ANT-MAN AND THE WASP : Tuesday 10th July 2018.

'ANT-MAN AND THE WASP' which I saw this week keeps the Marvel machine grinding forever onwards churning out superhero fare for us to spend our $20 or so on at the local multiplex. And so it is too with this sequel to 2015's 'Ant-Man', which off the back of a US$110M Budget grossed US$520M at the global Box Office, was generally well received by Critics and audiences alike, and picked up three award wins and another 33 nominations from around the circuit. This 20th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Directed by Peyton Reed once again, who came on board one month after the release of the first instalment. This film was released in the US last week too, but not in the UK until early August. Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man/Scott Lang also takes a Co-Writer credit this time around. The film cost US$162M to make, has so far grossed US$185M and has been generally well received. This is the first MCU film to have the name of a female Superhero protagonist in its title . . . . about time methinks!

Set two years following the events that unfolded with 'Captain America : Civil War' and prior to the events that came to pass just recently in 'Avengers : Infinity War' and now under house arrest (explaining his absence from 'Avengers : Infinity War') Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) struggles with balancing his choices as both a father to young Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) and a responsible superhero. Having had to put his mantle of 'Ant-Man' on ice for the last two years for being caught in the middle of the Avengers fight which was in violation of the Sokovia Accords, Lang is now only three days away from being able to step foot outside his own home. He has been patient, compliant and responsible, while Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) - a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, entomologist, and physicist who became the original Ant-Man way back when, have gone underground, are also in hiding and have cut all ties these past years with Lang.

Then one day, Hope and Pym are able to open a portal through to the Quantum Realm where Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) was lost back in 1987, has not been seen since and is presumed dead. At that same precise moment Lang has a vision of Janet with whom he became entangled when he himself was in the Quantum Realm two years earlier and from which he was able to successfully return. Lang calls Pym for the first time in two years to explain his vision, but gets Hank's voicemail. A short time later Hope kidnaps Lang, miniaturises them and sets a decoy back at his house so as not to arouse suspicion by the FBI Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) that he has broken the terms of his house arrest.

Pym believes that Lang's vision was a message that Janet is still alive, albeit trapped within the Quantum Realm. Needing a piece of hi-tech equipment to create a stable tunnel through which to access the Quantum Realm, Hope meets with her 'supplier' - a black market arms trader named Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins). But Burch has other plans for Hope when he realises the potential of what she is working on, and he wants in on the action. A fight breaks out between Hope, who by now has assumed the powers of her alter-ego 'The Wasp' and is able to thwart Burch and his goons, but not so with a mysterious figure come to be known as 'Ghost' (Hannah John-Kamen) for her power to be able to travel through solid matter.

In the fracas Ghost escapes with Pym's miniaturised laboratory causing him, Hope and Lang to visit the one man they think can help them retrieve it - Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburn), a former partner of Pym's but they fell out decades before and had not spoken in thirty years. Reluctantly, Foster helps Pym locate his lost laboratory at Ghosts place of residence. Gaining entry Ghost is able to easily overpower the threesome and reveals that her name is Ava Starr and she has suffered from molecular instability since she was a child when her father, also a former partner of Pym's, died in an explosion with her mother too, while conducting a Quantum experiment which resulted in Ava's unstable condition. Foster reveals that his is in cahoots with Ava and is in fact her guardian, and is determined to make Ava better by harnessing Janet's Quantum energy. But Pym will have none of this as he believes that this would kill Janet, and so they escape with the aid of some giants ants.

With their laboratory back Pym and Hope resume their plan to fire up the tunnel. They are able to contact Janet through Lang, who gives them detailed coordinates with which to locate her in the Quantum Realm. But time is of the essence and they only have a limited window of two hours before the opportunity is lost for a century or so. Burch meanwhile has reassembled his gang of goons and through Lang's security company 'X-Cons' and his partners Luis (Michael Pena), Dave (Tip 'T'.I.' Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian) are able to locate Pym's lab. Burch calls an FBI Agent he has on the payroll, who in turns contacts Woo and alerts them to Lang's presence while supposedly under house arrest. Lang hot foots it back to his house just in time for Woo to walk in expecting to catch him out - but not so. However, with Ant-Man indisposed, the FBI converge on Pym's lab and arrest him and Hope leaving Ghost to once again steal the miniaturised lab.

