ARGYLLE : Tuesday 6th February 2024.

I saw the M Rated 'ARGYLLE' earlier this week at my local multiplex, and this spy action comedy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Matthew Vaughn whose previous feature film Directorial credits include his debut with 'Layer Cake' in 2004, then 'Kick-Ass' in 2010, 'X-Men : First Class' in 2011, 'Kingsman : The Secret Service' in 2014, 'Kingsman : The Golden Circle' in 2017 and 'The King's Man' in 2021. The film was released last week too in the US, cost about US$200M to produce, has so far recovered just US$41M, has garnered generally negative critical reviews and is apparently the first in a trilogy of films, with a third trilogy of films coming from Vaughn's Marv Studio that will see a crossover with the 'Kingsman' franchise.

Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), is the reclusive and introverted author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose idea of bliss is a night at home with her computer and her cat, Alfie (whom she adores and takes everywhere with her). She has just completed the draft of her fifth book in the hugely successful 'Argylle' series and calls her mother Ruth (Catherine O'Hara) for her opinion. Her mum read through the draft the previous night and thought is was great but the closing chapter needed more work, rather than leaving it as a cliffhanger for the sixth book in the series. Elly travel by train to visit her Mum so that they can complete the story together with a more concrete ending.

On the train journey, Elly is saved from an ambush by an actual spy, Aidan Wylde (Sam Rockwell), who explains to her that a devious organisation, known as the Division, has targeted her because her Argylle novels seem to have an uncanny knack of predicting their future. Aidan travels with a reluctant Elly to London, England in a private jet (with Elly admitting that she has a deep rooted fear of flying and it is her first time in a plane), hoping that her next chapter will reveal how to stop the Division. 

Once in London, the pair search for a Masterkey' that would help expose the Division that Elly had also referenced in her novels. After fending off a small and very well equipped army of the Division's agents, the pair decamp to a run down hotel to rest up and get refreshed. While Aidan is in the bathroom supposedly taking a shower, Elly overhears him on the phone speaking to someone about how he wants to put a bullet in her head. Elly calls her parents for help who get on the first plane bound for London, and agree to meet in a suite at The Savoy Hotel. As Ruth and Barry Conway (Bryan Cranston) arrive, Aidan reveals that they are in fact both operatives working for the Division sent to capture her, forcing him and Elly to fend them off before fleeing the scene, chased down by a group of the Division's agents. 

Escaping to France, Aidan and former CIA Deputy Director Alfred Solomon (Samuel L. Jackson) who resides in a high tech winery, reveal that Argylle is not entirely fictional and that Elly is in fact agent Rachel Kylle who was captured and brainwashed by the Division five years ago by the two people masquerading as her parents. She put her suppressed memories into her novels. With the latest Argylle novel, Elly was about to reveal the whereabouts of the Masterkey before her cover was blown.

Aidan and Rachel travel to Saudi Arabia, where they retrieve the Masterkey from Saba Al-Badr, the Keeper of Secrets (Sofia Boutella) but are soon cornered by the Division and are knocked out and brought to the Division's base. Ritter (Bryan Cranston), the Division's Director, reveals that Rachel was one of their most loyal assets, after which she offers to interrogate Aidan, subsequently shooting him in the chest. She also locates Alfred for them, but reveals that she in fact sent him the Masterkey, betraying the Division. Ritter stops the transmission and she and a surviving Aidan (after he has plugged himself with four shots of adrenalin) fight their way through the base, which turns out to be an oil tanker far out to sea, eventually killing him. Ruth, who pretended to be Rachel's mother previously, uses a mental trigger code to turn her on Aidan, until she is killed, after which Alfred finally receives the message at his French winery.

Agents Argylle, Wyatt (John Cena) and Keira (Ariana DeBose) the fictional agents from her novels are seen aboard a speedboat fleeing the oil tanker before it explodes into a ball of flame, with Elly's voiceover saying that for the first time Agent Argylle was free. In the closing scene Rachel resumes her novelist persona, and publishes her final novel in the series, where at a reading, the real Argylle reveals himself, much to her shock and confusion. In a post-credit scene, set some twenty years prior, a young Argylle is seen to be ordering a drink at The King's Man pub, where he is revealed to be a Kingsman agent, with the first novel being based on his life.

