JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Heresy Starring Anneke Sluiters, Len Leo Vincent, Nola Elvis Kemper, Leon van Waas Directed by Didier Konings Religion is a fascinating thing, and how it's evolved and adapted throughout the centuries. Back in the day, women were seen as nothing more than baby carriers for men who were doing the Lord's work, and who were confined to wifey duties like cleaning the home and cooking, and their voices were never heard nor acknowledged by the religious men. Woods were seen as the devil's playground, representing a chaotic, untamed, and dangerous unknown where the devil and his minions dwelled, luring men to their deaths and women to turn into witches. Barren women were seen as cursed by God for some sin, and until they rectified that sin they'd never be able to bare a child and were therefore shunned by the community. Thankfully times have changed, but "Heresy" (called "Witte Wieven" meaning "white women" in Dutch Low Saxon) shows us what it cou...

Supergirl Starring Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenarts, Eve Ridley, Jason Momoa Directed by Chris Gillespie 2026 has been an amazing year for original films, with movies like "Send Help," "Hokum," and especially "Obsession" proving that people will flood the theaters for something unique and new, if done right. This, however, also raises the argument at the other end of the cinematic teeter-totter: No one wants sequels, prequels and superhero movies anymore. Both arguments are invalid because they are polar opposites, but there's one main connecting arc: people want good movies, whether they be established IP or new creations. "Supergirl," sadly, is one of those movies that isn't necessarily bad, but not unique either. It follows the traditional superhero tropes people are tired of, and although the actors give it their all, they're hindered by a formulaic script and more flashy action sequences over substance. After being sent away fro...

Minions & Monsters Starring Pierre Coffin, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz Directed by Pierre Coffin For sixteen years and seven movies, the yellow pill-shaped Minions have invaded the cinema to the tune of over $6 billion dollars worldwide and counting. What is it about these little creatures that's endeared them to the hearts of children young and old alike, especially considering they don't even speak a language we can understand? Simply, it's the fact that they're so lovable despite having their only goal being to serve the most horrible villains in the world, and their antics that oftentimes resort to blowing raspberries at each other and hitting each other with all kinds of blunt objects that hearken back to classic Hollywood slapstick comedy. To that end, their third solo outing "Minions & Monsters" leans entirely on that - focusing on a new group of Minions that existed during the golden age of cinema and how their shenanigans led ...

Casa Grande Starring Lou Diamond Phillips, John Pyper-Ferguson, Christina Moore, Kate Mansi Directed by Juan Pablo Arias Munoz For the last few years there's been an uptick in Western-style television series that centers on family dynamics including "The Madison," "The Son," "Longmire" and most famously "Yellowstone," which has spawned numerous spinoffs. These types of shows are set in the wild west (sometimes in the past, sometimes in the present) with a big family that has their struggles and successes, but you know essentially what you're getting into. "Casa Grande" is essentially a long episode of one such show set on the big screen, and would've fared a lot better if it had joined the other Western-style shows littering the television landscape - but that's not to say it was a bad movie, just needed more depth to it. After murdering two ICE agents who were about to steal away Mael Morales (Javier Bolanos) along with...

  Dolly Starring Fabianne Therese, Seann William Scott, Ethan Suplee, Max the Impaler Directed by Rod Blackhurst In the Xochimilco canals of Mexico City is a famous, creepy doll graveyard of sorts - decaying mutilated dolls hanging from trees by the thousands, and it's a popular tourist spot. When I first saw the trailer for "Dolly," I was hoping it'd be a movie set in that location, but that hope was soon dashed when I saw the main villain and the backwoodsy setting, I didn't have high expectations. While it still delivered a decent story with great practical effects, it's nothing worth writing home about - but since it was done on a micro-budget and was an original idea, I have mad respect for it getting made.  While on a trip to a secluded wooded mountain for a relaxing hike, couple Macy (Fabianne Therese) and Chase (Seann William Scott) come into contact with a lot of porcelain dolls hiding out in the middle of the woods. That's creepy enough, but then...

Toy Story 5 Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee Directed by Andrew Stanton The "Toy Story" franchise is a rarity when it comes to cinema, considering their epic Rotten Tomatoes scores. The first three films earned 100%, 100%, and 98%, and served as an amazing trilogy for anyone who grew up with the antics of Woody, Buzz, Jessie and their friends. If they were children in 1995, by 2010 they were ready to leave for college, as Andy did at the end of the third movie, moving on from childhood toys and giving strong nostalgic feelings for them. Essentially, it was a perfect trilogy. Then "Toy Story 4" came out in 2019, and while it still earned high praise (97%), it served more like an epilogue to the trilogy - not as memorable or impactful, but still joyous to see them again. Now, with "Toy Story 5," there seems to be signs of decline as it "only" scored a 93%, which is still something most movies would die to have, but its becoming...