Lang let off the hook by Woo, is able to come to the rescue of Pym and Hope and help them escape custody, and they locate the lab in a well executed and at times completely over the top car chase sequence through the streets of San Francisco as Ant-Man goes from being very little to very large. Lang and Hope divert Ava while Pym enters the Quantum Realm to retrieve Janet. Luis, Dave, and Kurt help apprehend Burch, so Lang and Hope can stop Ava who has already begun sapping Janet of her energy. Pym and Janet arrive back safe from the Quantum Realm, and Janet voluntarily grants some of her energy to Ava to temporarily stabilise her.

Lang returns home once again, just in time for a now suspicious Woo to unbuckle his ankle bracelet at the end of his house arrest period. Ava and Foster go into hiding, with Foster vowing to find a cure for her. Wait for the mid-credits sequence, which brings us right up to date, and naturally Stan Lee's obligatory laugh out loud one liner cameo.

It's good to see some levity arriving in the MCU in the form of 'Ant-Man and The Wasp' after the more depressing and distressing 'Captain America : Civil War' and 'Avengers : Infinity War' episodes. Here the more light handed approach works well with the storyline that is not overly complicated and delivers just the right amount of humour to keep it grounded. The action set pieces are well executed and work best when Ant-Man and The Wasp are reduced down to their insect size or conversely Ant-Man grows to be a towering giant of some sixty feet. Both Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly have settled well into their roles and despite their occasional verbal sparring, feel comfortable around each other and with their gifted super powers. Michelle Pfeiffer's role is a little under cooked, and Walton Goggins is half baked, but these are minor criticisms of a worthy and respectable sequel that is fast paced, good humoured, light hearted and still packs a punch.

'Ant-Man and The Wasp' merits four claps of the clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

JOHN WICK : CHAPTER 2 - Tuesday 23rd May 2017.

'JOHN WICK : CHAPTER 2' which I saw earlier this week tells the ongoing story of the hirsute hitman character of John Wick as played by Keanu Reeves who first burst onto our screens all guns blazing in 2014 and proved to be a critical success, whilst grossing US$89M off its US$20M budget. It was therefore inevitable that a sequel would follow, and now in 2017 our titular forced out of retirement assassin seeking vengeance and dispensing his own kind of justice down the barrel of a gun, is back. Keanu Reeves reprises the role he so successfully made his own from the get-go, and Director Chad Stahelski is back in the chair with this film that saw its initial release in the US in early February and here in Australia only on the 18th of this month. The film has so far made US$167M from its US$40M budget and has received much critical praise.

Set four days following the end of the first film, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has tracked down his prized 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 to a warehouse chop-shop where various criminal underworld activities are ongoing overseen by Russian gangster Abram Tarasov (Peter Stormare) whose brother Viggo and his son Iosef were both killed by John in the first film.

As John fires up the engine to his beloved vehicle, all manner of heavies quickly come out of the woodwork, and a kinetic car chase is on for one and all that culminates back in the warehouse where it all started with John taking out each and every one, before bursting in on Tarasov, who can only shake his head in disbelief. John siddles up to Tarasov, words unspoken, pours them both a neat glass of vodka, toasts peace between them, and walks away, sparing the Russian's life. He gets back into his now heavily trashed Ford Mustang and drives home.

Back home John attempts to settle back down to a quiet life of retirement. But his best laid plans are thwarted when he is visited by Italian gangster Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) who presents John with a 'Gold Marker' which binds him via a never to be broken blood oath to an earlier commitment for a past favour granted. There is clearly some history between the two gentlemen as they have done 'business' together in the past which enabled John to retire to marry Helen (Bridget Moynahan, in flashback only) but now D'Antonio wants his payback. John refuses, saying that those days are behind him, he's retired, and he's not that man anymore. This doesn't sit well with D'Antonio who is holding the Marker with John's bloodied thumb print inside it. The two part company, but before driving away D'Antonio promptly blows John's home to pieces using a grenade launcher - John is blown clear out of the house and his new best friend, the dog with no name escapes unhurt too, but John's luxury home is totalled.

Consulting with Winston (Ian McShane) at New Yorks' Continental Hotel who reminds John that if he does not accept the 'Marker' he will be breaking one of the two cardinal rules of the underworld - the first to not kill or conduct 'business' within the grounds of a Continental Hotel, and the second that all Markers must be honoured. John reluctantly meets again with D'Antonio and accepts the task, which is to travel to Rome to take out his sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini) who sits on the council of high level crime lords, so that he can take her place.  D'Antonio sends his own assassin and mute personal bodyguard, Ares, (Ruby Rose) to keep a watchful eye on John to ensure that he delivers on his commitment and to tie up any loose ends.