I didn't hate 'Argylle' but then I also didn't love it, and it some how manages to traverse the line between 'John Wick' (creative action aplenty) and 'Get Smart' (spy comedy romp) aided by some questionable CGI effects, an overly convoluted plot with more twists and turns than you could ever hope to poke a stick at, an excessive run time of two hours twenty minutes, but is just about saved by an ensemble cast who seem to be all in on the silliness most notably Howard, Rockwell and Cavill. Mathew Vaughn here once again demonstrates his skill at the colourful over-the-top action set pieces, but there is really very little new here that we haven't already seen in his previous 'Kingsman' and 'Kick-Ass' franchises, and so Mr. Vaughn, perhaps it's time for a radical rethink of your future filmography. 

'Argylle' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BARBIE : Tuesday 1st August 2023

I saw the much hyped PG Rated fantasy comedy 'BARBIE' this week that is Co-Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach and Directed by Greta Gerwig, and is based on the Barbie fashion dolls by the world's second largest toy maker, Mattel. The film is the first live-action Barbie film after many computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming TV films. Greta Gerwig's previous feature film making credits are her debut with Joe Swanberg on 'Nights and Weekends' in 2008, before her breakout 'Lady Bird' in 2017, and then 'Little Women' in 2019. This film saw its World Premier screening in Los Angeles in early July before its wide release in most territories from 21st July, cost in the region of US$135M to produce, has so far raked in US$824M at the global Box Office and has garnered mostly positive critical reviews.

The film opens up with a riff on Stanley Kubricks's '2001 : A Space Odyssey' in which a bunch of young girls are seen playing with their baby dolls in the desert. The narrator (Helen Mirren) tells us that for a very long time girls have always played at being mother to their baby dolls . . . until one day when Barbie (Margot Robbie, who also Co-Produces here) stands tall amongst them and everything changed. At that the young girls start smashing their baby dolls into the ground, kicking them and destroying them wantonly, together with their tea sets, little prams and all the paraphernalia that goes with the innocent childrens playtime. 

We next encounter Barbie, named Stereotypical Barbie, and a whole host of other Barbie's all living in the perfect world of Barbieland - a matriarchal society where women are confident, successful and hold the power base. Their Ken counterparts spend their days at the beach while the Barbie's hold down all the important jobs - there is a President Barbie (Issa Rae), a Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey), a Lawyer Barbie (Sharon Rooney), a Judge Barbie (Ana Cruze Kayne) and a Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp) amongst others. Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling) is happiest when he is close to Stereotypical Barbie and seeks more from their relationship, but doesn't altogether know why, and is rebuffed anyhow by Barbie who wishes to maintain her independence and her close friendships with all the other Barbie's. 

That night at a dance party at her house, when all the Barbie's are dancing and the Ken's are all stood on the sidelines watching on, Barbie suddenly blurts out if anyone has ever thought about dying. At that the music comes to a grinding halt, all the Barbie's stop dancing and are motionless, and no one utters a word, except they all have horrified expressions on their faces. Embarrassed, Barbie says that she's just dying to dance, in an effort to cover up her question, at which point normality is resumed. The next morning, she wakes up and senses that something is not quite right in her world. She can no longer complete her usual routines, discovers that she now has flat feet and she has cellulite on her thighs. 

Revealing all of this to the other Barbie's, she pays a visit to Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) - a wise but disfigured Barbie who has been outcast by the others, who advises her that she must travel to the Real World in order to cure her hardship and locate the child playing with her. Initially very hesitant to leave Barbieland behind she is told that she has no choice, and so sets off alone in her car, only to find Ken stowed away on the back seat. Reluctantly Barbie allows Ken to stay and join her . . . as long as he's brought his rollerblades along!

The pair eventually arrive at Venice Beach having travelled by bicycle, rocket ship and boat and stand out wearing their very '80's roller skating gear in neon pinks, blues and yellows attracting the undue attention of the locals who for the most part mock them. Deciding they need a change of attire, they head into a clothing store and emerge with Barbie wearing a bright pink all in one suit and Ken dressed as a cowboy, only to be chased down the street for not paying. They end up getting arrested, finger prints and mug shots taken and released. 

Their antics are eventually brought to the attention of the Mattel CEO (Will Ferrell) who immediately orders for them to be captured. Meanwhile, Barbie is able to track down her owner, a young somewhat rebellious teenager named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) who upon their meeting at school criticises Barbie for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and calls her a fascist. Upset by this outburst, Barbie discovers that Gloria (America Ferrera), a Mattel employee and Sasha's mother, is the reason behind her inner conflicts and crisis of confidence over her personal identity. Gloria had started to play with Sasha's old Barbie toys which were to be discarded while experiencing her own identity crisis, unwittingly transferring her own issues on to Barbie. 

