawn a blank in locating him since the snap of five weeks before.

The assembled Team converge on the defenceless, unarmed unguarded garden planet where Thanos is the sole resident, and take him by surprise. Thanos confides that he used the infinity stones to destroy themselves so preventing the Team from using them to reverse his actions. In a fit of rage, Thor uses his new Stormbreaker axe to decapitate Thanos.

We then fast forward five years, and Steve Rogers is chairing counselling sessions with a self help group, Bruce Banner has merged permanently with his Hulk alter ego and Thor has become the drunken ruler (boasting an impressive beer gut) of Asgard's refugees in a remote fishing village on the Norwegian coast which he has affectionately named New Asgard. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) meanwhile escapes from the Quantum Realm not knowing what has gone down in the last five years. After learning the truth from his now adult daughter which he has been able to track down as one who survived he makes for the Avengers HQ where he is met by a surprised Rogers and Romanoff. He explains that for him only five hours had passed and suggests the Quantum Realm permits time travel. The three travel to Stark's lakeside residence where he is now happily married to Pepper Potts and the couple have a five year old daughter Morgan. They discuss with Stark the possibility that they can travel back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones before Thanos collects them. Stark rejects this, concerned over what altering history will mean for his young daughter, but after reflecting upon the loss of sixteen year old Peter Parker (Tom Holland), he designs a working time machine that can be used to enter the Quantum Realm.

Stark drives to the Avengers HQ to reveal that he has built a stable time travel device just as Banner and Co. have been experimenting somewhat unsuccessfully on Scott Lang with his own time travel techniques. And so the regrouped Avengers split into separate teams for their mission to retrieve the infinity stones before Thanos has done so.

Banner, Rogers, Lang, and Stark travel to the Battle of New York to retrieve the Time, Mind, and Space Stones. Banner visits the Sanctum Sanctorum also in New York and convinces the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) to give him the Time Stone some five years before Stephen Strange even arrives on the scene, and Rogers overcomes undercover Hydra agents and his past self to retrieve the Mind Stone, but Lang and Stark's failed distraction enables Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to escape with the Space Stone. Rogers and Stark then are forced to travel back further to the U.S. Army's Fort Leigh in 1970, to steal both an earlier version of the Space Stone and vials of Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) size-altering Pym Particles to enable them all to return home to their present day afterwards. The pair succeed, but not before Rogers has a close encounter with his one true love Peggy Carter, and Tony Stark bumps into his Dad, Howard Stark en route and strikes up a conversation about his pending fatherhood to the as yet unborn Tony Stark.

Back on Asgard before it was wiped out, Rocket and Thor retrieve the Reality Stone from Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Thor comes across his mother Frigga (Rene Russo), whose wise counsel restores his conviction, and he obtains a past version of his hammer, Mjolnir, proving that he is still 'worthy' to wield it. Barton and Romanoff travel to Vormir for the Soul Stone. They learn there from its keeper, Red Skull (Ross Marquand), that it can only be retrieved by sacrificing someone they love. After a struggle between the pair, Romanoff sacrifices herself. Barton returns to the present day, with the tragic news of Romanoff's untimely death, in which the other Avengers share in his mourning.

On Morag, Nebula and Rhodes steal the Power Stone before Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is able to do so. Rhodes returns to the present with the Stone, leaving Nebula stranded behind as her cybernetic implants interface with those of her past self. Thanos leverages this fact and is able to tap into her memory banks to see present-day events. In turn, he sends the past incarnation of Nebula to the future in present-day Nebula's place.

Back at Avengers HQ with all the Infinity Stones now retrieved, Stark has been able to model a new Infinity Gauntlet in which the Stones are placed one by one. Banner steps up to volunteer to wear the Infinity Gauntlet as in doing so it gives off enough gamma radiation that Banner retorts that he was made to wear it, given his exposure to Gamma Rays that turned him into what he is today. Upon wearing it and activating the amassed Infinity Stones, the world is restored to its pre-Thanos snap. However, having come through the time machine with the other Avengers, past Nebula uses the time machine to transport Thanos and his ship from the past to the present day, whereupon he unleashes the might of his firepower upon the Avengers HQ and reduces it to rubble.

