JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Worst2First: My Most Anticipated Films of Spring 2022 March and April look to be thrilling months in the cinema, as we'll be gifted with a slew of different styles of films. From animated children's films to thought-provoking dramas and the return of the Caped Crusader, spring has a lot to offer viewers both in the cinema and at home. Here are the top ten films I'm most excited to see this spring... **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT (looking at you "Morbius") TO CHANGE**   #10 Turning Red March 11 Pixar, to me, was always the high standard of animated films. They revolutionized the market with the first all-computer-generated animated film ("Toy Story") and only improved from there. Yet last year's "Luca" - to me anyway - seemed like a step down for the company, producing a so-so animated film that looked like it was done by Dreamworks. "Turning Red" is another one of those films whose animation I'm not a big f...

The Worst Person in the World Starring Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum, Hans Olav Brenner Directed by Joachim Trier Have you ever had someone call you "the worst person in the world?" For some odd reason this happens to me on almost a daily occurrence, and I feel that's a bit over-the-top. When you think of REAL worst persons in the world, you'd probably think of people like Hitler, Harvey Weinstein, Joe Biden, or Donald Trump (depending on your political leanings, but I'm not here to talk politics). Yet the concept of "the worst person in the world" is also a very personal one, as individuals would suggest someone who's left an indelibly negative imprint in their life as being said "worst person." A father who left when you were young. A mother so addicted to drugs that she abandons you to fend for yourself at a young age. Even worse atrocities that I won't mention here. Those people truly are the worst people in ...

Death on the Nile Starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Emma Mackey Directed by Kenneth Branagh Agatha Christie was one of the most prolific, intelligent, and memorable authors of all time, whose classic works have been idolized, praised, and turned into more than one major blockbuster film. She, along with the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, gave birth to one of the most memorable detectives in literature history: Hercule Poirot, who's trademark handlebar mustache and obsessive compulsive disorder have made him a household name for decades. 2017's "Murder on the Orient Express" was the first (and most famous) Christie novel about the Detective that acclaimed director/actor Kenneth Branagh adapted to the big screen, as he himself also played Poirot in the film. The movie was a massive success and almost immediately Christie's other popular Poirot novel, "Death on the Nile,"was green-lit. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing pandemic, that film...

Uncharted Starring Tom Holland, MarkWahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali Directed by Ruben Fleischer Films based off video games has, to put it nicely, never really worked out well. Something always gets lost in the translation between playing your favorite video game and watching someone else act it out on screen, and more than likely it's missing that personal element that makes playing video games so much fun. Instead of sitting back and watching things happen, you have an active hand in making them happen, so when it's set to the big screen and you have no control (or controller) in it, it's not as effective. "Uncharted" is a massively popular, widely praised video game franchise that caused many (myself included) to purchase a Playstation 4 (or 5, if you're lucky) so you can play as the explorer Nathan Drake as he traverses the world in search of hidden treasures and adventures with his buddy Sully Sullivan. There was a literal wealth of story that coul...

Moonfall Starring Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry, John Bradley, Michael Pena Directed by Roland Emmerich Some directors are known for the style of movies they create. Martin Scorsese is the Godfather of mobster films. Wes Craven haunted your nightmares with his iconic horror masterpieces. Michael Bay trades in intelligent storylines for explosions. And Roland Emmerich is known for destroying the world on multiple occasions. "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow," and "2012" show his petulance for destroying the world in varying different ways, from aliens to global warming to Mayan prophecies, and now he's introducing a whole new way to wreak havoc on our beloved blue marble - with sentient alien AI that lives in the moon and changes its orbit so it hurdles toward Earth...or something like that. Ten years after a close encounter with a strange alien life form in space, former astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) is now divorced, his son Sonny (Ch...

A Hero Starring Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sahar Goldoost, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaie Directed by Asghar Farhadi In America the names Stephen Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Martin Scorsese are synonymous with the most memorable, impactful, and unforgettable movies of our generation, but the magic of cinema is that it doesn't just reside in America, but spans the world. Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has already supplied the world with visionary works "A Separation" and "The Salesman" both won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and "A Hero" may follow that same trajectory (although it has some stiff competition with the equally amazing "Drive My Car"). Farhadi not only directs but writes his projects, focusing on the everyman in Iran and the struggles they go through, sometimes from their own accord. "A Hero" focuses again on a simple man who - combined with his own simplicity and the nature of the world at large - finds h...

Jackass Forever Starring Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, Chris Pontius Directed by Jeff Tremaine It's an obvious statement that all of the YouTube, TikTok, and other streaming platforms that feature everyday people performing stupid, idiotic stunts were all birthed from one behemoth: "Jackass." Starting in October of 2000 on MTV, Johnny Knoxville and company made long-lasting names for themselves by performing totally dangerous yet hilarious stunts and pranks, and while they always offered the warning to "don't try this at home," it's obvious that people did and continue to do so today. That's the legacy the show has made through its over twenty-years, and while everyone felt that it ended with the 2010 movie "Jackass 3-D," the men proved that age ain't nothing but a number, and maturity is something that doesn't always come with age, as they returned for one last outing with "Jackass Forever." Going into the film I wa...

  The 355 Starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, Diane Kruger, Penelope Cruz Directed by Simon Kinberg In film, the names Jason Bourne, Ethan Hunt, and James Bond are synonymous with the word "spy," and it's easy to think that men mostly ruled the spy game in real life as well, but you'd be greatly mistaken. Women, from the offset of the spy industry, have been instrumental in the spy world and helped bring victory to their cause. Even famed chef Julia Child was a spy for the OSS back during World War II (where she helped develop shark repellent so those shot down over water wouldn't be attacked by them). Yet one of the more well-known, yet totally obscure, female spies in history was Agent 355 - an unknown woman who served as George Washington's spy during the American Revolution, who helped draw out the traitorous Benedict Arnold. It's this agent's name that's given to the female-led spy action film "The 355," and while it offer...