JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Deadpool & Wolverine Starring Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfayden Directed by Shawn Levy Back in 2017, Hugh Jackman gave his swan song as the iconic Wolverine in the epic film "Logan," officially ending his seventeen-year run as America's favorite X-Man. The sendoff was touching, heartfelt, and beautifully R-rated, something every fan was appreciative of. Very few iconic characters get such a sendoff as Jackman's Wolverine did, and we all thought it was the end of an era. Then last year, Ryan Reynolds posted a video talking about the new "Deadpool" movie with Hugh Jackman walking by in the background, and Reynolds asks him if he's reprise his role as Wolverine, to which Jackman agreed to, sending the Internet into a tizzy. Could all our collective nerd brains comprehend what was about to happen? Deadpool and Wolverine in the same movie? The MCU? RATED R????? The anticipation was, to say the least, palpable - and the result, to...

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Starring Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon Directed by Mark Molloy Generally, sequels to films that haven't been out in theaters in at least thirty years don't particularly fare well. People are over the past and want to find something new and exciting to cling to, a new franchise, a new universe. Yet sometimes, lightning does strike twice ("Top Gun: Maverick" anyone?). So when Eddie Murphy decided to step back into the shoes of his 1980s detective who never plays by the rules, there was more snickers than screams of joy - especially when "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" wasn't even going to be shown in theaters, but streaming on Netflix. Once it came out, however, the naysayers were shut down as the film is a more than welcome addition to the franchise, heads and tails better than the third, and proves that Eddie Murphy still has what it takes in the action comedy genre. In Detroit, Axel Foley (Eddie Mur...

Twisters Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea Directed by Lee Isaac Chung Steven Spielberg invented the summer blockbuster with his iconic 1975 film "Jaws," and since then cinemas have showcased countless films during the summer to draw people in from the summertime heat. A summer blockbuster is different than other films in that they're big budget popcorn movies released from May to August that have wide appeal and are generally financially successful. Back in May 10, 1996, a summer blockbuster called "Twister" was released, earning over $240 million dollars. News of a sequel ran rampant since then, but it wasn't until 2024 that we got "Twisters" - a film that's a sequel in the fact that it centers on a group of tornado chasers with no relation to anyone in the original film. The result is another summer blockbuster hit filled with modern day effects, a strong young A-list talent, and exciting set pieces that m...

Longlegs Starring Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt Directed by Ozgood Perkins This is one of those reviews where I will say from the start: DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE AND PLAN ON SEEING IT! "Longlegs" is one of those rare films where knowing nothing going into it makes it all the more impactful. So only read on if you've seen it, or have no desire to (although in that case why are you reading this in the first place?) There've been a few movies in recent memory who's advertising campaign was top notch. "The Blair Witch Project" in 1999 made the trailers look like it was an actual movie where three people disappeared in real life, and all the marketing promos aided in that belief. 2022's "Barbarian" had a trailer that made it seem like it told a lot of the plot, but in reality it was merely the first twenty minutes with a completely unknown story that followed. This year, Ozgood Perkins' ...

Thelma Starring June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey Directed by Josh Margolin Lately there's been a string of films featuring some of Hollywood's former leading ladies in films that don't deserve their talent. "Book Club" (and its abysmal sequel), "80 for Brady" and "Summer Camp" are just a few that feature the likes of both Oscar winners and Oscar nominees who flail and lament about their age while trying to act like someone thirty years younger, and the results are oftentimes just embarrassing for them. Then there's "Thelma," a (mostly) true story of one woman's quest to get back the money stolen from her, played to absolute perfection by the criminally underrated June Squibb. Thelma Post (June Squibb) is a 93-year-old widower who lives on her own but has diminished capabilities, including wearing a hearing aid and not understanding the new technology. Fortunately her grandson Danny (Ferd Hechinger) ...

Fly Me to the Moon Starring Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson Directed by Greg Berlanti There's numerous conspiracy theories going out there about a plethora of different things, and one of them is the belief that many people hold that we never actually landed on the moon, but instead it was faked by famed director Stanley Kubrick in order to make it seem America was beating the evil Russians during the Space Race. Kubrick was claimed to direct it due to his stellar film "2001: A Space Odyssey" years before, and there's small kernels that people hold onto to keep their claim alive, one of which being that we still haven't returned to the moon since 1969, despite light years of advanced technology. A movie really hasn't been made about this topic, and "Fly Me to the Moon" comes closest - and it would've been stellar if it didn't focus on a forced love story between two characters that have absolutely zero chemistr...

MaXXXine Starring Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon Directed by Ti West A cinematic storm swept through cinema silently in 2022 in the one-two punch of "X" and "Pearl," two art-house pieces directed by Ti West that left audiences spellbound and instantly created a scream queen for the modern age: Mia Goth. "X" was a slasher film about a group of porno actors making a movie on a farm belonging to an elderly couple, while "Pearl" was the prequel story of the aforementioned elderly woman as a young adult with dreams of stardom. Both films were critically and commercially successful and people were hungry for the conclusion of the trilogy, "MaXXXine." When it finally hit theaters this year, however, it was met with meddling reviews - either people loved it or hated it, and it all depended on your expectations. Personally, I fall on it being one of the best films I've seen this year, and I'm more than ready...

A Quiet Place: Day One Starring Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou Directed by Michael Sarnoski Back in 2018, John Krasinski successfully shed his "The Office" goofy persona and wrote, directed, and stared in "A Quiet Place" about our planet being overrun by aliens who hunt by sound. Playing alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt and uber-talented deaf actress Millicent Simmonds, the film became a blockbuster hit and a sequel was greenlit almost immediately. The second film, "A Quiet Place: Part II," was just as great as the original, which was surprising because not only was it not something on Krasinski's radar when the first film was being made, but generally a sequel lacks some substance that the first held. Yet these two were pitch perfect, and Krasinski had a bonefide successful franchise under his belt. Now with "A Quiet Place: Day One," the franchise spreads from the small family living in an isolated farmh...

Despicable Me 4 Starring Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Joey King Directed by Chris Renaud Many sequels exist merely for that cash grab box office, because no matter how many times people argue that there aren't enough "original" ideas, they'll still flock to the theater if there's a familiar name to it. The "Despicable Me/Minions" franchise is one such film series, having grossed combined well over a billion dollars, and still going strong. While many other films like this get lambasted for their lack of storytelling, there's something inherently special about this franchise that puts them on a different pedestal than the others, leaving you laughing from start to finish even if the story itself merely exists for the next sight gag or humorous remark. Felonius Gru (Steve Carell) is a former supervillain turned Anti-Villian League agent who returns to his villainous Alma mater to take down Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) who turns himself int...

The Bikeriders Starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon Directed by Jeff Nichols Biker films of the past have entirely been a man's game, where the women were confined to wifely duties: cleaning house, making meals, caring for the kids, and serving as moral support for their bad boy biker boyfriends/husbands. They were seen as playthings, where the men could use them at will without thinking of their feelings. These films are gritty, intense, and memorable, one of which being the iconic "Easy Rider." With "The Bikeriders," the roles reverse: while it's still a film about a gang of men starting a biker gang in Chicago in the 60s, it's told through the eyes of a woman who was no wilting flower, but a strong, independent, powerful voice that served for a unique love triangle where the man isn't the center, but it's the woman who's love is being torn in two different directions. In 1965 Chicago, Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer) go...