JoeMama's Movie Reviews

The Friday Five:  Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis began her career and firmly established herself as the original Scream Queen, but in the decades since she's branched out to different genres of film with great success.  With the release of Rian Johnson's "Knives Out," I take a look at my five favorite Jamie Lee Curtis films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  Halloween Returning to the role that made her a household name forty years ago, Jamie Lee Curtis takes on her biggest foe once again in "Halloween."  Playing the iconic Laurie Strode once again, Curtis portrays an iron will and determination to see her longtime nemesis dead once and for all, and proves that you don't have to be young to be an action star - you just need grit, determination, and persistence. #4  True Lies Jamie Lee Curtis showcases her action prowess and comedic timing in James Cameron's "True Lies," where she p...

Frozen II Starring Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad Directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee Children's films are typically one of two things: either they're so silly, immature, and downright insulting to the intelligence of their young (and old) viewing audience, or they're masterpieces that tell an important adult lesson through animation, a wise script, and highly capable animations and acting.  Disney can basically churn out the latter in their sleep, and "Frozen II" is one of those films - a masterpiece that tells an important life lesson through dazzling animations and top-notch voice work. This long-gestating sequel to one of Disney's most beloved films had a lot to live up to, and something seemingly impossible.  How can one recapture the magic that the original held - and continues to hold - audiences young and old, and how can you make it better?  While "Frozen II" quite doesn't excel at being better th...

Rocky Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers Directed by Joe Avildsen The Story: In Philadelphia, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a small-time boxer who doesn't really have any friends or family, apart from his turtles.  He lives a solitary life, and awkwardly flirts with equally awkward pet shop worker Adrian (Talia Shire), whose brother Paulie (Burt Young) is one of Rocky's only friends. When heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) decides to host a big boxing bout between himself and a local unknown, he chooses Rocky due to his nickname - The Italian Stallion - and Rocky agrees to fight him.  He begins training with Mickey (Burgess Meredith), and begins a relationship with Adrian, as he faces his own inner demons to become a better fighter - and person. The Spectacular: There's very few films in the history of cinema that has withstood the test of time, and "Rocky" is one of them.  Not relying ...

The Good Liar Starring Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey, Jim Carter Directed by Bill Condon In the style of a classic Hitchcock thriller, "The Good Liar" brings together two thespians of the highest order for the first time (somehow it took them this long to appear in a film together) to deliver a knockdown, blowout, superior caper that's filled with tension, suspense, and mind-bending twists.  At least that's what it seemingly said on paper, but the result is something a little less stellar - but nonetheless still riveting due to the sheer caliber of the two leads. The film centers on two older widowers - Roy (Ian McKellen) and Betty (Helen Mirren) who meet on an online dating site and immediately hit it off.  Roy suffers from a bum knee, and Betty almost immediately takes him into her home, to the dismay of her grandson Steven (Russell Tovey) - and he has a right to be concerned.  Roy is an elaborate con man who's conned his way through mos...

The Friday Five:  Tom Hanks To limit the undeniable career of the illustrious Tom Hanks to just five films is no easy task, as there can be countless top five lists of his most amazing films.  With the release of his biopic "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," I take a look at my (likely first of many) five favorite Tom Hanks films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  Sleepless in Seattle In one of Nora Ephron's most iconic directorial films, Tom Hanks plays a recently widowed single father who tells his story over the airwaves and draws the attention of countless female suitors in the process, including Meg Ryan's Annie Reed, who's engaged to another man.  In their first romantic comedy pairing, Hanks and Ryan's chemistry is undeniable, and the film itself raised the bar for typical romcoms by earning two Academy Award nominations including Best Screenplay. #4  Big In the annals of cinematic history, ther...

Charlie's Angels Starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Elizabeth Banks Directed by Elizabeth Banks  "Men don't go see women do action movies." Thus are the words of the director/producer/co-writer/co-star of the third film remake of the 1970s classic television series "Charlie's Angels," Elizabeth Banks.  The film only grossed $8 million dollars opening weekend, and is by all intents and purposes a box office bomb, but it's not because the reasoning Banks makes - it's because the film is just unnecessary, with choppy, uneven editing, an overly simplistic story that tries to be smarter than it is, and heavy-handedly providing the main message Banks wants to get across  - women can do anything men can do, but way better. The original series follows three highly capable, intelligent, powerful women who repeatedly save the world, and the original film (and subsequent sequel) built on that by providing some fun, popcorn-a...

The Sun is Also a Star Starring Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton, Jake Choi, Camrus Johnson Directed by Ry Russo-Young Deus ex machina is an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel.  In film, there's countless examples of this classic definition - from the Eagles arriving just in time in the "Lord of the Rings" to Batman's utility belt having just the right thing to get the Caped Crusader out of a seemingly impossible situation, there's no shortage of examples of deus ex machina - and that's the driving force for one of the latest young adult novel-to-film adaptations, "The Sun is Also a Star." The film centers around two immigrants with widely different worldviews.  Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi), a Jamaican native, is jaded, cynical, and believes only in what she can see.  She doesn't believe in the intangible like love, and is stressed because her whole...

Playing With Fire Starring John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo, Brianna Hildebrand Directed by Andy Fickman Some directors find themselves stuck in a rut of the same-type of film, but eventually they break out and direct something absolutely out of left field and utterly amazing.  Peter Farrelly is best known for directing comedies such as "There's Something About Mary" and "Dumb and Dumber," and last year went on to direct the Academy Award-winning drama "Green Book."  This year, Todd Phillips directed the critically acclaimed (and downright masterpiece) "Joker," but before that he was known for raunchy comedies such as the "Hangover" series and "Old School."  Andy Fickman directed films like "You Again," "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2," and "Parental Guidance," and instead of branching out and directing something stellar, memorable, or even halfway decent, he instead continued ...

Teen Spirit Starring Elle Fanning, Zlatko Buric, Rebecca Hall, Agnieszka Grochowska Directed by Max Minghella I can appreciate when someone decides to step out of their typical wheelhouse and do something totally different and unexpected, and that's what happened to Max Minghella.  Max is an actor best known for his roles in films like "Art School Confidential" and "The Darkest Hour," and chose to move behind the camera to direct his first feature film - as well as write it.  The result is "Teen Spirit," a film that shows Minghella's promise, but basically turns into something that people have always wanted to know - what happens behind-the-scenes in an "American Idol"-like show?  Actually, no one's really asked that, and the film itself suffers from a lackluster story and basically serves as a means of selling records, much like those singing reality shows it copies. The film follows young wallflower Violet Valenski ...

Last Christmas Starring Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson Directed by Paul Feig The song "Last Christmas" has been a Christmas staple since the 80s, and has been done by several famous artists throughout the years.  Written by George Michael, it was originally brought to fame by the band Wham!, and much like the beloved classic Christmas carols of old, you'll hear this song again and again in the shopping malls and stores in the coming weeks - and the title itself is given to this Christmas-style rom-com written by Emma Thompson.  While the film does have its unique charms, it's missing some important aspects, provides a non-sensical twist, and is only slightly better than a Hallmark Channel original. The film follows Kate (Emilia Clarke), who underwent heart surgery last year, but now lives a bitter, ungrateful life as she selfishly uses her friends for free room and board and barely works at an all-year Christmas store run by ...

Doctor Sleep Starring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis Directed by Mike Flanagan Mike Flanagan is one of the best horror directors of our time, a man who effortlessly blends supernatural horror with the horrors of real life so seamlessly that you'd believe both are equally valid even in the real world.  Films like "Oculus," "Absentia," "Ouija: Origin of Evil" and "Gerald's Game" - not to mention his stellar work on the highly acclaimed Netflix series "The Haunting of Hill House" - are absolutely terrifying and spellbinding, as they all focus on the supernatural and natural horrors around its characters so subtly it's nearly perfect.  He brings his unique eye to Stephen King's novel "Doctor Sleep," again producing a product that'll be hailed as a modern-day horror masterpiece, and all the more due to the insurmountable odds he had to face to get the film made. Everyo...

The Friday Five:  Helen Mirren Helen Mirren exudes an irresistible sense of grace and sophistication no matter what she does, and maintains an otherworldly beauty through it all.  With the release of "The Good Liar," I take a look at my five favorite Helen Mirren films. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #5  National Treasure: Book of Secrets Before going full Nicolas Cage, Nicolas Cage re-vitalized his career with the "National Treasure" series, and Helen Mirren arrives for the sequel to play Cage's mother who assists him in finding the Presidential Book of Secrets that could clear the family name from being associated with the Lincoln assassination.  Mirren gives an over-the-top performance that shows that she relished this type of simplistic role, and offers some great comedic moments. #4  RED Based off the DC Comics storyline, "RED" finds Helen Mirren acting alongside fellow veteran actors Bruce Wil...

Midway Starring Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Woody Harrelson Directed by Roland Emmerich War films are always interesting to me, especially ones that take place after the 1900s, because when I was in high school, we never really got to learn about modern day wars before the school year ended.  I often joke about wondering who won World War II, because we never really got any information about it in our learning, so I've relied on films to fill in the blanks.  While I know movies never tell the whole story correctly, they at least provide an overriding context that is mostly true to form. "Midway" is a remake of the 1976 film featuring Charlton Heston, and is purely a Roland Emmerich film - meaning there's loads of explosions, CGI effects, and rather thinly-drawn characters, but the experiences they go through more than makes up for the thinly-written script and really showcases the valor, dedication, courage, and determination that a small group...

One Cut of the Dead Starring Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama, Harumi Shuhama, Kazuaki Nagaya Directed by Shin'ichiro Ueda I'm someone who really enjoys movies, if you couldn't tell.  I love the fact that they can be pretty much anything your mind imagines, and create their own unique world that takes us away from our ordinary lives and see something extraordinary.  "One Cut of the Dead" isn't a wholly magical film, nor is it really exceptionally well-done, but it does offer a very unique, stylized, and humorous look in the world of filmmaking and the zombie movie craze that's taken over cinema worldwide. In this small-budget film, we follow a group of filmmakers who wish to make a zombie movie in an abandoned building in rural Japan, only to discover that real zombies have invaded and they have to fight for their lives for real.  This concept has been done before, but to not spoil the film, there's much more story than just this - and if ...