In Rome, John's checks into the Continental Hotel there, managed by Julius (Franco Nero) and then sets about suiting up and tooling up, using all the specialist suppliers of custom made bullet proof tailored suits and hitman special weapons that a gold coin or six can buy. He then infiltrates Rome's catacombs to get close to Gianna's celebration party, and confronts her alone, stating that he is there to complete his Mark as ordered by her brother. Rather than die unexpectedly at the hands of another, she chooses to die her own way, committing suicide. After she has passed, John fires a single point blank shot into her head and walks away.

Whilst retreating back through the labyrinth of underground tunnels, John is ambushed by D'Antonio's henchmen and Ares, wanting to tie up those loose ends. Needless to say it will take more than a few dozen heavily armed heavies to dispense with a well prepared bullet proof suit wearing tooled up arse kicking John Wick. Just when he thought he was in the clear, Gianna's personal bodyguard Cassian (Common), having discovered her limp lifeless body, comes out seeking revenge having seen John earlier at the party and asked if was 'working'. They fight on the streets of Rome late at night in a savage close quarter kicking, punching, gouging, knifing and shooting fight eventually crashing through a window into the Reception of the Rome Continental Hotel, which also allows no 'business' to be conducted on its grounds. Under strict compliance of the rules, the pair share a drink in the bar, and John tells Cassian who ordered the hit on Gianna and that he had no choice. Cassian swears revenge for her death, and leaves to fight another day, having paid for the drink 'out of professional courtesy'.

Following her death Santino places a US$7M bounty on the head of John as a smoke screen to avenge her death leading every assassin in New York to come out to kill John and claim the reward. John dispenses with the attacks of several assassins, but Cassian is once again on his tail, and confronts John in the subway. They board a crowded subway train and maintain their distance until the next stop when the passengers disperse leaving them access to each other while the remaining passengers look on in disbelief as their fight breaks out within the confines of the subway carriage. John overpowers Cassian, pushing a knife into his aorta and sitting him down on a seat, stating that if he pulls the knife he will bleed out and quickly, and that 'out of professional courtesy' he let him live.

Injured and running out of options John seeks out an underground crime lord that John had previously taken a hit on, but who he also let live, albeit with a potentially life threatening injury, The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburn, in their first screen pairing since 'The Matrix' trilogy). After exchanging social niceties, The Bowery King reluctantly agrees to help John and leads him to D'Antonio's whereabouts armed with a revolver and a magazine containing seven rounds only.

Here John confronts D'Antonio and his several dozen henchmen with Ares who are all on hand to protect their leader. After more close quarter gun fighting in which heads explode with gushes of the crimson stuff against marble white walls, culminating in a dizzying bevy of fist fights and gun battles in a hall of mirrors, John overcomes Ares who stays behind allowing D'Antonio to flee to The Continental, and safe harbour. John tracks his quarry to the Hotel, where D'Antonio is very self assured that John will abide by the strict rules of the Hotel, and that he can stay indefinitely in very comfortable surroundings. John needless to say has very different ideas.

The next day, Winston sends for John, and explains that the High Table at which Gianna and subsequently Santino sat for a very brief time, has doubled the bounty on John's head and issued it globally. Winston also advises that John is now considered 'excommunicado' from The Continental, and in so being loses all special privileges and access to the resources of the underworld that he has hitherto enjoyed and taken advantage off. He is out on his own in the world, with every assassin in the known universe now hot on his tail. Winston however, gives him a one hour head start before the bounty goes live, and in so doing hands him a Marker for his future use should he ever need it. As John races through the streets of New York on foot with his trustee no name dog bounding beside him, John hears mobile phone messages sounding all around him, as hitmen & women are alerted to John's new status.

