JoeMama's Movie Reviews

  Hustle Starring Adam Sandler, Juancho Hernangomez, Queen Latifah, Ben Foster Directed by Jeremiah Zagar I've said it before, but I'm definitely not a sports guy. Was never into watching sporting events because I thought they were boring personally, and it's not a knock on anyone who enjoys it - it's clearly something that requires a lot of talent, determination, and persistence to pull off, it's just not my cup of tea. That doesn't mean I don't watch sports films, and for the most part I can follow them to a certain extent as long as I can de-compartmentalize the heart of the story with the sports jargon that surround it. "Hustle" is one such film, a traditional story of the Joe Everyman underdog who overcomes all obstacles to achieve his dream, despite continual setbacks he doesn't give up and pushes forward through insurmountable odds - and I'm also talking about Adam Sandler's career. Stanley Sugarman (Adam Sandler) is a basketball...

  The Black Phone Starring Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies Directed by Scott Derrickson Way back in the long ago, back before the world changed forever, in February 2020, there was a film called "The Invisible Man," which was a modern-day re-telling of the iconic classic movie monster that focused on misogyny and victimhood starring Elisabeth Moss. While Moss did an exemplary job, I found the entire film to be a complete and utter mess filled with nonsensical narratives and plot holes you can drive several semis through, but it seemed I was in the dissenting opinion - it was praised by both critics and general audiences alike, earning a 92% (critics) and 88% (audience) ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Maybe I've seen too many horror movies, or maybe I'm just a cynical old man, but I found so many errors in the film I couldn't ignore them. "The Black Phone" is another such film - currently receiving 84% (critics) and 90% (audience) s...

Joe Bell Starring Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller, Connie Britton, Gary Sinise Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green I never heard of the true story of Joe Bell, so I went into the film with a complete lack of knowledge of the story, which I think is something that both helped and hindered it. I didn't know what happened, so as it unfolded before me, I found myself becoming more surprised than anything, but not in a good way. I know I was supposed to feel one way based on how they tried to direct me toward it, but I found myself more angry than sad; more confused and bewildered than beguiled. "Joe Bell" is unique in that it somehow managed to screw up its own story by getting in its own way, leaving a disjointed feeling at the end of it all. In white Conservative Oregon, everyman Joe Bell (Mark Wahlberg) gets news from his teenage son Jadin (Reid Miller): he's being bullied in school because he's gay. Joe outwardly talks about loving his son and accepting his choice, but a...

Dream Horse Starring Toni Collette, Damian Lewis, Owen Teale, Joanna Page Directed by Euros Lyn If 2020 and 2021 has taught us anything, it's that we need some feel good films to take our minds off such desolation, destruction, and depression. The world remains on edge even though mandates are starting to lift, but people are still at each others' throats over the most mundane, pointless things. We need a film that'll bring everyone together, a true underdog story that tugs at the heartstrings without being emotionally manipulative. "Dream Horse" is one such film. In the Welsh countryside, Jan Vokes (Toni Collette) isn't living her best life. She's bored with her job, does the same routine day in and day out, and barely even talks to her husband Brian (Owen Teale) anymore. She longs for the days when she was an experienced breeder of whippets and racing pigeons, and one day while tending the bar she overhears a story from Howard Davies (Damian Lewis) about...

Lightyear Starring Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Uzo Aduba Directed by Angus MacLane Pixar films have a history of telling an important, adult story wrapped in a child's film that resonates with everyone. Whether it's growing up and letting go of the past like in "Toy Story 3," or dealing with incomprehensible grief like "Up," or facing your fears and finding out things aren't as scary as they seem like in "Monster's Inc.," there's lessons in life for everyone to learn with Pixar films, whether you're one or one hundred and one. "Lightyear" is no exception, telling the story of the "real life" Buzz Lightyear that inspired the toy that Andy's mother got him in the first "Toy Story" film. In this film, it's the topic of mistakes and learning from them, as well as knowing that sometimes they cannot be fixed, no matter how hard you try. When Andy got his Buzz Lightyear toy in 1995, it was...

