JoeMama's Movie Reviews

The Power of the Dog Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee Directed by Jane Campion When most people think of Western films, they think of epic shootouts, horseback chases, armed robberies, and the traditional cowboys versus varmints, but director Jane Campion turns those tropes on their head in "The Power of the Dog," instead focusing on the tense wild wild west as told through the eyes of four interconnected characters who all strive for one thing - power. Seeing how the power structure ebbs and flows between these totally unique characters is awe-inspiring, as delivered with impeccable performances and a nuanced, slow-burn story that escalates to a silent crescendo by the film's end, leaving you wonder-struck at how you were succinctly and subtly pulled into the story in a way you didn't think possible. In Montana in 1925, brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) Burbank are successful ranch owners wit...

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City Starring Kayla Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Avan Jogia Directed by Johannes Roberts We all know by now that movies based off video games have a very lackluster history, to say the least. Possibly one of the more "passable" movies of this subgenre was Paul W.S. Anderson's "Resident Evil" back in 2002, but even that's a bit of a stretch. Yet compared to the multitude of sequels he directed with his wife Milla Jovovich as the lead role of Alice, a character created solely for the films, and it didn't really follow the video game format its namesake was given, especially with the later sequels. When "47 Meters Down" director Johannes Roberts decided to reboot the franchise, he decided to ditch the cinematic story and return to the roots of the "Resident Evil" video game series, making "Welcome to Raccoon City" more of a fan service than anything else - by spanning the storie...

 Next Stop, Christmas Starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Chandler Massey, Eric Freeman, Christopher Lloyd Directed by Dustin Rikert Do you ever look back at your life and wonder, "what if?" What if I had taken that job opportunity? What if I decided to marry the guy I was dating instead of turning him down? What if I hadn't eaten that Taco Bell and suffered the severe runs? While there's no chance for us to go back and "redo" the past, that's the magic of cinema - it allows for the impossible. While most people would go back in time to make the world a better place (such as killing Hitler, maybe?), the Hallmark Channel doesn't think of such world-changing events, but rather uses this magical ability to allow their lovelorn supermodel-looking characters to have a second chance at happily ever after with another lovelorn supermodel-looking character. Just like in real life. Angie Reynolds (Lyndsy Fonseca) is a successful surgeon in New York City, and finds herse...

King Richard Starring Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green By now everyone has heard the term "helicopter parent," so it'd be redundant to say that it means a part who pays extremely close attention to their children's experiences and problems - but I just did because "King Richard" is the supreme exercise in redundancy as well as providing a poster child (or poster parent) for a helicopter parent in Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. "King Richard" is one of those biopics that drag on needlessly for hours on end (literally, the film is 145 minutes long, only 36 minutes less than "Avengers: Endgame," and at least with "Endgame" we got a titanic cinematic battle at the end. Here, the film simply meanders through the tropes of the biopic subgenre with a polished feel in order to establish Richard Williams as a literal King, a man who can...

Worst2First: My Most Anticipated Films of Winter 2021-2022 2021 will soon come to a close and usher in 2022, and along with it comes a slew of eagerly-awaited films (including one that'll more than likely be the biggest box office profit of the year). Spanning from December 2021 to February 2022, here are my personal top ten films I'm most anticipated to see this winter. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE** #10 The King's Man December 22 Matthew Vaughn's "Kingsman" movies have grossed over $800 million dollars worldwide, and made Taron Egerton a bonafide star. Taking the prequel route, Vaughn centers on the creation of the shady organization known as The Kingsman - a secret spy organization bent on saving the world from evil masterminds. "The King's Man" goes back to the start and focuses on Ralph Fiennes' Orlando and his new protege as they race against time to stop a gang of ruthless tyrants led by the famed Grigori...

 Encanto Starring Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Diane Guerrero Directed by Jared Bush & Byron Howard Disney churns out animated tales in their sleep, offering unforgettable princess stories ever since the 1930s, and their 60th production - "Encanto" - manages to still entertain, enlighten and embolden us to be better versions of ourselves, told through the lens of a Colombian magical family and their no-so-magical family member who of course serves as the glue to bring together the entire story. Even though it follows a traditional story of the "non-magical" outcast saving the family, it's done with precision, care, and above all beautifully animated storytelling filled with lively song and dance numbers and impeccable voice acting. While fleeing their homeland, Abuela Alma Madrigal (Maria Cecilia Botero), her husband, and three infant children find themselves under attack by the rebel force, and her husband pays the ultimate pric...

Lamb Starring Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snaer Guonason, Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson Directed by Vladimir Johannsson Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go It followed her to school one day which was against the rules It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb at school And so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near And waited patiently about, till Mary did appear "Why does the lamb love Mary so?" the eager children cry "Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know," the teacher did reply The famous nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was written by American writer Sarah Josepha Hale in the 1830s, and is actually a true story of a fourteen year old girl named Mary Sawyer who took her lamb with her to school, and unable to keep it unnoticed drew the attention of everyone at the school. It's a nice, sweet, caring story about a girl and her lamb, and there's no hint of malice ...