Daddy Mojo at the Movies

The Conjuring: Last Rites is fan service for the Warren faithful, that’s it

If this were a vampire movie you could say that it’s a little long in the tooth. However, this is a horror film, but it’s the fourth one in a character-based franchise that has a steady track record. The Conjuring: Last Rites has a couple of nice atmospheric scares, some cheap jump scares and a truck load of nostalgia. The film is also a victim of The Conjuring Universe. These movies want to have their cake and eat it too. It’s the ‘based on a true story’ label that only four of the nine films under its umbrella can rightfully claim. Fans of the franchise will welcome Last Rites, but horror movie fans would’ve seen it all before.

The Conjuring: Last Rites is the fourth film in the series and it feels like it. The movie is too long and relies on sentimentality, rather than atmospheric scares.

Bring outcha dead, bring outcha dead…..

Nobody 2 is good-stupid fun, for the most part….as long as you aren’t picky

What makes Bob Odenkirk so enjoyable as an action protagonist is his ‘everyman appeal’. In Nobody, the character was well-written. The first major set piece, a taut bus fight scene kicked off a nice vengeance movie that harkened to the golden days of the 1980s. The film was received so positively that it begot a sequel whose title doesn’t pull any punches, Nobody 2. Nobody 2 knows the assignment and admirably fits in the box, and does so in a manner that audiences have come to expect from sequels.

Nobody 2 is about 70% as good as Nobody, which according to the unofficial rule of action movie sequels is just below average.

A low bar is not an issue for films that embrace it

Weapons is a fantastically scary, head trip film for people who love cinema

Jump scares in horror movies don’t do anyone favors. They cheapen the film and make audiences prepare for a lazy scare, rather than the steady buildup that has a much greater payoff. It’s not to say that a jump scare can’t be in a horror movie, but it shouldn’t be their bread and butter. Weapons has one very effective jump scare. Weapons is a fantastic horror film. More than that, Weapons is a great film that lives in the horror realm, but also serves as a thriller with dark periods of humor.

Weapons is why you go to the movies. It’s a horror film that jumps genres, is well-written, smart and has ‘that’ factor people will talk about.

Fabulous film, utterly entertaining

Fantastic Four: First Steps, a fun film in a course correction for the MCU

The Fantastic Four: First Steps was not a film that I was looking forward to seeing. Granted, I knew that I’d see it, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it or be entertained. Of the past 13 MCU films, I’d only seen eight of them and from that figure only three of those favorably stuck in my memory. I’m not alone in those thoughts, and if anything, my scale was tilted in Marvel’s favor. Factor all of that into the fourth attempt to get Fantastic Four off of the ground and here we are. But, here’s the thing about Fantastic Four: First Steps: it has a lot in common with Superman and a kaiju film, which is an unlikely combination that adds up to a very enjoyable movie.

Come back in, the water’s fine.

Superman review: Balancing Humor and Action

Superman is a James Gunn film. Gunn has a style that audiences are accustomed to, but can also be wary of in a manner that is similar to Tim Burton. It’s a lion that has to be contained somewhat, or it’s too familiar, over the top and can become a cliché of itself. Superman for new audiences that are post-Snyder, in the “not my Superman” camp or never got past Christopher Reeve will be their own obstacle. All of that tossed into the mix and James Gunn still wrote and directed a fun movie that succeeds on many levels through the various film lenses one could view it from.

Superman is a solid film that’s as fun as you want it to be. There are character weaknesses, but if you just check the ‘relax’ button when you go in you’ll have a blast.

It’s better than you think it is and not only for fanboys

Why Karate Kid: Legends Is Family-Friendly Fun

There’s a certain joy in a connect-the-dot puzzle. When you adhere to the puzzle’s simple instructions it should end in a relaxing, enjoyable experience that was worth your time. A movie can be like that too. Karate Kid: Legends is like that too, the plot is nothing revolutionary, it’s slightly surprising at times and at just over 90 minutes long it’s too short to really care about it, yet you’ll most likely be entertained.

Karate Kid: Legends, solid family fun for upper-elementary ages and up.

It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s entertaining

Lilo & Stitch: A Live-Action Review for Kids and Parents

There are a string of Disney movies I didn’t see from the late 90s through 2010, including Lilo & Stitch. The perceived counter programming about Stitch being an uncontrollable, cute, alien mess was a welcome characteristic, but not enough to pull me into theaters or give up 90 minutes. Because I was unfamiliar with the specifics of Lilo & Stitch, it afforded a unique opportunity to review the film without any previous bias or memory from the original. Unfortunately for those who hold Lilo & Stitch in high regard, it might not follow the same welcome path that the original created.

Lilo & Stitch, is the live-action film a comedy or a drama? Fans of the original animated film will dig it, new audiences will be mildly amused at this kid’s film.

Irreverence only goes so far to being entertaining

Pink Floyd at Pompeii, a must-see for musicphiles and Floyd cinephiles

My first time was the winter of 2010. It was snowing outside, and I was on the computer, trying to write something funny, listening to music on YouTube while it did its algorithm thing. Pink Floyd at Pompeii came on. I was typing something and wasn’t paying attention to what was on the screen for the first couple of minutes. The music I recognized as Pink Floyd, but the recording was a live one that I hadn’t heard before. Once I switched over to the visuals of Pink Floyd at Pompei,i I was hooked for life and it became a staple of our viewing once a month for the past 15 years.

Pink Floyd at Pompeii has finally been re-mastered. It’s worth the wait and shows the gothic beauty of the area with laser clarity and sharpens the music to where it’s the sonic screwdriver we all need.

Believe the hype