'John Wick : Chapter 2' is a frenzied frenetic feast of bullet ballet gun-fu, that raises the body count over a number of very well choreographed action set pieces, whilst providing some clarity surrounding the mythology of the story. This is exactly what you would expect and more from the first instalment, ramping up with a high octane opening car chase in New York somewhere, to an intense and perhaps overly long underground gun battle in the ancient city of Rome, back to the streets and subway of New York, for the final showdown in a city Museum. Director and former stuntman Stahelski, who has worked with Reeves before on 'The Matrix' series, has a keen eye for big screen inventive action and he pulls out all the stops here to deliver a thrill ride that is exciting, at times humorous, well acted by Reeves who carries the whole film on his shoulders, and by McShane and Common especially. John Wick is a man of few words, and he too comes off a little worse for wear, proving that he is not infallible suffering a gun shot wound, a knife stabbing, all manner of kicks and punches but he keeps coming back taking out those that would cross him with a deft touch . . . often at point blank range. Very entertaining, bloody and violent compelling action packed bullet riddled escapism that ticks all the boxes.  Director Chad Stahelski has already stated that a third film in the series in currently in the works, which will lead on from where this instalment ends. Bring it on!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

PASSENGERS : Tuesday 10th January 2017.

'PASSENGERS' which I saw this week is from Norwegian film Director Morten Tyldum who previously brought us 2014's 'The Imitation Game'. Here he Directs this Sci-Fi adventure offering set in deep space. Made for US$110M and released in the US just before Christmas, the film has so far made US$181M and has seemingly fared less well with critics whose general response has been mixed at best, than it has with the movie going public. Having read the negative press, I was pleasantly surprised by the film, and feel it fares better than the critics give it credit for.


The story here takes place during some undisclosed future date aboard the starship 'Avalon', a state of the art vessel transporting 5,000 Earth inhabitants and some 250 crew to colonise a far away planet called Homestead II. That planet is so far away from Earth that the journey takes 120 years, and those 'passengers' and crew are in hibernation pods for the entirety of the journey, with the super advanced spacecraft on autopilot. The intention is that the passengers will awaken four months before arrival at Homestead II, and the crew one month before them, in order for everyone to assimilate to each other, their new surroundings, the prospect of life in a galaxy far far away, to learn new skills and to prepare for a fresh start at life. There is no going back.

Early on we see Avalon pass through a meteor cloud, and using its defensive shield manages to get through largely unscathed until we see a huge chunk of space rock the size of a football stadium come into view and headed on a collision course. It impacts and is deflected, but the jolt to the ships infrastructure causes a malfunction in one hibernation pod - that of mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) who awakens thinking that he has arrived at Homestead II already, and the requisite 120 years has passed. After a day or two however, he comes to realise that nothing could be further from the truth, largely by the absence of anyone else. He searches through the mighty Avalon looking for others, interacting with various holographic beings passing out information, instructions and intelligence and learns too that the ship left earth only thirty years ago, and its destination is still ninety years away. How is this possible?

Resigned to his fate, Preston goes about his daily routines using all the facilities available to the passengers once they have woken up from their hibernation - restaurants, cinema, basketball gym, and the bar where he is able to interact with mechanical robot bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen) for some kind of companionship.

He also investigates the ships every corner to ascertain what he is dealing with, what resources are available and if there is a means of re-hibernation, but there is not. However, some areas are beyond his ability to access given that he is a lowly mechanical engineer who gained free passage to Homestead II on account of his necessary skills. One such area that 'is beyond his pay grade' is the main deck where the ships controls and diagnostic systems are housed, which he tries fruitlessly to access for a prolonged period, but to no avail.

Contemplating suicide after traipsing around the ship all on his lonesome for many months, he happens upon the hibernation pod of Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence). He reads her digital profile and we learn she is a journalist, a writer, her family history, and Preston instantly becomes infatuated by her. After some soul searching and deliberation over many weeks he decides to wake up Aurora, but keep the truth from her about how her pod opened, other than it was another malfunction.

Initially Lane goes through the same emotions that Preston did over a year ago now, seeking ways to re-hibernate, or turn the ship around, but when she can see that everything she suggests has already been attempted by him, she resigns herself to her fate. In time the two fall for each other and become lovers. She starts writing a book, and the pair take full advantage of their seclusion, their surroundings and everything they have available to them.

This carries on for a year, with the two making the most of their lives abroad the Avalon, until Arthur inadvertently lets out that it is the anniversary of Preston waking up Lane. At first Lane cannot believe what she is hearing, and then her anger turns physical and emotional as she deliberately distances herself from Preston, accusing him of what is tantamount to murder.

