Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are two very different new releases on show this week at Tralee Omniplex. A highly successful franchise gets another outing and a popular family film series gets it's third film!Penty on offer at Omniplex Tralee then with the added bonus of all shows today just €6 as part of Omniplex Cinema's Tuesday Treat!

Mission Impossible: Fallout
Fast, fun and furious this jaw dropping stunts franchise makes a welcome return with Tom Cruise and crew dishing out the thrills and spills with Christopher McQuarrie returning to the director's chair. High critical acclaim and big initial box office takings suggests this just may well be the pick of the bunch this week.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Another chapter in the popular family film series which although may not be as engaging as Incredibles 2 last week should contain enough entertainment to keep all the family happy!

This weeks Top Movies on the Telly

Robin Williams: Come inside my mind - (Sky Atlantic Tuesday 31st July 22:10)
An intimate and poignant peak in to the life of the great Robin Williams told with the help of archival footage and interviews that knew he him best, this compelling documentary grabs the viewer from the very beginning as we marvel at the genius and tragedy of this incredible comedian.

Spotlight - (RTE One Wednesday August 1st 21:35)
Academy Award Best Picture Winner of 2015, an all star ensemble gather to tell the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would  rock the city and cause a crisis in the Catholic Church. Written and directed by Tom McCarthy this film was one of 2015's best and get's its network television premiere this week.

Straight Outta Compton - (RTE 2 Thursday 2nd August 21:30)
Another network premiere this week, this musical biopic follows the meteoric rise and fall of NWA is undoubtedly heightened by strong direction from F.Gary Gray and a stellar performance from it's talented cast. Scintillating viewing!

Review - Incredibles 2 - Plenty of family fun as Pixar delivers with style and substance yet again!

After a disappointing run of no more than average movies lately, Incredibles 2 truly could not have come at a better time as in the company of the whole family (including two kids under 7) I settled in to my comfy seat at Tralee Omniplex praying that this long awaited sequel contained some of the qualities that made the 2004 feature such a hit and in the process breaking my duck of mediocrity.
Thankfully, not only does Incredibles 2 stay true to the qualities that thrilled the masses in the original but has also upgraded to include more stunning visuals, funnier gags and a storyline to hook and entertain all ages!
Incredibles 2 sees the return of everyone’s favourite family of superheroes but this time Helen (Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving husband Bob (Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet and Dash to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is blissfully unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again.
Critically lauded and a monster in the US Box Office, Incredibles 2 was always going to be something special, even amongst the catalogue of riches that has become the family film in recent years.
Central to the success of the film has to be the returning cast in a plotline that simply works from the first scene. The humour is also a mitigating factor in why this film is not only entertaining but entertaining no matter what age you are.( A guffawing 3 and 7 year old will strongly back up my argument here!) From the Hanna Barbera type slapstick humour made famous by Tom and Jerry for the little ones to the subtle gags to keep the grown ups amused, the writing in the movie synchs perfectly with a clever storyline and some awesome explosive effects to deliver what will surely be viewed come the end of the year as one of 2018's family favourites.
Onwards and upwards it is so , as Incredibles 2 serves up a feast of family fun and an elevated level of quality which is (hopefully) a sign of things to come for what is left of the summer blockbuster season.
✸✸✸✸

What movies to watch this weekend?

In the Cinema:

Mission Impossible: Fallout
Another action filled thrill ride heads our way this weekend with Tom Cruise & co. returning to the this very popular movie franchise with long time Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie returning to the director's chair. Highly critically rated this promises to be a visual feast and thrill a minute for fans of the series.



Streaming: 

Breathe (Netflix)
This directorial debut by Andy Serkis is a heartfelt true story that includes fine performances by Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy and gets the first time director of to a solid, if perhaps unspectacular start behind the camera.




On Telly

Seven (RTE 1 Saturday 23rd June 23:30)
Hard to believe that David Fincher's raw and haunting thriller is 22 years old but like all classic films it has aged magnificently and if your stomach can handle it, is well worth another look!

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are two very different new releases on show this week at Tralee Omniplex. A highly anticipated musical sequel and a futuristic thriller are the what's on offer at Omniplex Tralee with the added bonus of all shows today just €6 as part of Omniplex Cinema's Tuesday Treat!

Mamma Mia: Here we go again
Fans of the first film will get the chance to fill their boots again as this sequel has all the elements that made it such a fan favourite first time around. May not be to everyones tastes but this will have hardcore fans dancing in the aisles once again!

