JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Maleficent Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley Directed by Robert Stromberg Synopsis: Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) lives in the faerie land known as the Moors, which borders the human world.  Humans and faeries don't mix, but one day a young Maleficent comes into contact with a young boy named Stefan, and the two form a strong friendship and, as the years progress, a relationship. However, Stefan's desire to be king soon overtakes him, and he stops seeing her.  When the current king tries to take over the Moors, he offers anyone who can bring the dead Maleficent the kingship.  Stefan (Sharlto Copley) tricks Maleficent by burning off her wings and bringing them to the king, which enrages Maleficent.  Years later, she learns Stefan is the new king and has given birth to a daughter, and she arrives and places a curse on her, that when she turns sixteen she will prick her finger and fall into an eternal slumber that only the kiss...

Out of the Furnace Starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Willem Dafoe Directed by Scott Cooper Synopsis: Russell (Christian Bale) is a hard working man who is employed in a steel mill in Pittsburgh.  He's worked hard all his life and has a beautiful girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana), and is very close with his brother Rodney (Casey Affleck), who just returned from the war. All this ends tragically one fateful night, which results in Russell going to jail for five years.  When he comes out, he finds his father has died, he lost his girlfriend to police chief Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker), and Rodney is in deep debt and is involved in an underground fighting ring with his bookie John Petty (Willem Dafoe). After a fight goes bad with maniacal Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson), both John and Rodney go missing, and Russell feels that the police don't really care and sets out on his own to find out what happened to his brother, placing himself in harm...

The Grand Budapest Hotel Starring Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Arien Brody, F. Murray Abraham Directed by Wes Anderson Synopsis: In modern time, a young woman visits the grave of the Author, while holding his book "The Grand Budapest Hotel."  In 1985, the Author (Tom Wilkinson) informs the audience as to how he wrote the book. He takes us back to 1968, when the young Author (Jude Law) meets the owner of the now defunct Grand Budapest Hotel, Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham).  The Author wants to know his story, and Moustafa is more than willing to share it. In 1932, a young Moustafa - whose first name is Zero (Tony Revolori), serves as a lobby boy during the glory days of the Grand Budapest.  He works under the tutelage of the concierge, M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), who is also a playboy who woos wealthy dowagers, including Madame D. (Tilda Swinton).  When she dies, he inherits her priceless painting, "Boy With Apple," which infuriates her son Dmitri ...

The Princess Bride Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon Directed by Rob Reiner Synopsis: Grandson (Fred Savage) is sick, and is visited by his Grandfather (Peter Falk), who tells him the story of the Princess Bride. Buttercup (Robin Wright) falls in love with Westley (Cary Elwes), but Westley is taken by pirates and assumed dead.  Years later, she is set to be wed to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), but she does not love him, as her love died when Westley did.  Buttercup gets abducted by three bumbling thieves (Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant), and is rescued by a mysterious masked pirate, who turns out to be Westley.  With her love alive again, Buttercup is happier than ever, but she still decides to marry Humperdinck to keep Westley safe, and he sets out on an adventure to take down the evil prince and rescue his love for good. Review: "The Princess Bride" is one of the few comedic classics that have withs...

Edge of Tomorrow Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton Directed by Doug Liman Synopsis: An alien race known as Mimics are taking over Europe, and General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) orders Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) to cover combat on the beach where humanity is waging its last stand.  Cage, who serves as a public affairs officer, doesn't want to go to the battle, and is eventually forced to do so. Completely inept and totally cowardly, Cage falls to the battleground and is subsequently killed by an Alpha, which is one of the stronger Mimics.  Before he does, however, Cage is able to kill it, and its blood absorbs with his.  Then he wakes up two days earlier just as he is dropped to basic training, and realizes that he's re-living the events. Once again, Cage dies on the battlefield, but not before seeing Rita (Emily Blunt), who is well known as a mighty warrior who defended a previous battle and led to a Mimic decimation. Befor...

The Expendables 3 Starring Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Jason Statham, Wesley Snipes Directed by Patrick Hughes Synopsis: The boys are back!  After rescuing fellow Expendable Doc (Wesley Snipes), the old gang - led by fearless leader Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) - set out to stop a shipment of bombs meant to be delivered to a warlord in Somalia.  Barney learns that the man they're after is Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), an Expendable co-founder who went rogue, and someone Barney thought was long dead.  The attack goes terribly wrong and Stonebanks escapes. Barney, upset that he put his friends' lives in jeopardy, decides to re-start the Expendables with a new, younger breed of soldiers, but this too ends terribly as they're captured by Stonebanks, and Barney relies on his old crew to free them and stop Stonebanks' evil plan. Review: "The Expendables" series has never been something you see in hopes of plot, character development or acting.  I...

Divergent Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney Directed by Neil Burger Synopsis: In Chicago 100 years after the war, society is governed by splitting people into one of five groups: Abnegation the selfless, Amity the peaceful, Candor the honest, Dauntless the brave, and Erudite the intelligent.  People are assigned a faction based on an aptitude test, or by choice. Beatrice (Shailene Woodley) has a family who belongs to Abnegation, who also is the governing body, yet she's always had a desire to be Dauntless.  When she takes her test, she discovers that she's neither - she's a Divergent.  A Divergent is someone who doesn't belong to any group, and are the most feared by the people, especially the powerful leader of Erudite, Jeanine (Kate Winslet).  To hide this potentially deadly "flaw," Beatrice joins Dauntless and falls for one its leaders, Four (Theo James).  As she struggles to hide her identity, she begins to d...