Shortly after this as Preston is trying to explain himself over the Avalon's PA system, they hear the voice of Chief Deck Officer Gus Mancuso (Laurence Fishburn) who has been woken by another pod malfunction. Mancuso has higher authority and so gains them access to the main deck which earlier Preston had spent tireless hours trying to access. Using the ships diagnostic systems they learn of multiple failures in the ships infrastructure and systems, which if not repaired will have catastrophic effects. They learn that the damage was done two years ago during the meteor storm that initially woke up Preston, and so now it becomes a race against time to locate the damage and effect repairs. Mancuso meanwhile is in ill health and in the ships infirmary in the Autodoc (an automated medical diagnostics and treatment pod) they learn that he has just hours to live thanks to the manner in which his hibernation pod was opened and what he was exposed to in the process. Before he dies, he hands over his ID wrist band giving the pair unrestricted access to all areas.

As the ships systems increasingly fail putting at risk over five thousand souls, so the hunt is on for the damage. They locate several holes in the ships hull that caused damage to the computer that administers the ships reactor. Knowing that there are spare parts on the ship for every conceivable necessity, Preston retrieves a new computer bank to replace the damaged one. In doing so however, it causes further damage to the reactor. Preston realises that the fusion reactor needs to be vented, but this cannot be done from the inside due to damaged systems infrastructure, and so he needs to do so from outside the ship. Lane is reluctant to let him go knowing that she may never see him again, and she couldn't abide that thought despite her previous feelings of being cheated out of her future life.

With Lane inside and Preston outside the ship but in constant communication with each other, the reactor is successfully vented, but in the process he is ejected by the blast with such a force that it snaps his tether causing him to drift helplessly. With his spacesuit also damaged he is loosing oxygen rapidly and the temperature inside his suit begins to plummet. He apologies to Lane and bids his farewell. Not having any of it, Lane dons a spacesuit and ventures out to retrieve her man, eventually doing so. She slams him into the Autodoc where he is pronounced dead on arrival. Using the diagnostics and treatment functions she throws everything at Preston to revive him.

Eighty-eight years later the crew of the Avalon awaken as they approach Homestead II. Upon opening the doors to the main concourse area, Captain Norris (Andy Garcia) is greeted with a landscape of lush green vegetation, tall trees, and a small wooden house that Preston promised he would build Lane if they were together on Homestead II. Lane completed writing her book revealing that she elected to stay with Preston and finish writing her story of adventure and love aboard the Avalon where the two of them lived happily until they died.

There are nods aplenty to other films, including '2001:A Space Odyssey', 'Prometheus', 'The Martian', 'Gravity' and 'Titanic', and like all of these films 'Passengers' does not disappoint on the visuals which are stunning and expertly realised. With a small handful too of individuals battling against the odds; a story that you can relate to; and a chemistry between the two leads that make you believe, this is ultimately a love story wrapped up in a disaster epic where loss and despair give way to love and hope. I found Preston just a little too worldly wise as a lowly mechanical engineer who is able to craft metal trinkets, reprogramme robots, sidestep complex computer systems, design an eco system, and know how reactor fusion works amongst other things to be just a little too convenient and a little to MacGuiver esque. Preston's motives for waking up Lane are at the core of the film, and it is a matter for debate as to what you would do confronted with a lifetime of no other human contact, and ultimately her reaction and reconciliation to this is equally questionable. I enjoyed 'Passengers' much more than I thought I would, and I think you will too. It is worth seeing on the big screen for all the spectacle, complexity and the enormity of a sterile, untarnished brand spanking new floating mega shopping mall and entertainment complex hurtling through space on its 120 year journey to go boldly where no man has gone before!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Sunday 1st January 2017.

With the release of 'Assassin's Creed' this week and all the buzz around this big screen video game adaptation as supposedly re-setting the benchmark for the genre, I got to thinking about the genre and just how successful it has really been over the years. My research tells me that in terms of international success, some video game adaptations have fared reasonably well at the Box Office (taking that as a measure of audience critical acclaim) whilst for the most part the others have been complete duds. Here's a list of the good, and the not so good :-

#1 - 'Warcraft' released in 2016 - Global Box Office US$434M
#2 - 'The Angry Birds Movie' released in 2016 - Global Box Office US$350M
#3 - 'Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time' - released in 2010 - Global Box Office US$337M
#4 - 'Resident Evil : Afterlife' released in 2010 - Global Box Office US$297M
#5 - 'Lara Croft : Tomb Raider' released in 2001 - Global Box Office US$275M
#6 - 'Resident Evil : Retribution' released in 2012 - Global Box Office US$241M
#7 - 'Need for Speed' released in 2014 - Global Box Office US$204M
#8 - 'Pokemon : The First Movie' released in 1999 - Global Box Office US$164M
#9 - 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider : Cradle of Life' released in 2003 - Global Box Office US$157M
#10 - 'Resident Evil : Extinction' released in 2007 - Global Box Office US$148M

