Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning brings the current series to a close and provides a rousing finish. Everything is ramped up to eleven and It pushes improbable to preposterous and remains overdriven throughout its entire 169 minute running time. It barely pauses for a breath. The main characters are firmly defined by now and show minimal growth. There is also a curious lack of humour shown as that break in intensity would have helped with the peak energy moments.

The story follows the worldwide threat of an AI-generated program called the Entity and it mirrors the current fascination and perceived danger and benefit of artificial intelligence. It doesn’t however expand much on the peril this program established in the series so far and focuses more on the human consequences. It also leans into the connection of its main players Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell and Hayley Atwell as Grace.

This is filmmaking at its most bombastic (and illogical) and deserves to be seen in its largest version, powered by its biggest and loudest sound system. Watching it at home will certainly be fun but will lack the impact and human interaction available in a public setting. Pure escapism takes precedence and is satisfying in the triumph of good over evil. Will this be the last time Cruise and company don the face masks and get the mission details from a smoking device? Only time and box office revenues will tell.
Rob Hudson
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Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, coming to cinemas May 17!.
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Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be released in Aussie cinemas May 2025!
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Her software allows her to learn and eventually understand and communicate with the native fauna. After accidentally destroying a family’s bird nest she becomes the sole protector of Brightbill (Kit Connor) and also befriends an outcast fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal). She remains an outcast herself and this creates a bond between the three.

It speaks to the quality of the writing that these computer-generated characters are imbued with such emotional resonance that it is easy to overlook the simple sentimentality of the storyline. There is an undercurrent of pointing out the harm that humans have done to the planet which is typified by a scene showing the Golden Gate Bridge underwater with whales swimming above it.

Stunningly beautiful and emotionally powerful, The Wild Robot will pierce almost any hardened exterior and make a substantial impact. This is animation elevated into visually fine art and with classic storytelling that is simple and direct. This is one for the entire family.
Rob Hudson
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The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot stars Academy Award® winner Lupita Nyong’o (Us, The Black Panther franchise) as robot Roz; Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) as fox Fink; Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek, Best in Show) as opossum Pinktail; Oscar® nominee Bill Nighy (Living, Love Actually) as goose Longneck; Kit Connor (Heartstopper, Rocketman) as gosling Brightbill and Oscar® nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once, this summer’s The Fall Guy) as Vontra, a robot that will intersect with Roz’s life on the island.

The film also features the voice talents of Emmy winning pop-culture icon Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise, The Boy and the Heron), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows, The SpongeBob Movie franchise) and Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible films, Pulp Fiction).

A powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things, The Wild Robot is written and directed by three-time Oscar® nominee Chris Sanders—the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch—and is produced by Jeff Hermann (DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby 2: Family Business; co-producer, Kung Fu Panda franchise).

Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, an illustrated middle-grade novel first published in 2016, became a phenomenon, rocketing to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The book has since inspired a trilogy that now includes The Wild Robot Escapes and The Wild Robot Protects. Brown’s work on the Wild Robot series and his other bestselling books have earned him a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award.
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The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot stars Academy Award® winner Lupita Nyong’o (Us, The Black Panther franchise) as robot Roz; Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) as fox Fink; Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek, Best in Show) as opossum Pinktail; Oscar® nominee Bill Nighy (Living, Love Actually) as goose Longneck; Kit Connor (Heartstopper, Rocketman) as gosling Brightbill and Oscar® nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once, this summer’s The Fall Guy) as Vontra, a robot that will intersect with Roz’s life on the island.

The film also features the voice talents of Emmy winning pop-culture icon Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise, The Boy and the Heron), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows, The Sponge Bob Movie franchise) and Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible films, Pulp Fiction).

A powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things, The Wild Robot is written and directed by three-time Oscar® nominee Chris Sanders—the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch—and is produced by Jeff Hermann (DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby 2: Family Business; co-producer, Kung Fu Panda franchise).

Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, an illustrated middle-grade novel first published in 2016, became a phenomenon, rocketing to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The book has since inspired a trilogy that now includes The Wild Robot Escapes and The Wild Robot Protects. Brown’s work on the Wild Robot series and his other bestselling books have earned him a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award.
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU/

Special advance screenings of the family comedy THE GARFIELD MOVIE will be held at select cinemas nationally to support this unique respite program for children with special needs. This year marks 25 years that Sony Foundation has funded the Children’s Holiday Camp Program. Sony Foundation Camps empower high school and university students to take on the responsibility for the full-time care of children with disability for three days and two nights, allowing their families to access critical respite. In 2024, 1,300+ students from 56 schools and universities around the country will provide the holiday of a lifetime for over 670 children with disability at no cost to their families/carers. Funds raised will ensure the program continues to grow and offer this extraordinary opportunity to more families around Australia.

The special screenings will take place from 10am* on Sunday, May 26 at Event Cinemas, Village Cinemas, Hoyts, Dendy, Reading, Wallis, Ace Cinemas, Limelight and United Cinemas*.

Ticket price is $10.00 (online booking fees may apply).

Purchase tickets online here or at the box office at participating cinemas.

Sony Foundation is the charitable arm of the Sony Group of Companies in Australia. Since its inception in 1999, Sony Foundation has raised over $43 million to support young Australians with disability, cancer, experiencing disadvantage or affected by natural disasters. To find out more about Sony Foundation Australia and the Children’s Holiday Camp Program visit www.sonyfoundation.org

Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist. Featuring an all-star voice cast in Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang and Snoop Dogg, THE GARFIELD MOVIE is directed by Mark Dindal and releases in cinemas nationally May 30, 2024.
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*Check local cinema listings for session times and participating locations

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

The Wild Robot stars Academy Award® winner Lupita Nyong’o (Us, The Black Panther franchise) as robot Roz; Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) as fox Fink; Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek, Best in Show) as opossum Pinktail; Oscar® nominee Bill Nighy (Living, Love Actually) as goose Longneck; Kit Connor (Heartstopper, Rocketman) as gosling Brightbill and Oscar® nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once, this summer’s The Fall Guy) as Vontra, a robot that will intersect with Roz’s life on the island.

The film also features the voice talents of Emmy winning pop-culture icon Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise, The Boy and the Heron), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows, The SpongeBob Movie franchise) and Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible films, Pulp Fiction).

A powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things, The Wild Robot is written and directed by three-time Oscar® nominee Chris Sanders—the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch—and is produced by Jeff Hermann (DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby 2: Family Business; co-producer, Kung Fu Panda franchise).

Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, an illustrated middle-grade novel first published in 2016, became a phenomenon, rocketing to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The book has since inspired a trilogy that now includes The Wild Robot Escapes and The Wild Robot Protects. Brown’s work on the Wild Robot series and his other bestselling books have earned him a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award.
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU/

After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

Starring Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson , Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein , Bowen Yang, The Garfield Movie will be released in Aussie cinemas May 30!
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS/

After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

Starring Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Garfield will be released in Aussie cinemas May 30, 2024
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS/