Category Archives: Movie Matchups

Fiddler on the Roof’s Story Is in the Tradition of Pride and Prejudice

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single film in possession of a good story must be in want of a remake. Thus, we see the reimagining of Jane Austen’s classic story of manners Pride and Prejudice as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged books, britain, drama, fiddler on the roof, films, fun, great britain, jane austen, Jews, judaism, love, movie review, movies, movies based on books, musical, pride and prejudice, relationships, romance, tradition | 15 Comments

9 Variations on the ‘Nanny Fixes a Family’ Movie Plot

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I’ve written about Mary Poppins and Uncle Buck recently, and those films got me thinking about their niche within the wider comedy genre. These are movies that follow what I call the “Nanny fixes a family” plot. A quirky nanny … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged captain ron, children films, comedy, elf, family, films, mary poppins, movie review, movies, mrs. doubtfire, musical, nanny mcphee, relationships, the king and i, the sound of music, uncle buck, what about bob | 5 Comments

Mary Poppins, The Twilight Zone, and the Epidemic of Male Suicide

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Mary Poppins and the classic Twilight Zone episode “A Stop at Willoughby” approach the problem of male suicide from two very different angles. Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged animated films, disney, drama, films, mary poppins, men and women, movie review, movies, relationships, rod serling, the twilight zone, TV shows | 9 Comments

Why It’s a Wonderful Life Succeeds and Click Fails at Telling the Same Story

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

It’s a Wonderful Life quietly debuted in 1946 and went on to become one of the most beloved Christmas classics of all time. Sixty years later, Click showed up as yet another example of Adam Sandler’s slowly declining career after … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged adam sandler, black and white films, christmas, classic films, click, comedy, drama, films, frank capra, holiday, its a wonderful life, movie review, movies, science fiction | 14 Comments

Movie Matchups: The Martian vs. Mission to Mars

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

The Martian is a good version of Mission to Mars. Everywhere Mission to Mars fails, The Martian succeeds. It’s as simple as that. They have a lot of plot points in common, but they diverge wildly in what they do with them. Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged drama, films, matt damon, mission to mars, movie review, movies, movies based on books, science fiction, the martian | 17 Comments

Similarly Named Movies That Couldn’t Be More Different

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Have you ever looked for a film you’re excited to see, only to be surprised when you realize what you got isn’t what you expected at all? For example, mistaking 28 Days for 28 Days Later. One is a Sandra … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged films, fun, funny, humor, movie review, movies, muppet movie, muppets, videos, war movies | 3 Comments

Amadeus vs. The Fountainhead

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

This isn’t a typical Movie Matchup. In fact, it’s not really a matchup of movies at all because even though The Fountainhead was made into a movie starring Gary Cooper in 1949, I’m just going to be talking about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged academy awards, amadeus, atlas shrugged, ayn rand, classic films, classical music, drama, films, movie review, movies, music, oscars, relationships, the fountainhead, wolfgang amadeus mozart | 6 Comments

Everything in Planet of the Apes (1968) Came from These 6 Twilight Zone Episodes

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

It’s no secret that Rod Serling co-wrote the screenplay to the original Planet of the Apes in 1968. That was four years after his signature TV series, The Twilight Zone, had left the air. I’ve heard people talk about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged action movies, charlton heston, films, movie review, movies, movies based on books, movies based on tv shows, planet of the apes, rod serling, science fiction, the twilight zone, TV shows | 27 Comments

Bill and Ted vs. Wayne and Garth

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I recently re-watched Wayne’s World and it brought back a lot of fun memories. It got me thinking about another cinematic pair of rockers: Bill and Ted. I was tempted to compare the two duos. After all, Bill and Ted … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged bill and ted, bill and teds excellent adventure, comedy, films, fun, funny, movie review, movies, parody, romance, satire, science fiction, sequels, star trek, wayne and garth, waynes world | 14 Comments

Movie Matchups: Atlantis: The Lost Empire vs. Stargate

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Stargate debuted in theaters exactly 20 years ago today. It was so good that they released it again seven years later, except that time it was called Atlantis: The Lost Empire. These movies are so closely related that it’s crazy that Roland … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Matchups | Tagged action movies, animated films, atlantis, disney, films, fun, movie review, movies, relationships, roland emmerich, romance, science fiction, stargate | 7 Comments