Of course for those that fared well enough there is your 'Super Mario Bros' (1993), 'Doom' (2005), 'BloodRayne' (2006), 'DOA : Dead or Alive' (2006), 'Postal' (2007), 'In the Name of the King' (2008), 'Far Cry' (2008), 'Tekken' (2010) and the animated 'Ratchet & Clank' (2016) that fared a whole lot worse and bombed both critically and commercially. Due for release early in the new year is 'Resident Evil : The Final Chapter', with a 'Tomb Raider' reboot due in 2018, 'Rampage' also due in 2018 and a 'Minecraft' movie due in 2019 amongst various others on the slate.

Starting off the new year we have just two new releases out this week, kicking off with a time travelling action adventure yarn based on a hugely successful video game franchise that melds the present day with 15th Century Spain; and then a Sci-Fi adventure set in deep space where those in deep sleep and are in deep trouble as two awakened souls strive to save their ship and all aboard it.

If action and adventure is your thing then this week is for you, and if it's not, then there are plenty of other films Reviewed and Previewed on these Blog pages in recent weeks that are still out on general release. When you have sat through your film of choice in the week ahead, remember that you are warmly invited to share your cinema going thoughts, opinions and observations with your fellow readers here at Odeon Online. Simply leave a relevant and constructive Comment below this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile, enjoy your movie.

'ASSASSIN'S CREED' (Rated M) - the hugely popular action adventure video game upon which this film is based first appeared on our gaming consoles back in 2007 courtesy of Ubisoft. Wikipedia describes the premise as being set in a fictional history of real-world events and follows the centuries-old struggle between the Assassins, who fight for peace with free will, and the Templars, who desire peace through control, and their indirect relation to an ancient species pre-dating humanity, whose society, along with much of Earth's biosphere, was destroyed by a massive solar storm. The games feature predominantly a Desmond Miles, a bartender in the present day who is a descendant of several lines of prominent Assassins. All in all seems like a perfect script for a movie. Since its early days Assassins Creed has grown into a series of nine main games and a number of supporting games too. There have also been a number of short animated films, comics, novels, graphic novels and even an Encyclopaedia. The games have sold approaching 100 million copies. And so kick starting 2017, we have a film, based on that game, Directed by Justin Kurzel and Co-Produced and starring in the lead role, Michael Fassbender. The film was made for US$125M and has so far taken US$49M since its release in the US and France just before Christmas.

Here convicted criminal about to be executed Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) is rescued by Abstergo Industries - the modern day version of the Templar Order. Heading up Abstergo is CEO Allan Rikkin (Jeremy Irons) whose daughter Dr. Sophia Rikkin (Marion Cotillard) is the organisations Chief Scientist. She reveals to Lynch that he is descended from a long line of Assassins that for centuries fought against the Templar Order, and that he is directly related to Aguilar de Nerha  (also payed by Michael Fassbender) - a 15th Century Spanish Assassin. Dr. Rikkin proposes that Lynch be hooked up to revolutionary new technology that they have developed - The Animus - that allows him to travel back in time to 15th Century Spain by unlocking genetic memories contained in his DNA. As he travels back and forth in search of a powerful ancient artefact he acquires the skills and learnings to fight against the modern day Templar Order operating under the guises of Abstergo in the present day. Also starring Brendan Gleeson as Joseph Lynch, Michael K. Williams as  Moussa/Baptitse a Haitian Assassin and Charlotte Rampling. The film has received generally negative reviews for its story and plot lines more than the performances from its lead characters, well choreographed fight sequences and stunning visuals, but, will it break the mould of dud video game adaptations?

'PASSENGERS' (Rated M) - Norwegian film Director Morten Tyldum who previously brought us 2014's 'The Imitation Game' here Directs this Sci-Fi adventure offering set in deep space. Made for US$110M and released in the US just before Christmas, the film has so far recovered US$57M and has received mixed critical reviews. The story here takes place aboard the starship 'Avalon', that is a state of the art vessel transporting 5,000 Earth inhabitants to colonise a far away planet called Homestead II. That planet is so far away from Earth that the journey takes 120 years, and those 'passengers' are in hibernation pods for the entirety of the journey. Except one, mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) who awakens ninety years too early due to a malfunction in his pods system. After a year of traipsing around the ship all on his lonesome with no one except mechanical robot bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen) to keep him company, he happens upon Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence) fast asleep in her forced hibernation. After some soul searching and deliberation he decides to wake up Aurora and in time the two fall for each other despite her initial feelings of being cheated out of her future life. In time however, they discover that the ship is in danger having been damaged in an asteroid collision two years earlier that has created multiple failures in the ships systems. Working against the odds and against time, Jim and Aurora must save the ship and its five thousand sleeping inhabitants on board. Also starring Laurence Fishburn and Andy Garcia.