Barbie, winds up at the Mattel Corporate Offices in Los Angeles where the CEO and his all male corporate executives attempt to put Barbie back in the box for remanufacturing. Barbie initially keen to step back inside the box has a change of heart and makes a dash for it, resulting in the CEO and his executive team all giving chase. Barbie escapes with the help of Gloria and Sasha and together the three head to Barbieland. In the meantime Ken has been walking the streets of LA and has had his eyes opened wide to the male dominated society present at almost every turn. Realising that the patriarchal system is the way to go, he feels empowered, respected and accepted for the first time in his hitherto female lead life. 

Ken returns to Barbieland where he persuades the other Kens (Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, John Cena and Rob Brydon amongst others) to take control, as the Barbies are indoctrinated into subordinate roles, including maids, housewives, and attentive girlfriends. Barbie arrives and tries to convince Ken and the Barbies to return to the way things were, only for her arguments to fall on deaf ears. Barbie's house is quickly converted into Ken's 'mojo dojo casa' and she falls into a state of depression and anxiety, winding up laying prone on the floor face down in Weird Barbie's house. However, Barbie has her confidence restored when Gloria gives an inspiring speech about society's conflicting expectations towards women. 

With the help of Sasha, Weird Barbie, Allan (Michael Cera), and other discontinued dolls, Gloria uses her inspirational messages on all the Barbies to bring them out of their subservient roles. The restored Barbies then coerce the Kens into arguing and fighting amongst themselves and as such are distracted from altering the constitution to enshrine male superiority, while the Barbies retake their former positions of power. In the process, they also come to the realisation of the failings of their previous ways of life, and decide to make a number of changes in Barbieland, including the better treatment for the Kens and all outcast dolls. 

Barbie and Ken apologise to each other and acknowledge their shortcomings. Ken complains that he has no identity or purpose without Barbie, to which she encourages him to find his own identity. Barbie, who remains unsure of her own purpose and identity, meets with the spirit of Mattel Co-Founder Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman) who states that Barbie's story has no defined ending and her ever-evolving history transcends that of her more humble beginnings. Barbie decides to become human and return to the Real World, and after the Barbies, Kens, and Mattel executives all bid her goodbye and good luck, some time later, Gloria, her husband (Ryan Piers Williams), and Sasha take Barbie, now going by the name of Barbara Handler, to her first appointment to meet with her gynecologist.

'Barbie' is like a big serving of pink sugar coated fairy floss that after a while you've simply had enough of that stuff and are compelled to ditch half of it in the bin. Greta Gerwig has here crafted a film that has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek while at the same time relaying a strong message about Barbieland matriarchy, Real World patriarchy, gender equality, female empowerment and social commentary. And in Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling we have a pair of expertly cast Actors who go all in to embody the spirit of Barbie and Ken, and who look like they had a real blast bringing those characters to life on the big screen. The production values on show at Barbieland are top notch; the musical song and dance routines which are kept mercifully infrequent are well placed and well choreographed; and the performances by the principle cast are whacky and engaging. All of that said, for a film that is ostensibly a comedy much of the humour failed to land for me, with the opening sequence only raising the slightest chuckle, and this movie's Box Office success is clearly down to the power of marketing over the sum of the films parts.

'Barbie' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE SUICIDE SQUAD : Tuesday 19th October 2021.

I finally got around to seeing 'THE SUICIDE SQUAD' on the big screen now that cinema's have reopened across greater Sydney in the past ten days or so, following almost four months of COVID-19 forced lockdown. Written and Directed by James Gunn, this standalone sequel to 2016's 'Suicide Squad' (Directed by David Ayer) is the tenth film in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe). Gunn's previous film making offerings include his directorial debut in 2006 'Slither', 'Super' in 2010, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' in 2014 and 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' in 2017, with 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' currently filming and due in 2023. 'The Suicide Squad' was released in the UK in late July, and in the US in early August while streaming on HBO Max for a month starting the same day. It has generated positive critical reviews, although has been a Box Office let down recouping just US$168M so far from its production budget outlay of US$185M.