Amongst the rubble and wreckage of the Avengers HQ, Rogers, Thor, and Stark confront Thanos, though he overpowers them, even when Rogers proves that he can wield Mjolnir.

Thanos summons the entire might of his armed forces, but the revived Avengers arrive on the battlefield, along with the Sanctum Sorcerers and the armies of Asgard and Wakanda. Present-day Nebula convinces past Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to turn on Thanos, and in the ensuing standoff Nebula kills her past self. Following an epic battle between the two factions, Stark eventually retrieves the Infinity Gauntlet from the battlefield and activates the Infinity Stones with a snap of his fingers which disintegrates Thanos and his army into dust which quickly disappears on the wind.  

Enough said, right there! You'll just have to catch the last fifteen minutes to see how it all plays out, but suffice to say, the Avengers survive to battle it out another day - well most of them do!

'Avengers : Endgame' is everything you would wish for in the conclusion of a hugely successful eleven year run of twenty-two films, and then some. It delivers on many levels - the script penned by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely tightly blends action, emotion, humour and the smarts to satisfy even the most die-hard MCU fan; the deft touch in remaining true to what has gone before by Directors Anthony and Joe Russo; and for giving believable grounded performances by the principal cast and most notably Downey Jnr., Ruffalo, Hemsworth, Evans, Brolin, Rudd, Johansson and Renner plus the entire ensemble who all contribute amiably in their own small way to the bigger picture. Epic, exciting, intimate, powerful, expertly rendered down to the smallest detail, and truly a very fitting end to this phase in the MCU that still leaves the door open for some of our much loved Superheroes to return and reunite at some future date, while introducing others that we're only just getting to know. Join the legions of fans flocking to see 'Avengers : Endgame' - and see it on the biggest screen you can - you won't be disappointed. Watch out too for what is probably the last cameo appearance of the late great Stan Lee.

'Avengers : Endgame' merits five claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 25th April 2019.

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) which this runs form Wednesday 24th April through to  Sunday 5th May is a prominent film festival held in the Tribeca neighbourhood of Manhattan, showcasing a diverse selection of independent films. Since its inaugural year in 2002, it has become a recognised outlet for independent filmmakers in all genres to release their work to a broad audience. The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by Jane Rosenthal (Film Producer), Robert De Niro (Film Actor, Producer and Director) and Craig Hatkoff (Real Estate Investor and Philanthropist), reportedly in response to the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre and the consequent loss of vitality in the Tribeca neighbourhood in Lower Manhattan, although there are reports that its founding was underway prior to the events of 9/11. From its humble beginnings, the festival now draws an estimated three million people, including often-elusive celebrities from the worlds of art, film, and music and generates US$600M annually.

Amongst the top picks of this years feature length screenings, are :-
* 'BUFFALOED' - Directed by Tanya Wexler and starring Zoey Deutch, Judy Greer, Jermaine Fowler and Jai Courtney.
* 'CHARLIE SAYS' - Directed by Mary Harrow and starring Matt Smith, Suki Waterhouse, Hannah Murray, Sosie Bacon and Marianne Rendon.
* 'COME TO DADDY' - Directed by Ant Timpson and starring Elijah Wood.
* 'CROWN VIC' - Directed by Joel Souza and starring Thomas Jane and Luke Kleintank.
* 'DREAMLAND' - Directed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and starring Margot Robbie, Finn Cole, Travis Fimmel, Kerry Condon and Garrett Hedlund.
* 'EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE' - Directed by Joe Berlinger and starring Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Haley Joel Osment, Kaya Scodelario, Jeffrey Donovan and John Malkovich.
* 'GEORGETOWN' - Directed by Christoph Waltz and starring Christoph Waltz, Annette Bening, Vanessa Redgrave and Corey Hawkins.
* 'IN FABRIC' - Directed by Peter Strickland and starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Steve Oram and Gwendoline Christie.
* 'THE KILL TEAM' - Directed by Dan Krauss and starring Nat Wolff, Alexander Skarsgård and Adam Long.
* 'LOST TRANSMISSIONS' - Directed by Katharine O'Brien and starring Simon Pegg and Juno Temple.
* 'LUCE' - Directed by Julius Onah and starring Kelvin Harrison Jnr., Tim Roth, Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer.
* 'ONLY' - Directed by Takashi Doscher and starring Frieda Pinto, Leslie Odom Jnr. and Chandler Riggs.
* 'THE PLACE OF NO WORDS' - Directed by Mark Webber and starring Mark Webber, Teresa Palmer, Bodhi Palmer, Eric Olsen, Sarah Wright Olsen and Phoebe Tonkin.
* 'SKIN' - Directed by Guy Nattiv and starring Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Daniel Henshall, Bill Camp, Mike Colter, Mary Stuart Masterson and Vera Farmiga.
* 'STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN' - Directed by Matt Ratner and starring Billy Crystal, Ben Schwartz, Eloise Mumford and Kevin Dunn.
* 'TWO/ONE' - Directed by Juan Cabral and starring Boyd Holbrook, Song Ang and Beau Bridges.
* 'WHITE AS SNOW' - Directed by Anne Fontaine and starring Lou de Laage and Isabelle Huppert.
* 'YESTERDAY' - Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and Ed Sheeran.