Just two new releases kicking off the new year, but with a raft of other very recently released movies now out on general release, there are a whole bunch of reasons to get along to your local picture house. When you have done so drop us a line here at Odeon Online, and in the meantime, I'll see you sometime in the week ahead, at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BATMAN v SUPERMAN : DAWN OF JUSTICE - TUESDAY 22nd March 2016

I was lucky enough to see the Australian Premier of 'BATMAN v SUPERMAN : DAWN OF JUSTICE' at a local Multiplex two days ahead of its official Australian release date on Tuesday last week. This much hyped, long awaited, eagerly anticipated and initially controversial next instalment in the DC Extended Universe is finally here, as Directed by Zack Snyder and made for a cool US$250M. This is the second instalment in the DC Extended Universe following 2013's 'Man of Steel' also Directed by Zack Snyder and which made US$668M off its US$225M production budget, and sees once again Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent. This film features some big name acting talent and also unites for the first time on the big screen in a live action movie a number of favoured characters from the DC canon - some of whom will get their own big picture outing in future years. All that said, it seems that this film is already dividing critics the world over with some making a scathing attack on the movie and others rating it well. Ultimately you will have to decide, and while the fate of the world rests in the hands of Batman and Superman, the fate of Batman and Superman rests in yours.

As the film opens we see Superman battling it out above the city skyline with an alien foe assumed to be the tail end of his epic battle with General Zod as seen at the end of 'Man of Steel'. There is mass destruction everywhere and innocent lives lost including those close to Bruce Wayne as he tears through the city streets gazing in disbelief at the sight of crumbling buildings and collateral damage in front of his very eyes, and all at the hands of Superman. All around him the citizens stare in disbelief at the carnage all around, and flee to safety, fearful for their own lives. Fast forward two years or so after these events and many of Metropolis's inhabitants, and indeed the world, are left feeling helpless, angry and fearful that Superman is not everything he is cracked up to be and in fact that he may even be a threat to humanity, especially if he continues to go unchecked. Equally though there are those who consider Superman as God like and their saviour given his superhuman powers. The media is in a frenzy as the debate rages on, and often on the front page of The Daily Planet newspaper where Clark Kent works with the love of his life Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and supervised by Editor Perry White (Laurence Fishburn).

Those who doubt Superman and see him as a threat include billionaire Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Ben Affleck) who takes it upon himself to wage a one man war against Superman to rid the Earth of him, so that its citizens can rest easy once more. This Batman however, is an ageing Superhero whom we learn through trusty and loyal Butler Alfred (Jeremy Irons) is 'too old to die young' and has been battling villains for over twenty years now. We are beyond the Nolan films, the age of Robin here, and Wayne Manor is a derelict abandoned wreck of a building now and a fading memory of what it used to stand for. Wayne is still a rugged handsome man about town and astute businessman loaded with more wealth than you can imagine, but his focus has shifted from capturing villains and locking them up (a reference here to the upcoming 'Suicide Squad' perhaps) to thwarting Superman once and for all. Affleck plays it well, looks the part with his chiseled features and lends a certain gravitas to this ageing Batman knocking on the door of fifty, and still living with his trusted family Butler, who has been seriously up-skilled from his former film appearances to a role much more emotionally advanced and tech. savvy.

In the wings however, watching and waiting is Lex Luthor (Jessie Eisenberg) who also has plans for Superman, and is working on weaponising Kryptonite which he has come to possess from the downed alien spacecraft carrying General Zod some two years earlier. He wants to create an intergalactic warning system that acts as a deterrent to potential invading alien kind, but he needs to get it through the Senate, and Senator Finch (Holly Hunter) ain't gonna let that happen for fear that such a weapon may be used for less noble means than intended. Angry that this is likely to be the case Luthor takes out his revenge on the Senate just as Superman descends to give evidence for the first time in a landmark hearing. It doesn't end well for anyone, and as a result Superman goes into hiding believing he was the root cause for the death of hundreds.

When Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne come together at a charity event hosted by Lex Luthor their initial reception is less than warm, as they both go on the defensive about their alter-egos, whilst not knowing yet who and what those alter-egos are. At this event, Wayne attempt to tap into LexCorp's mainframe and does so successfully only for the drive to be 'stolen' before he can reclaim it by a sultry mystery antiques dealer Diana Prince (Gal Gadot). Later tracked down by Wayne who confronts her, she explains that she has returned the drive to the glove box of his car, but that she believed that Luthor also was in possession of files relating to herself, which she wanted to retrieve. Later that day Wayne decrypts the drive and whilst scouring its contents learns that Diane Prince is some kind of immortal warrior as evidenced by photographs of her taken from the early 20th Century.

Meanwhile Luthor ramps up his activities to bring down Superman and is successful in retrieving a sizable rock of Kryptonite which he brings into Metropolis under cover of night. Batman is watching Luthor's every move and uncovers the impending shipment and so lays in wait to intercept the cargo for his own means to ultimately thwart Superman. Following a well executed action chase sequence through the docks of Gotham in which Batman follows the Kryptonite truck in his Batmobile, the dark knight is halted in his tracks when he comes face to face with Superman, who gives him a warning to cease his one man vigilante activities immediately or face the consequences of his wrath.

Eventually, while Luthor is caught napping, Batman retrieves the Kryptonite and sets about building himself a powerful new exoskeleton Batsuit and waeponises the Kryptonite to use against Superman. Cue the obligatory training montage of a ripped Batman prepping himself for the ultimate standoff. 'Who Will Win' indeed?? In the meantime, Luthor must revert to 'Plan B' and with access granted to General Zod's downed scout ship which rests in Metropolis, he splices his own DNA with that of General Zod in the ships Genesis Chamber. Still intent on destroying Superman, Luthor brings Lane to the helipad on top of LexCorp as a means of luring Superman there with a blackmailed threat that leads him to face off against Batman in an epic battle that sees one rise victorious . . . well almost, and potentially!

Whilst that battle royale is going on, the mutated creature that Luthor has concocted in the Genesis Chamber using his own DNA and that of Zod's together with some alien reproductive technology is coming to life, and larger than it! With the power to outdo Superman, 'Doomsday' as Luthor affectionally has called it, engage in head to head combat that sees whole city blocks destroyed, land laid to waste, and a nuclear war head pound straight into them both far above the Earth's atmosphere from which they both recover quickly only to return to the ground where Batman and now Wonder Woman (aka Diana Prince aka Gal Gadot) join the fight. Needless to say, good overcomes evil, but, at a cost!

As the story draws to an end we see Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince talking about the formation of a 'Justice League' that unites the other metahumans seen by him in Luthor's decrypted files - those being Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg, and now their attention must turn to tracking them down and helping to protect the world from further threats. With Luthor safely locked up in maximum security for all of his criminal activities, he is visited by Batman who says that he will now be forever watching him should he ever step out of line.

As of 27th March, the film has grossed of US$424M setting it at the fourth biggest opening of all time and the biggest Superhero movie opening of all time, with the film needing to take as a minimum US$800M to make it the commercial success needed to recover its US$250M production budget and its US$150M or so marketing & promotion costs. Those 'experts' claim that it is likely to take US$1B given the media frenzy and what its has done so far in its first four days since opening. As far as this Blogger is concerned, I hope it does well. I was pleasantly surprised by the film and think it deserves better than many critics are citing. The lead performances are strong and considered (Affleck, Cavill, Gadot, Eisenberg), the story is solid enough, the action set pieces are well executed, and the film maintains the attention for all of its 151 minutes running time. Chris Nolan was on board as an Executive Producer and he gave it the thumbs up.

This film is not as dark and brooding as any of Nolan's hugely successful trilogy, but we do see Batman and Superman in a different light here and for me that was refreshing, and we are introduced to a new character, and fleetingly, some new ones too in readiness for the next instalment. Despite many of the naysayers, this film is worthy of your attention and it's a must see on the big screen, and it stands up well as a singular offering, and as a follow on from Nolan's films (albeit some years later given that Affleck's Batman is ageing and not afraid to admit it) but without the intensity. I saw it in 3D which is unnecessary in my opinion, but give the film a go and you decide - you could do a lot worse with your $20 spent on the cost of entry.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-