Hotel Artemis
Written and directed by Drew Pearce this near futuristic thriller has received mixed reviews but those feature an on form Jodie Foster returning from a long acting hiatus in a lead role. There should be enough to please fans of the genre here but this one may

Review: Sicario: Day of the Soldado - Inferior sequel that gets badly let down by weak final act

As one of my favourite films of 2015, Sicario was a feature that simply had it all, a dark, yet tense plot, explosive action scenes, a formidable cast and most importantly a brilliant director at the helm in Denis Villeuneve. With that in mind, Sicario: Day of the Soldado despite the loss of the immensely talented Emily Blunt and previous director on board, was a film that had me intrigued well before it's release date and one that I had high hopes for.
In Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the series begins a new chapter. In the Mexican drug war, there are no rules--and as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border, federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) calls again on the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), whose family was murdered by a cartel kingpin, to escalate the war in questionable ways. Alejandro kidnaps the kingpin's daughter to inflame the conflict--but when the girl is seen as collateral damage, her fate will come between the two men as they question everything they are fighting for.
With the original Sicario a hard act to follow, this Stefano Sollima directed sequel did have the advantage of the same writer in Taylor Sheridan and a returning cast in the shape of Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro behind it, so the raw materials for a solid production are there and for almost ninety minutes of this feature this film, whilst not hitting the heights of it's predecessor did in fact have a lot of admirable qualities.
The dark tone and gripping tension as well as high octane action scenes are all present and with such a strong cast again delivering (including a noticeable debut from newcomer Isabel Moner), Sicario: Day of the Soldado seemed to resemble a solid if unspectacular sequel.
A final act that saw this feature sink to faricial levels at an alarmingly rapid rate however, unravels all that was good about the first section of the film and left this viewer leaving Tralee Omniplex extremely frustrated and at the hijacking of a decent film for the purpose of prolonging a series that didn't need expanding.
Overall, Sicario: Day of the Soldado seems like the dreaded missed opportunity of a film that despite a lot of decent qualities gets badly left down by a daft final act and as a result dampens expectations for any repeat attempts from it's undoubtedly talented team.
✸✸✸

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

Two big summer blockbusters on show this week at Tralee Omniplex and both are features guaranteed to put bums on seats! A high octane action thriller and a sequel to a much loved family film are the what's on offer post World Cup and with such films as Sicario 2, The First Purge and with Mamma Mia 2 and Mission Impossible to come there is plenty on offer at Tralee Omniplex with the added bonus of all shows today just €6 as part of Omniplex Cinema's Tuesday Treat!

Skyscraper
Loud and brash summer blockbuster with larger than life Dwayne The Rock Johnson doing his utmost to rescue yet another cliched action thriller. Does nothing to damage the reputation of one of Hollywoods's go-to guys but very little else. Read my full review here.

Incredibles 2
Massively hyped and even better received sequel to the highly successful Pixar produced The Incredibles sees our well loved family of heroes return for more adventures in a feature that is sure to please all the family and enjoy a lucrative run in the box office. May just be this weeks pick of the bunch!

This weeks Top Movies on the Telly

Psycho - (Sky Arts Monday 16th July 23:00)
Grabbed the headlines for it's infamous shower scene but immortalised the horror genre in the process. This masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock still remains a thrilling, tactful and daring piece of film worthy of repeated viewing!

The Danish Girl - (RTE One Wednesday July 18th 21:35)
This highly acclaimed biopic by director Tom Hooper was a big hit at awards season 2015 with Alicia Vikander receiving a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work alongside the magnificent Eddie Redmayne in a film well worth a look on it;s network television premiere this week.

Bridge of Spies - (RTE One Friday 21st July 21:40)
A war espionage thriller that showcases the talents of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and gave Mark Rylance his first Oscar win. This tense and taut feature was simply one
of the best films of the year and is one to enjoy on the small screen once again.

Review: Skyscraper: Mediocre blockbuster that just about get's off the first floor with the help of Dwayne Johnson

After a two week summer break from the big screen, I was looking forward to catching the latest B movie blockbuster from the ever watchable and dependable Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson whose M.O. in Hollywood seems to be to rescue a weak plot and over the top action thriller with his unmistakable charisma and likability and in this latest Rawson Marshall Thurber (who previously worked with the Rock on Central Intelligence) directed big budget blockbuster Skyscraper the pattern  remains the same.
Skyscraper tells the tale of former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader Will Ford  (Dwayne Johnson) who now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in China he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he is being framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family, who are trapped inside the building, above the fire line.
Promoted as some kind of modern day Die Hard, this high octane action thriller is a much inferior model to the Bruce Willis classic with the charm of the leading actors the only thing common to both films.
Poor writing, over egged performances and cliches aplenty are on show here with the explosive effects expected to paper over the usual cracks that appear in these summer blockbuster movies. Sadly even the monstrous visual effects are at times guilty of falling short as the over reliance on CGI is plain for all to see and with the inevitable race to a bigger, louder and bolder blockbuster a constant thread in modern day Hollywood a lot of these movies tend to sink to farcical levels both visually as well as thematically.
There is one shining light in this lacklustre production however and that is the consistency and appeal of Dwayne Johnson who despite some horrific projects (and this is no exception) always seems to come out smelling of roses.
Overall, a fairly mediocre ninety minutes plus of blockbuster mania that will please Dwayne Johnson fans yet achieve litter more than that.
✷✷1/2