You can visit the official website for much greater detail on all the films and entertainment featured in this years festival, commencing this week, at : https://www.tribecafilm.com/

This week then to tempt you out to your local Odeon we have seven new release movies, kicking off with what is probably the most keenly awaited film of the year that sees the culmination of eleven years and twenty-one previous films in this particular universe as our remaining hero survivors of a universal apocalypse seek to undo a dastardly deed by an alien with a God complex and restore balance, harmony and half the worlds populace who were turned to dust. Next up we have a drama about an outgoing divorcee who finds love on the dancefloor; followed up by an Aussie drama about a retired opera singer living in rainforest Queensland mourning the death of her husband and preparing for her farewell concert only to be visited by her late husbands now adult son, whom she asks an impossible favour of. We then turn to a semi-biographical work set in the 1920's of a famed Actress and Dancer who as a teenager is accompanied to her New York Dancing School by a guardian to ensure she stays on the straight and narrow and doesn't succumb to the temptations of a big city. This is followed up by a story of two cousins who have big plans to lay a fibre optic cable half way across the US in order to help their efforts in the high stakes game of trading the financial markets where that game is won or lost in a matter of milliseconds. Then we have a story set in the mid-'80's surrounding a son who returns home after an absence of three years living in the big city to confront his parents with the some shocking news; and closing out the week is a story of a hapless Police Officer who loses just about everything and undergoes a nervous breakdown set to the soundtrack of his late mothers favourite song by a rock legend.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven 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.

'AVENGERS : ENDGAME' (Rated M) - 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' arrives this week following much hype, eager anticipation from legions of fans across the world, and plenty of record breaking buzz despite the plot secrecy from Marvel Studios, Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and the principal cast and crew. 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 . . . or half of it at least!

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. 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. The wait is over people!

'GLORIA BELL' (Rated M) - having had its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year, this American drama film is Directed, Co-Produced, Co-Written for the screen by Sebastian Lelio and based on a story by him too, which he Directed first time around back in 2013 in the Spanish/Chilean film titled 'Gloria'. Since then Lelio has Directed 'A Fantastic Woman' in 2017 and in 2018 'Disobedience'. This film was released in the US back in early March and now it gets a showing in Australia. Starring Julianne Moore in the title role the film tells the story of a free-spirited divorcee who spends her nights on the dance floor, joyfully letting loose at clubs around Los Angeles. She soon finds herself thrust into an unexpected new romance with Arnold (John Turturro), filled with the joys of emerging love and the challenges of dating. Also starring Michael Cera, Sean Astin, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Rita Wilson, the film has garnered generally positive Press.

'CELESTE' (Rated M) - Directed and Co-Written by Ben Hackworth this Australian drama film stars Radha Mitchell in the tile role as an early 40 something Celeste, a renowned opera diva who retired early for the man she loved and to relocate herself to a crumbling yet beautiful estate in the heart of the Far North Queensland, Australia, rainforest. Ten years after the tragic death of her husband, Mateos, in a boating accident, Celeste prepares to return to the stage for her farewell appearance. Her late husband's now estranged son Jack (Thomas Cocquerel), now 26, is still haunted by the past and arrives amidst the preparations for the performance and finds Celeste is as he remembered - beautiful, intoxicating and dangerous all at once. Celeste is keen for Jack to stay at the estate, but needs him to perform one last request in the shape of an impossible favour, to which the secrets that drove them apart will explode back to life. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival back in August last year and also stars Odessa Young and Nadine Garner.

