JoeMama's Movie Reviews

F1 Starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem Directed by Joseph Kosinski An older gentleman with years of experience is brought in to train and mentor a young upstart who thinks they know everything but is immediately humbled by how much they don't know. The two immediately are at odds, with the younger insulting the elder's age, while the older scoffs at the younger one's inexperience. There's a no-nonsense woman that falls for the older man due to his charm and charisma. There's a tete-a-tete between the two men as they upstage one another. Things go wrong and both men are humbled and agree to work together and be friends in order to win. It's directed by Joseph Kosinski. Now you might think this is "Top Gun: Maverick" - and you'd be right - but it's also "F1," which is, for all intents and purposes, "Maverick" on then race track. While "Maverick" went on to earn over a billion dollars, I doub...

Materialists Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoe Winters Directed by Celine Song Along with newspapers, fax machines and the Yellow Pages, professional matchmakers should be a thing of the past. Professional matchmakers who are paid exorbitant amounts of money to pair up lonely singles seems like a niche market, as the Internet, dating apps, and friends can do that for you for free (or a much more discounted rate). Maybe because I don't live in the big city, but I was surprised these jobs still exist. It's against this backdrop we get "Materialists," the next glowing not-so-rom-com by Celine Song that centers on a unique love triangle and the deep story that lies within.  Lucy Mason (Dakota Johnson) is a former wannabe actor-turned-matchmaker, working for the Manhattan company Adore, where she pairs up wealthy single people for a price. She is confident in her job and has a lot of success at it, even eventually pairing up "old" Sophie (Zo...

How to Train Your Dragon Starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost Directed by Dean DeBlois The dreaded "live action remake" has plagued Disney for years now, where they're only seen as soulless cash grabs on already established IP that would draw families to theaters in droves. To that end, they've proven very successful, as four of their live-action remakes ("The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Aladdin") have all crossed one billion dollars worldwide, so while the general public groans with the idea of a live-action remake, they still make their way to the theaters to see them. Now it's Dreamworks' turn to change one of their beloved animated classics into live action, and the result is again nothing short of miraculous: a shot-for-shot remake directed by the director of the original, the movie's amassed such a huge amount of money the company is already planning i...

28 Years Later Starring Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes Directed by Danny Boyle In the 2000s and 2010s, the zombie genre was at its height. There was zombie comedies, zombie romances, zombie action, zombie horror, and zombie television shows. Everyone knew the rules: the zombies are slow, they can only be killed with a hit to the brain, and once you're bitten you'll turn into one of them. "Trainspotting" director Danny Boyle turned that on its head with "28 Days Later," a falsely-considered zombie movie that's really about the rage inside all of us, and the horrors that would occur if that rage went unchecked. The Rage Virus is introduced, turning normal people into ravaging, fast-running creatures hell bent on killing anyone they come into contact with, and even if someone gets a drop of infected blood into their system, they'll turn in seconds. It was revolutionary, shot in a guerrilla-style fashion with shaky cam b...

Karate Kid: Legends Starring Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson Directed by Jonathan Entwistle "Rocky" entered the cinematic zeitgeist in 1976, and made a household name out of Sylvester Stallone, spawning numerous sequels and a spinoff series. The movies centered around a rough-around-the-edges boxer coming back for one final shot at glory in the slums of Philadelphia, and was a true underdog story. Directed by John G. Avildsen, the movie gave hope for anyone who wanted to achieve something impossible. In 1984, Avildsen re-ignited that hope with "The Karate Kid," featuring a rough-around-the-edges kid living in Los Angeles who gets bullied and learns karate to win a championship and earn the respect he deserves. The movie was an instant hit and spawned numerous sequels, much like "Rocky," and now it's joined the "Rocky" mantle by spawning its own spinoff of sorts, "Karate Kid: Legends." A new generation undergoes ...

The Phoenician Scheme Starring Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed Directed by Wes Anderson Wes Anderson is one of the greatest auteurs of our time, a visionary director and writer who infuses satirical deadpan humor with dazzling set designs, unique filming style and ensemble casts that seem to be created by the cinematic gods above. Each film feels unique but also fits together like a giant puzzle, where you'd believe that each film is in the same cinematic universe if not for seeing many of the same actors playing vastly different roles. In a world where comedy seems to be a dying art in cinema, he is the last vestige of humor that gives hope there's still a world where this medium can work. There's no cheap sexual humor, no flatulence jokes, nothing for shock value or cheap giggles: all the jokes are hard-earned, and incredibly intelligent even in its outlandishness (such as offering hand grenades like most people offer gum). Throughout his illust...

Dangerous Animals Starring Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, Josh Heuston, Ella Newton Directed by Sean Byrne Australia has many hidden dangers: The Eastern Brown Snake, Inland Taipan, Death Adder, the Sydney Funnel-web spider, and the great white shark among others. It's also the cinematic home of Mick Taylor, the deranged serial killer from the "Wolf Creek" films and television series - a man who lives a solo life in the Outback and abducts and kills tourists. The two films were critically acclaimed and made a household name out of its villain's star, John Jarratt (at least in the horror community anyway) due to its violent nature and hopeless outlook. So when you combine a serial killer like Taylor and mix in some terrifying sharks in another desolate hopeless location, you got the ingredients for another terrifying film - but the only terrifying thing about "Dangerous Animals" is the chum it expects you to guzzle down in its formulaic, predictable, and down...

Ballerina: From the World of John Wick Starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Keanu Reeves Directed by Len Wiseman Back in 2014, Keanu Reeves was still a respected actor, but his roles were very few and far between. Then there was a little action movie called "John Wick," and Reeves was thrust once again into the good graces of the world, and has enjoyed his "Keanussance" since then. The small-budget movie has gone on to spawn three sequels, each one more successful than the last, and has given birth to the best modern-day action franchise. Each movie is stylistic, filled with intense action sequences, and some of the most talked-about moments in film (who can forget the dragon's breath scene from "John Wick 4?") - so it's almost impossible to keep the momentum going, but they do so with the franchise's first spin-off, "Ballerina." While not as intense or well-put-together as the flagship series, "Ballerina" ...

Juliet & Romeo Starring Clara Rugaard, Jamie Ward, Jason Isaacs, Rebel Wilson Directed by Timothy Scott Bogart Musicals are fantastic when they're done right. "Wicked," "The Greatest Showman," "La La Land," "The Sound of Music," "Fiddler on the Roof" and many more fall into this category - musicals that will and have withstood the test of time and provide some of the best songs set to film ever. Then there are the muddling musicals that come out every year - "Mean Girls," "Journey to Bethlehem," "Spirited" and "Dear Evan Hanson" exist in the zeitgeist but are either maligned for great reason or so bland they're forgettable. 2025 has delivered its first such musical with "Juliet & Romeo," a re-telling of the classic Shakespeare story set to pop music that tries to remake the wheel but ends up spinning in place. In Verona, a war has waged between the Montagues and the Capul...

Bring Her Back Starring Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips Directed by Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou Twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou have made a name for themselves on YouTube as the duo RackaRacka, producing horror comedy content that've garnered them numerous awards. They expanded their reach to the big screen in 2023's "Talk to Me," and their talent for horror showed brightly, producing one of the most unnerving, scary, and even darkly comedic at times, movies of the year. Everyone was excited to see what they'd come up with next, and whether or not they'd be one-trick ponies. With "Bring Her Back," the twins prove once again that they're not a one-and-done, producing yet another knockout horror movie that will crawl under your skin due to four impeccable performances, practical effects that will freeze your blood, and a slow-burn story that escalates to unfathomable levels by the film's denoue...