JoeMama's Movie Reviews

The Friday Five:  Lily James Lily James is one of film's hottest up-and-coming actresses, a young woman who's acted in pretty much every genre imaginable at such a young age.  With her new film "Yesterday" being released this week, I look at my five personal favorite Lily James films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies In this horror spin on the beloved Jane Austen novel, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" focuses on a family of young women who, instead of trying to find love, instead learn the art of war to combat against the upcoming zombie invasion.  Lily James plays Elizabeth Bennet, who joins with Mr. Darcy to take down the undead threat, and maybe find love in the process. #4  Darkest Hour In Gary Oldman's Oscar-winning film, Lily James plays Winston Churchill's longsuffering secretary, who has a personal stake in the upcoming war to end all wars.  Although her role is min...

Missing Link Starring Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Timothy Olyphant Directed by Chris Butler The Story: Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) is a loner adventurer who's constantly out to find the mysterious and unknown, and desires more than anything to be a part of the stuffy, stuck-up society the Optimates Club, led by Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry).  He comes across a letter that tells him of the fabled Sasquatch in the United States, and sets sail to find it so he can become a member of the club, while Piggot-Dunceby hires assassin Willard Stenk (Timothy Olyphant) to kill him so he won't complete his mission. Arriving in the Pacific Northwest, Frost manages to find the Sasquatch (Zach Galifianakis), and is stunned to learn that he speaks English and he wrote the letter for Frost's help - he's the last of his kind, and wants to find the Yeti in the Himalayas because he believes they're his cousins, and he doesn't want to die alo...

Toy Story 4 Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale Directed by Josh Cooley The Story: After Andy gives his toys to young Bonnie, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the gang grow accustomed to the new routine, except for Woody, who's often left behind in the closet.  On Bonnie's first day of kindergarten, he sneaks into her backpack and helps her create a new friend - a spork named Forky (Tony Hale), who suffers an existential crisis because he feels he's destined for the trash because he's not an actual toy. While on a road trip, Forky runs off and Woody goes in search for him, and in the process finds his old friend Bo Peep (Annie Potts) at a traveling carnival.  Bo Peep has become self-sufficient, and doesn't want to be another child's plaything, but Woody is still holding to wanting to be Bonnie's toy.  The two band together to rescue Forky from Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), an older doll who doesn't ...

The Friday Five:  Tim Allen Although he's best known for playing Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor on the hit ABC '90s series "Home Improvement," Tim Allen has also had a successful film career.  With the highly anticipated "Toy Story 4" being released this week, I look at my five personal favorite Tim Allen films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  Galaxy Quest In this classic comedy, Tim Allen plays a television show actor of a once-famous sci-fi show that's recruited by real space aliens to save them from a real evil alien race, thinking that he (and his co-stars) are really heroes.  The result is non-stop laughs delivered by Allen as well as Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shaloub, and Sam Rockwell. #4  The Santa Clause In this modern Christmas classic, Tim Allen plays a divorced father who accidentally kills someone resembling Santa Claus, and then puts on the suit and becomes the new Santa - whether...

Murder Mystery Starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans, Terence Stamp Directed by Kyle Newacheck The Story: NYPD cop Nick Spitz (Adam Sandler) has finally given his wife Audrey (Jennifer Aniston) what's she wanted since they've been married the last fifteen years - a long awaited honeymoon in Europe.  While on the plane, Audrey meets the suave Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans), who invites the couple to join him on his uncle's yacht once they land. Nick and Audrey stand out like sore thumbs on the yacht filled with the rich and elite, and it all goes downhill when Charles' uncle Malcolm (Terence Stamp) is murdered, and everyone on board is a suspect.  In Monaco, Inspector de la Croix (Dany Boon) suspects Nick and Audrey, and sets out to prove that they're guilty.  As the body count rises, Nick and Audrey must work to not just clear their names, but prevent themselves from becoming next on the hit list. The Synopsis: Adam Sandler once had a ...

Rocketman Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard Directed by Dexter Fletcher The Story: Entering a AA meeting in full regalia, Elton John (Taron Egerton) tells the story of how he ended up in a world of rock and roll, and all the vices that come along with it.  As a child, he was neglected by his father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh) and his mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard) often berated him.  He learned at a young age to play the piano, and as the years progressed his talent only increased. He is finally introduced to Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), who writes the music to Taupin's lyrics, and the two form a successful and personal friendship.  It's at this time Elton (whose real name was Reginald Dwight) changes his name to Elton John, and receives a record deal and an invitation to play at the prestigious Troubadour in the States, and where he meets John Reid (Richard Madden), who would later become his new manager and lover...