'THE CHAPERONE' (Rated PG) - this partially based on a true story film is Directed by Michael Engler and is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Laura Moriarty. The film had its World Premier at the Los Angeles Film Festival in September last year and went on release in the USA at the end of March to generally mixed or average Reviews, having so far accumulated just US$223K at the Box Office. The story centres on the teenage Louise Brooks (Haley Lu Richardson) - a famed American Actress and Dancer of the 1920's and '30's who lived from 1906 until 1985 having starred in seventeen silent movies and eight sound films before retiring in 1938. She is granted an opportunity to travel to New York City to study dance at the Denishawn School, headed up by Ruth St. Denis (Miranda Otto) - an American modern dance pioneer who lived from 1879 until 1968, and the co-founder of the American Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts. But, in venturing to the Big Apple, she is to be accompanied by a chaperone in the form of Norma (Elizabeth McGovern), whose life is ultimately changed forever by the experience. Also starring Blythe Danner, Victoria Hill and Geza Rohrig.

'THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT' (Rated M) - Written and Directed by Canadian Kim Nguyen here he explores the ruthless under current of our ever increasing digital world. Cousins from New York, Vincent Zaleski (Jesse Eisenberg) and Anton (Alexander Skarsgård) are players in the high-stakes financial markets game of High Frequency Trading, where winning the game is measured in milliseconds. The pair have a dream to build a fibre-optic cable straight between Kansas and New Jersey, and in so doing making them millions. But nothing is as straightforward as it would seem for this flawed pair. Anton is the brains, Vincent is the brawn, and between them they push each other and those around them to breaking point on their idealistic journey. Constantly riding their backs is their former boss Eva Torres (Salma Hayek) a powerful and manipulative trader who is relentless in her determination to come between them and their plans. No matter what the cost, Vincent and Anton are determined to cut a fibre-optic cable through America, only to find redemption at the end of their line, not through money, but through family and reconnecting to the land. The film had its World Premier showing at TIFF back in September 2018, was released Stateside in mid-March, has so far taken US$492K, and has generated mixed our average Reviews so far.

'1985' (Rated M) - here this American drama film is Directed, Written, Co-Edited and based on a 2016 short film of the same name by Yen Tan. The film has been highly regarded and has picked up five award wins and a further nine nominations from around the festival circuit having Premiered at South By Southwest in March 2018. Set in 1985, in Texas, here Adrian Lester (Cory Michael Smith) hasn’t been home for three years, an absence he justifies as the price of his success claiming he just keeps climbing the corporate ladder at a prominent New York advertising agency. However, we soon enough learn that all is not as it seems with Adrian, who is clearly uncomfortable in returning to the locale of his devoutly Christian lower-middle-class family outside Fort Worth and confronting his father Dale (Michale Chiklis) and his mother Eileen (Virginia Madsen) with the tragic news that he is dying from AIDS. Also starring Aidan Langford and Jamie Chung.

'THUNDER ROAD' (Rated M) - this American comedy drama film is Directed, Written, stars, is Co-Edited and the music is also produced by one Jim Cummings based on his previous 2013 award winning short film of the same name. The film Premiered at South By Southwest back in March 2018 where it took out the Grand Jury Prize, cost a mere US$200K to make, has so far grossed US$355K, has picked up a bunch of award wins and nominations from around the festival circuit, and has received widespread critical acclaim. Following a Texan Police Officer, Jim Arnaud (Jim Cummings) who loses his mother, his marriage to Rosalind (Jocelyn DeBoer), custody of his daughter Crystal (Kendal Farr), and eventually his job. Inspired by one of the greatest songs ever written - 'Thunder Road' by Bruce Springsteen, we see officer Arnaud apply this lullaby of his mother's to his life during his ongoing and at times hilarious nervous breakdown. The film also stars Macon Blair.

With seven 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-

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-