Here then, A.R.G.U.S. Director (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans) Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) assembles two Task Force X teams, known as the Suicide Squad that consist Belle Reve penitentiary inmates (a high security metahuman prison), who reluctantly agree to carry out missions for Waller in exchange for having ten years shaved off their sentences, while at the same time having explosive devices injected into their necks which Waller can activate at any given time should the need arise. The teams are sent to the island nation of Corto Maltese, located off the South American coast, after its government is overthrown in a military led coup by an anti-American regime. They are tasked with destroying the Nazi-era laboratory, Jotunheim, which holds a secretive experiment known as 'Project Starfish' as well as conducting clandestine experiments on human subjects, led for the past thirty years by lead scientist Gaius Grieves aka The Thinker (Peter Capaldi). 

The first team is led by Waller's subordinate Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and comprises Brian Durlin aka Savant (Michael Rooker), George 'Digger' Harkness aka Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Cory Pitzner aka T.D.K. (The Detachable Kid) (Nathan Fillion), Gunter Braun aka Javelin (Flula Borg), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Richard 'Dick' Hertz aka Blackguard (Pete Davidson), Mongal (Mayling Ng) and Weasel (Sean Gunn). They are almost entirely wiped out by the Corto Maltese military upon landing, with only Harley Quinn and Rick Flag escaping the fray. This distraction allows the other team to enter the country undetected, from a beach on the other side of the island. The second team is led by assassin Robert DuBois aka Bloodsport (Idris Elba), who accepted the mission in order to prevent his daughter Tyla (Storm Reid) from being incarcerated at Belle Reve, and consists of Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone), Abner Krill aka Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Cleo Cazo aka Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior). 

After Flag is deemed to be still alive albeit being held captive, Bloodsport and his team systematically kill all those guarding the campsite only to discover that Flag is sat relaxing and enjoying a cold beer with the leader of a group of rebel soldiers fighting the resistance against the new regime Sol Soria (Alice Braga). Despite all of Soria's foot soldiers and resistance fighters being killed off, she agrees to assist them. 

Harley Quinn survives the attack on the first team and is taken captive by the Corto Maltese government, after killing the new President Silvio Luna (Juan Diago Botto) with whom she had a one night stand during which she learned from him of the new regime's plans to use Project Starfish against other nations, most notably America, Russia and China. Mateo Suarez (Joaquin Cosio) the Major General of Corto Maltese interrogates Quinn by having her strung up and goaded with an electric cattle prod to the stomach. In the Corto Maltese capital, the second team captures the Thinker, the lead scientist in charge of Project Starfish, in a bar and is ushered out the back door by Ratcatcher 2 and Polka-Dot Man just as the military arrive and detain Bloodsport, Peacemaker and Flag. Needless to say it doesn't end well for the three military guards escorting their three new prisoners in the back of an armoured vehicle or the two upfront in the driver and passenger seats. Ratcatcher 2, Polka-Dot Man, King Shark, the Thinker and Milton (an Associate of Task Force X) arrive in a beat up old Toyota bus to retrieve Bloodsport, Peacemaker and Flag.

Meanwhile, Quinn using the power of her thighs strangles her interrogator and using the dexterity of her foot retrieves the padlock key from the now dead interrogator, turns herself upside down, inserts the key into the padlock and turns the key so unlocking it and freeing herself. She then goes on a killing spree wiping out every guard who happens to be in her path either in a hail of bullets, or using the golden javelin bequeathed to her by Javelin just before he died on the beach a couple of nights ago, or by breaking necks from some accurately landed high kicks or savage punches. You never should underestimate the wrath of a woman scorned! 

And so Harley successfully escapes and joins the others, who use the Thinker to gain access to Jotunheim. As the Squad rigs up the facility with explosives, Flag and Ratcatcher 2 enter the laboratory with the Thinker, where they witness the fruits of all of his clandestine human experiments. He tells them that Project Starfish is Starro the Conqueror, a giant alien starfish that is able to create thousands of smaller versions of itself to kill people and take control of their minds and bodies. Starro was brought to Earth by the US government, who have been secretly funding experiments on him in Corto Maltese for the past thirty years and using thousands of its citizens as test subjects. Upon learning this, Flag decides to leak a hard drive containing evidence of this news but is killed by Peacemaker who is under secret orders from Waller to cover up the US's involvement in the experiments, and the existence of Starro.

Meanwhile, a skirmish between the Squad and the Corto Maltese military lead by Major General Suarez results in Polka-Dot Man accidentally setting off the explosives prematurely. As the facility slowly begins to implode and fall apart, Peacemaker catches up with Ratcatcher 2 and is poised ready to kill her for knowing the truth about Starro, but Bloodsport shoots him instead and takes the drive, so sparing Ratcatcher 2. 

Starro escapes from the now destroyed laboratory, kills the Thinker and the majority of the military personnel on the ground, and begins taking control of the island's population by releasing thousands of smaller starfish which latch onto the faces of the victims, so suffocating them almost immediately before taking control of their minds and bodies at which point they are revived - zombie like. Waller tells the Squad that their mission is complete now that Jotunheim is destroyed, but Bloodsport chooses to ignore her and leads his teammates in battling Starro, while Waller is knocked out by one of her subordinates using a golf club across the back of the head, back at Task Force X HQ to prevent her from executing the squad. 

During the battle, Polka-Dot Man is killed, Harley pierces a hole in Starro's eye using the javelin, and Ratcatcher 2 summons the city's rats to chew the alien to death from the inside. With the military diverted, Soria takes control of the government by gunning down all of the corrupt officials and pledges democratic elections. Bloodsport forces Waller to release him, Harley Quinn, Ratcatcher 2 and King Shark from their imprisonment, and to swear not to go after his daughter Tyla, in exchange for keeping the contents of the drive confidential to which she has little choice but to agree. The remaining Squad is airlifted out of Corto Maltese.

It's easy to see where Director James Gunn filtered away a production budget of US$185M, and it's equally as easy to see why this film has yet to recoup that initial investment. 'The Suicide Squad' is a silly film full of largely one dimensional characters that we have very little investment in by way of back story apart from one or two glib sentences in passing from the main characters; there is plenty of cussing and swearing; the humour seems aimed mostly at fifteen year old boys; there is lots of blood and gore; and the action sequences are so over the top that it really does remind you that you're watching a comic book adaptation after all. As for the giant alien starfish, Starro, well that reminded of the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the 1984 'Ghostbusters' film, just a little more menacing. On the positive side, Gunn's absurdist direction shines through in this no holds barred, fast paced, ultra violent, piece of nonsense that doesn't take it self too seriously, has moments of sardonic humour, and is visually everything you would expect from a movie such as this. Worth watching on a big cinema screen just for the spectacle of the action sequences which Gunn delivers with aplomb and of which there are plenty to satisfy the most die hard fans of the genre. The film also stars Taika Waititi as Ratcatcher, the father of Ratcatcher 2 who is dead but is seen in memory flashbacks by his daughter. Also, remain in your seat for the post-credits sequence.

'The Suicide Squad' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 14th December 2017.

On Wednesday 6th December the 7th annual AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) Awards were held at Sydney's Star Hotel and Casino. Amongst the presenters were  Gillian Armstrong, Shane Jacobson, Paul Hogan and Angourie Rice, with those in attendance including Margaret Pomeranz, Radha Mitchell, Samara Weaving, Jack Thompson, Rachel Griffiths and Jacqueline McKenzie. The winners and grinners taking out the top awards for their efforts in front of, and behind the camera are as follows :-

* Best Film Award : 'Lion' beating out 'Ali's Wedding', 'Berlin Syndrome', 'Hounds of Love' and 'Jasper Jones'.
* Best Direction : Garth Davis for 'Lion'.
* Best Lead Actor : Sunny Pawar for 'Lion'.
* Best Lead Actress : Emma Booth for 'Hounds of Love'.
* Best Supporting Actor : Dev Patel for 'Lion'.
* Best Supporting Actress : Nicole Kidman for 'Lion'.
* Best Original Screenplay : Andrew Knight and Osamah Sami for 'Ali's Wedding'.
* Best Adapted Screenplay : Luke Davis for 'Lion'.
* Best Cinematography : Greig Fraser for 'Lion'
* Awards for Best Editing, Sound, Original Music Score, Production Design and Costume Design all went to 'Lion'.
* AACTA Longford Lyell Award : Phillip Noyce.
* AACTA Trailblazer Award : Simon Baker.

Congratulations to 'Lion' for sweeping the board with twelve award wins from the twelve categories in which it was nominated. For more information on these awards, and in the television, documentary and short film categories too, go to : aacta.org

This week we have just three new release movies coming to an Odeon near you. We launch with the eighth instalment in this mega space opera Sci-Fi epic franchise that continues to go from strength to strength even after forty years and remains as fresh now as it did back in 1977; then we turn to an interweaving story of two young kids who go in search of someone dear to them, separated by fifty years; before wrapping up with an animated comedy drama of a gentle giant bull who would rather smell the roses than enter the bullring, but there are others who have different thoughts.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release films 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 here cordially invited 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 experience during the week ahead.

