Category Archives: Movie Matchups

Movie Matchups: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse vs. Back to the Future Part II

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is similar in many ways to Back to the Future Part II. I’m too excited to say much more than that in this introduction, so let’s just fly through their connections and see what sticks.

Movie Matchups: Pollyanna vs. It’s a Wonderful Life

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

It’s a Wonderful Life is one of those classic movies that other films love to emulate. I’ve heard Back to the Future compared to it by Siskel and Ebert, and I likened Click to it. There’s one film that I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged classic films, disney, drama, films, frank capra, its a wonderful life, movie review, movies, movies based on books, pollyanna | Leave a comment

Movie Matchups: Three Men and a Baby vs. Baby Boom

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

In 1986, there was a famous rivalry between fighter-plane movies in which Top Gun trounced Iron Eagle. In 1988, it was body-switch movies in which Big crushed Vice Versa and 18 Again! But what about 1987? Was there any rivalry … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged 1980s, baby, baby boom, comedy, competition, drama, family, films, leonard nimoy, movie review, movies, relationships, three men and a baby | 1 Comment

The Most Surprising Thing About Kung Fu Panda 4

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

The fourth film in a series is a big make-or-break moment. It is often where a series runs out of ideas and begins recycling old ones or else it becomes a self-parody. That’s true of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged action movies, animated films, comedy, dreamworks, films, kung fu panda, movie franchise, movie review, movies, sequels | Leave a comment

Big Is a Bridge Between Tom Hanks’ Early and Later Film Career

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Like two parts of a piano duet, Big feels like the perfect bridge between Tom Hanks’ early and later career in film. He may have made a Splash in 1984, but it wasn’t until 1988 that he really hit the … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged 1980s, big, comedy, drama, films, movie review, movies, steven spielberg, tom hanks | 2 Comments

Which Is the Best Adaptation of Dune?

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Dune is one of my favorite books. I’ve only read it once, but it stands out in my mind as one of the most immersive literary experiences I’ve ever had. And I’ve admired the many attempts to make it into … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged action movies, drama, dune, films, movie review, movies, movies based on books, revenge movie, science fiction, sequels, tv movie | Leave a comment

This Poem Brought Tears to My Eyes

Posted on September 10, 2024 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I had never heard of an early-20th-century poet named Eugene Field nor his poem entitled Little Boy Blue until recently. But I’ve definitely seen his poem play out in at least two films. I found it in a talk entitled … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged death, disney, films, hope, little boy blue, love, movies, pixar, poems, poetry, relationships, sad, sequels, the little matchgirl, toy story | Leave a comment

Unmasking Predator’s Chiasmus

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Predator is one of the most iconic action movies of all time, and it’s about to be the latest trophy in my collection of Cinematic Chiasmus. Chiasmus is a storytelling style in which the first half mirrors the second half. … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged 1980s, action movies, arnold schwarzenegger, chiasmus, films, john mctiernan, movie review, movies, predator, science fiction | 5 Comments

The Final Countdown Is the Star Trek II We Never Got to See

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I remember hearing that shortly after Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuted in 1979, Gene Roddenberry pitched the idea of having the U.S.S. Enterprise crew go back in time in their advanced spaceship to prevent the assassination of John F. … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged 1980s, films, history, movie review, movies, pearl harbor, science fiction, sequels, star trek, the final countdown, war, world war ii | Leave a comment

The Hurricane Is a Natural Follow-up to The Shawshank Redemption

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I remember hearing about The Hurricane when it came out in 1999, but I wasn’t able to go see it. And then I just kind of forgot about it. Until recently when it popped into my head, and I haven’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged denzel washington, drama, films, movie review, movies, movies based on books, prison films, the hurricane, the shawshank redemption | 2 Comments