Category Archives: Pleasant Surprises

10 Things I Appreciate About Airport 1975

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I like Airport. There hadn’t been anything quite like it until it came out in 1970, and it won the Best Picture Academy Award, kickstarting the disaster-movie craze for the rest of the decade. I have a soft spot for … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged action movies, airplane, airport film, charlton heston, disaster movies, films, movie review, movies, sequels | 2 Comments

Now That’s More Like It, James Cameron

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

It’s no secret that I hated Avatar. I saw it on Christmas Day in 2009, and I was sorely disappointed. James Cameron has written and directed some of my favorite films of all time, including The Abyss, Aliens, and Terminator … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged action movies, avatar, family, fathers, films, how to train your dragon, james cameron, movie review, movies, relationships, science fiction, sequels | Leave a comment

The Surprising Greatness of The Croods: A New Age

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

“It’s really bad,” my wife told me after she watched The Croods: A New Age in the theater. “The jokes were all in the trailer, the characters get really creepy at certain points like when they eat, there’s an annoying … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged animated films, comedy, dreamworks, films, movies, sequels, the croods | 1 Comment

Pleasant Surprises: Now and Then

Posted on August 13, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Do you remember how you felt when you first heard that the likes of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk were actually going to appear in the same film together or that two living legends like Al Pacino … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged 1990s, actors, childhood, drama, films, girls, movies, now and then | Leave a comment

The Best Compliment I Can Pay Shazam!

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I was pleasantly surprised by Shazam! It wasn’t just the energetic humor or the emotional story at its heart that really stood out to me. I’m sure many people have already praised those aspects of the film. No, the best … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged big, comedy, comic books, dc comics, films, funny, humor, movie review, movies, shazam | 1 Comment

How The Boss Baby Won Me Over

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Everything about The Boss Baby appeared to be designed to repel me. By the time the movie hit the 17-minute mark, I was just about ready to shut it off because I thought I knew exactly where it was going and why … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged animated films, baby, cartoon, childhood, children films, comedy, family, films, movie review, movies, relationships, the boss baby | 3 Comments

So, Cars 2 Is Kind of Great

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

Cars 2 does everything a good sequel isn’t supposed to do: It focuses on a minor character from the first film while essentially sidelining the expected main character. It doesn’t follow the same story pattern as the first film. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged animated films, cars, comedy, films, movie review, movies, pixar, sequels, spy films | 4 Comments

Pleasant Surprises: Swiss Family Robinson

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

As a kid, I wasn’t a huge fan of Disney’s old live-action movies. They were so boring and quaint, like The Parent Trap (1960) and Freaky Friday (1976). I probably would have had a whole different perspective on the matter … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged adventure, animals, boys, comedy, disney, drama, family, films, girls, movie review, movies, movies based on books, relationships | 1 Comment

What Makes My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic a Surprisingly Amazing Show

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

As a father of several young children, I get exposed to a lot of great entertainment that I never would have watched otherwise. Transformers: Rescue Bots, Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated, and Octonauts are all surprisingly engaging in their own unique … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged animals, cartoon, comedy, discord, friendship, fun, funny, humor, my little pony, relationships, TV shows | 1 Comment

A Walk to Remember Offers Hope to Bullied and Bullies Alike

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Robert Lockard, the Deja Reviewer

I want to share something near and dear to my heart this week. When I was a kid growing up in Washington state, I was very socially awkward and some of my classmates made fun of me mercilessly. Mocks became … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasant Surprises | Tagged a walk to remember, author, books, bullies, christian, love, movie review, movies, movies based on books, nicholas sparks, relationships, religion, romance | 3 Comments