'STAR WARS : THE LAST JEDI' (Rated M) - and so from a galaxy far far away after all the hype, the huge expectations and the eager anticipation comes the eighth instalment in the epic space opera franchise that had its beginnings forty years ago back in 1977, and shows no signs of letting up. This second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy is Written and Directed by Rian Johnson whose other film credits are 'Brick' in 2005, 'The Brothers Bloom' in 2008, 'Looper' in 2012 and now this movie behemoth. Following hot on the heels of the J.J. Abrams seventh instalment 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' which returned US$2.07B at the global Box Office and now stands as the third highest grossing film of all time, here many of those characters from 'The Force Awakens' return to reprise their roles including Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Anthony Daniels as C3PO, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma with Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern and in cameo roles appearing as Storm Troopers or lending their voices are Simon Pegg, Gareth Edwards, Gary Barlow, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Prince Harry, Prince William and Justin Theroux amongst others.

This film then follows on directly from where 'The Force Awakens' left off. We join Rey on some remote distant planet island where she encounters an aged Luke for the first time. Taking her first tentative steps into the ways of the Jedi under the tutelage of her new mentor, Rey has to come to terms with her emerging powers which unsettle Luke - the like of which he has not previously encountered. With Leia, Finn and Poe, both Luke and Rey embark on an adventure that will reveal age old mysteries of the Force and reveal shocking truths about the past. Meanwhile, The Resistance prepare themselves to go into battle with the First Order. 'The Last Jedi' saw its World Premier screening in Los Angeles on 9th December and goes on general release around the world this week. Early Previews have been very positive. 'Star Wars : Episode IX' is due for release in December 2019 and will be Directed once again by J.J. Abrams following the hasty departure of Colin Trevorrow in September this year.

'WONDERSTRUCK' (Rated PG) - earlier this year we had 'Wonder Woman', then released a few weeks ago we had 'Wonder' and then last week we had 'Wonder Wheel' and now we have 'Wonderstruck' - a mystery drama fantasy film. I wonder how many movies with 'Wonder' in its title Hollywood still has in its arsenal? This offering is Directed by Todd Haynes whose previous credits include 2015's 'Carol', 2007's 'I'm Not There', 2002's 'Far From Heaven' and 1998's 'Velvet Goldmine'. Adapted from the 2011 novel of the same name by Brian Selznick who also wrote the Screenplay, and receiving its world Premier screening at this years Cannes Film Festival where it was in main competition for the Palme d'Or where it received a three minute standing ovation. It was released in the US in mid-October in limited theatres, has so far taken just US2M, and has received generally positive press. The film interweaves two distinct stories each separated by fifty years each telling the story of a young child's journey of discovery. In a 1927 New York, Rose (Millicent Simmonds) does a bolt from her fathers home to go in search of her mother and screen idol Actress Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore) of whom she read a captivating headline and whose life she charts in a scrapbook. In 1977 the recently orphaned Ben (Oakes Fegley) runs away from his home in Minnesota to go in search of his father whom he has never known. Also starring Michelle Williams.

'FERDINAND' (Rated G) - this computer animated comedy drama film is Produced by Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation and is Directed by Carlos Saldanha whose previous credits include 2002's 'Ice Age', 2005's 'Robots', 2006's 'Ice Age : The Meltdown', 2009's 'Ice Age : Dawn of the Dinosaurs', 2011's 'Rio' and its 2014 sequel 'Rio 2'. Here he Directs this film based on the children's book 'The Story of Ferdinand' by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson about a Spanish Fighting Bull named Ferdinand (voiced by John Cena) who has grown up with an appreciation of smelling the flowers rather than going to head to head with a matador in the bullring. However, Ferdinand has grown up to be big and strong, but gentle with it, big hearted and warm natured. But, when he is mistaken for a fierce and dangerous beast, he is captured and taken off to the bullring to fight with the matadors. There he must make a decision to fight or not, or rally a misfit team of animal friends to escape his captors in order to return home to his family. Also starring the voice talents of Kate McKinnon, David Tennant and Bobby Cannavale.

With three new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, with the likes of a eagerly awaited, much hyped and highly anticipated next instalment in this hugely successful and popular Sci-Fi action adventure franchise; to a feel good movie about two young kids searching for someone special in their lives separated by fifty years; and closing out with a animated story of big friendly bull who means no harm to anyone or anything who must dig deep within himself to overcome his captors and regain his freedom. Remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-