Ma Starring Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, Corey Fogelmanis Directed by Tate Taylor The Story: Maggie (Diana Silvers) and her mother Erica (Juliette Lewis) just moved back to Erica's old hometown, and Maggie is nervous to start a new school, but immediately makes friends with Haley (McKaley Miller), Chaz (Gianni Paolo), Darrell (Dante Brown), and Andy (Corey Fogelmanis).  One day they're trying to get adults to buy them alcohol, and Maggie finds nice Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) to do it for them.  Soon the teens are relying on Sue Ann to keep buying them booze, and she invites them to party in her basement so they don't drink and drive. As the teens begin to take advantage of Sue Ann, she discovers that some of the kids belong to former high school students she went to school with, and Sue Ann begins exhibiting strange behavior.  Maggie seems to be the only one who notices this, and soon her friends also begin to realize something is off wit...

The Friday Five:  Tessa Thompson Tessa Thompson has appeared in a slew of critically acclaimed and financially successful films over her short career thus far, proving that this woman is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.  As she tackles the long-running "Men in Black" franchise with "Men in Black: International," I took a look at my five personal favorite Tessa Thompson films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  Annihilation In this mind-bending horror/action/drama, Tessa Thompson plays physicist Josie Radek, one of five women who enter a mysterious Shimmer that's appeared on Earth in hopes of understanding what lies inside.  Josie is different than Tessa Thompsons' other characters in that she's more quiet and subdued, a woman who's been through several mental issues and therefore gives a more nuanced, passionate performance than her other roles as more tough women. #4  Creed II Tessa Thompson once...

X-Men: Dark Phoenix Starring Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain Directed by Simon Kinberg The Story: As the human world has grown accustomed and appreciative of mutants, the X-Men have thrived in a world full of thankful citizens.  Led by Professor Xavier (James McAvoy), the team  - consisting of Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) - receives a distress call from a spaceship that's out of control, with a solar flare in its path.  The team rockets to space to save the astronauts, but in the process the solar flare absorbs into Jean, but she doesn't die. Instead she becomes stronger, and begins to exhibit rage and anger at repressed memories that Xavier implanted in her mind to keep her from remembering her traumatic childhood and how she ended up at Xavier's school.  ...

The Friday Five:  Kevin Hart Kevin Hart is one of today's most well-known comedians, and even though the majority of his films involve him using the same type of comedy (typically involving making fun of his height), he's managed to star in some really decent films.  With "The Secret Life of Pets 2" being released, I took a look at my five personal favorite Kevin Hart films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  Central Intelligence Moreso for Dwayne Johnson's performance than Kevin Hart's, "Central Intelligence" is a prime example of Kevin Hart's bread and butter - act alongside another comedian in a buddy comedy (see "Night School," "Get Hard," and so on).  Here, the two play adults who were in the same high school, but back then Hart was the popular jock while Johnson was the overweight nerd, and now Johnson works for the CIA and enlists Kevin Hart's help to save the world.  The saving grace for...

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Starring Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe Directed by Michael Dougherty The Story: Five years after the attack on San Francisco, the world has become aware that Titans exist, especially Godzilla.  The Monarch Company attempts to keep them at bay, under the lead of Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins), but the government wants them to turn Monarch to the government so they can destroy the Titans.  Former Monarch employee Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) has spent the last five years hating Godzilla because his young son died during his rampage, while is wife Emma (Vera Farmiga) continues to work with Monarch, with their young daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown). When Emma and her team awaken a new Titan - Mothra - they come under attack by a group led by Jonah Alan (Charles Dance), who have their own plans for the Titans, and kidnap Emma and Madison.  Mark is reu...

Booksmart Starring Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Noah Galvin, Billie Lourd Directed by Olivia Wilde The Story: Best friends Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) spent their entire high school careers focusing on studies and getting into prestigious colleges, and stayed away from the parties and other social events their classmates participated in because they felt that they were on the fast track to success.  Molly especially looked down on her fellow students, until she learned that pretty much all of them have also found their way to attend prestigious colleges as well, but also managed to have fun in the process. Molly is so distraught by this fact that she convinces Amy to attend one last party - thrown by party boy Nick (Mason Gooding) - before graduation the following day.  She convinces Amy to go by pointing out that her crush Ryan (Victoria Ruesga) would be there.  Their only problem is that they don't know where the party is at, and...

Major Theatrical Releases June 2019 As the summer season heats up, so does the films coming to theaters.  Offering a wide array of choices for every taste, there's something for everyone this June. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE** X-Men: Dark Phoenix June 7 The new "X-Men" franchise has met with success ("Days of Future Past") and not-so-success ("Apocalypse"), and "Dark Phoenix" looks to fall somewhere in-between.  The last of the "X-Men" films before Disney takes over, "Dark Phoenix" focuses on the popular comic series of the same name, where a cosmic force overtakes Jean Grey and turns her into a seemingly unstoppable killing machine.  It looks like it'll be action-packed and suspenseful, and I'm more optimistic than most that it'll be better than expected. The Secret Life of Pets 2 June 7 The original "The Secret L...