  Crimes of the Future Starring Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman Directed by David Cronenberg The name David Cronenberg is synonymous with "body horror" filmmaking - films that focus on visceral bodily transformations, offering unnerving visuals while also incorporating psychological theology with physical unease that burrows into your mind like a tick. Films like "Scanners," "Videodrome," eXistenZ," and "The Fly" are some of his masterful handiwork, but he's also branched out into more mainstream films like "A History of Violence," "Eastern Promises," and "A Dangerous Method." Through it all, though, there lies hints in all his films that point to the master creator, a role that he's since passed down to his equally talented son Brandon in his stunning 2020 debut "Possessor." 1999's "eXistenZ" was his last journey to the body horror genre, but after a...

Dashcam Starring Annie Hardy, Amer Chadha-Patel, Angela Enahoro, Mogali Masuku Directed by Rob Savage There's been very few films I can remember that literally gave me a headache - sure, there's been many that've given me a metaphysical headache, but not many that literally made my head throb with an inhuman strength where I felt I was literally dying. "Dashcam" is one of those films. It's not because of the found footage style with the camera literally flying all over the place, but it has to do with the main character, the story, and the overall feel for this supposedly "super scary" film from the director of 2020's over-hyped Zoom horror film "Host." Annie (Annie Hardy) hosts a streaming show out of her car called "Bandcar: The Internet's #1 Live Improvised Music Show Broadcast From a Moving Vehicle," where she terribly raps about words that her followers give her. She's a huge right-wing fanatic who's vehementl...

  Jurassic World: Dominion Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill Directed by Colin Trevorrow Nearly thirty years ago, Steven Spielberg revolutionized the summer blockbuster (again, after introducing the concept with "Jaws") with "Jurassic Park," using then-revolutionary computer generated effects mixed with digitally composited effects along with good old fashioned practical effects to give off an effect of true terror, and it's one of the few films that've withstood the test of time. We all still remember the scene of the water in the cup slashing as the T-rex approaches, and the big eye staring at the girl through the window, and it was the stuff of nightmares then as it is now. It re-invigorated a new generation of children to dinosaurs, and they in turn grew up and had children who have also been into the dinosaur craze. In 2015, Colin Trevorrow dusted off the amber of "Jurassic Park" and brought about a new film, ...

Without Remorse Starring Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jamie Bell, Guy Pearce Directed by Stefano Sollima How do you make audiences interested in a generic, by-the-books political thriller? You throw in a big- name actor who pours his entire heart and soul into the performance, lift the name of a famed, respected political thriller author, and include a lot of gunfights and explosions, and hope that the audience won't notice that they've witnessed something so bland, predictable, and eerily tone deaf. Thus is the case with "Without Remorse" - offering a big-name actor (Michael B. Jordan), a famed, respected political thriller author (Tom Clancy), and more than enough explosions and gunfights than your lil ole red-white-and-blue bleeding heart can muster. Yet they failed in the end result - you know you're watching something totally incoherent, bland, predictable, and tone deaf. John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) is a Navy SEAL who, along with his Lieutenant C...

Windfall Starring Jason Segel, Lily Collins, Jesse Plemons, Omar Leyva Directed by Charlie McDowell If you call an apple an orange enough times, some people might believe it's an orange. It's a simple concept where, if you keep repeating something false, the general masses will begin to believe it's true. When you keep hearing: "'Windfall' is akin to a Hitchcock noir thriller," you might start to believe it - but take a closer look at the word "believe" - it has "lie" in it. Although "Windfall" tries to be a Hitchcock-style noir thriller, it's in fact nothing of the sort: it's a pandering passion play production featuring three amazing actors who, oddly enough considering their desire for the project, all seem like they'd rather be somewhere else - and so do we, as the viewer. A man (Jason Segel) is enjoying some time in a secluded desert home, and all seems totally idyllic - until the owners of the home - a promi...

Top Gun: Maverick Starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell Directed by Joseph Kosinski The 1980s was, in my opinion, the epitome of cinema, as it gave us indelible, unforgettable films like "Airplane," "Back to the Future," "Star Wars Episode V," "Ghostbusters," "Mad Max," "A Nightmare On Elm Street" - the list goes on and on. Every genre was well-represented in the decade, and one of those crowning achievements was the Tony Scott-directed 1986 actioneer "Top Gun," a movie that further cemented Tom Cruise as one of Hollywood's most talented actors. As the decades went by, word of a possible sequel was tossed around, but nothing was ever cemented - and then sadly in 2012 Tony Scott committed suicide, and it seemed that any hope of Cruise's "Maverick" coming back to the big screen died with him. Yet Scott's dream didn't die, and the very long gestating idea of a "...