Category Archives: Movie Matchups

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 | 7 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

Movie Matchups: Mrs. Doubtfire vs. Liar Liar

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Remember that amazing mid-‘90s comedy about a divorced man trying to be a good dad that stars a legendary comedian at the height of his career? That’s right, I’m talking about Liar Liar pants on Mrs. Doubtfire. That is, I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged comedy, family, films, jim carrey, liar liar, movie review, movies, mrs. doubtfire, relationships, robin williams | 2 Comments

Lightyear Is a Lot of Lego Movie 2 Mixed with a Little Aliens

Posted on August 23, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

As I recently watched Lightyear, something became clear. It doesn’t have a very original story. Ironically, Lightyear tried to distance itself from the Toy Story franchise while, at the same time, basing its story on a movie that’s all about … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged action movies, aliens, films, lego, lego movie 2, lightyear, movie review, movies, science fiction, sequels, toy story | 3 Comments

Who Was The Road to El Dorado Made for?

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I remember hearing about The Road to El Dorado in 2000 during my senior year of high school. It looked too juvenile for me. However, I did hear that it had some adult stuff in it, like characters getting naked … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged adventure, animated films, children films, dreamworks, films, movie review, movies, sinbad legend of the seven seas, the road to el dorado | 5 Comments

Movie Matchups: Watchmen vs. 2010: The Year We Make Contact

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Watchmen and 2010: The Year We Make Contact have quite a bit in common. I didn’t realize that until my eldest brother pointed out some of the connections to me. And then it dawned on me. They both tell the … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged 2010, action movies, comic books, films, movie review, movies, movies based on books, science fiction, sequels, soviet union, space exploration, superhero, war, watchmen | Leave a comment

Jumanji Is the Right Way to Adapt a Children’s Book to the Big Screen

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I’ve wanted to write about Jumanji for a long time, but I couldn’t find the right spark of inspiration. I didn’t want to mindlessly praise it or make an unwarranted comparison to another film. For example, for a while I … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged actors, dr. seuss, family, films, jumanji, movie review, movies, movies based on books, the cat in the hat | 8 Comments

The Sixth Sense Meets Universal Soldier

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Universal Soldier is all about reanimated corpses of soldiers who have to take extreme measures to continue functioning. One way they do that is by covering themselves in ice to cool down their body temperatures. That got me thinking. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged films, funny, humor, jokes, movies, puns, science fiction, the sixth sense, universal soldier | Leave a comment

The Long-Lost Origin of the Deja Reviewer

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Today is a special day for me worth celebrating. It marks the 10th anniversary of the first article I ever published as the Deja Reviewer, and this is the 600th article I have published on this website. Back on June … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged animated films, films, movie review, movies, musical, personal, pixar, wizard of oz | 3 Comments