Author: Jason Zingale

It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to screw up a TV-to-film adaptation. We’ve all seen it done numerous times in the past – including the abominable remake of “The Honeymooners” earlier this month – but somehow, the producers of “Bewitched” take the cake with their absurd re-imagining of the classic television series. While it may seem insane to even try to tackle such a feat, director/co-writer Nora Ephron has gone one step further in completely altering the slapstick ambiance of the original. The result is a carelessly produced romantic comedy that takes its “Nick at Night” fan base…

After months of watching Tom Cruise parade around with an apprehensive Katie Holmes attached to his hand during the promotion of Steven Spielberg’s latest sci-fi blockbuster, it’s safe to say that the film is certainly one big WOW. That’s not a compliment, but rather the abbreviation for the over-produced adaptation of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds,” which trades in every positive aspect of Spielberg’s past work for lots of flashy CGI effects. That’s not to say that the movie doesn’t look good, because it does, and will surely nab a nomination for Best Effects when awards time comes around,…

Most fanboys have been holding their breath ever since they caught wind of Warner Brothers’ plans to reintroduce the Batman franchise on the big screen, but it’s finally safe to breathe again; “Batman Begins” is a knockout. Thanks to director Christopher Nolan and writer David S. Goyer, they finally got it right this time, and now fans can finally experience Batman the way it was meant to be seen. While Tim Burton’s original version of the film boasted a much darker, gothic look at the man behind the mask, his two films contained only a sliver of the darkness that…

When it comes to electing the latest and greatest in the arcade racing genre, the “Burnout” series will always have my vote, and even though Rockstar’s “Midnight Club” franchise is a different cup of tea, it will remain second place as long as gamers enjoy being rewarded for driving recklessly. This comparison can be flipped, of course, for those who find greater joy in the customization of their vehicles, in which case “Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition” is just for you. Offering an unbelievable supply of performance and design customizations, as well as a garage filled with over 50 fully…

Over the past few years, video games have become an inherent part of our society’s pop culture (whether you like it or not), so it’s only fitting that Christopher Nolan’s latest re-boot of the Batman franchise earns a video game counterpart. “Batman Begins,” which can be purchased for any of the top three gaming consoles, delivers a satisfying mix of action combat, stealth tactics, and arcade racing, but the player spends far too much time getting acquainted with the controls to fully enjoy the rich, shadowy environments that make up the back alleys of Gotham City. One of the more…

When the producer of “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” announces that he’s making the transition to directing, moviegoers expect a certain kind of film, and “Layer Cake,” Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut, is definitely not it. Instead, the British gangster film delivers a stark look at the criminal underground, and in doing so, stays far away from the comedic caricatures that Guy Ritchie paints. The film is a lot harder to swallow than the usual Ritchie caper, mostly because it tends to take a more mature look inside the many-layered world of crime, and the film stalls as…

And so it has come to this. It seems strange that the world is so impatient to see a movie with an ending they’ve known for 22 years. But there is an odd appeal to seeing someone fall from grace, and an even greater appeal to seeing them pay dearly for doing so. This is what carries “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” in the end. It is not the fight sequences (though they are exquisite), or the fantastic new worlds (even if it begs the question of how things were more advanced in the early days of…

“Mindhunters” is exactly the kind of nonsensical film filth you’d expect to see among the group of early bird releases in the beginning of the year, so it surprises me that it was let loose in a summer season filled with blockbuster giants and big-budget spectacles. It doesn’t really help that it’s been collecting dust for nearly two years, and now as part of Dimension’s corporate divorce from MiramAxe/Disney, the mindless thriller has been dumped in a season where it has little chance to compete. Not that it really matters though, because “Mindhunters” is a general waste of time for…

The last good action film to strike its audience with just as much story as the number of punches was the 1994 Luc Besson underground hit, “The Professional,” so it’s no surprise that Besson had his hand in the creation of “Unleashed,” the latest and best English-speaking Jet Li film yet. Gone are the flashy action-sequences and rap stars that littered his earlier work, and in their place are gritty, down-and-dirty fights that showcase Li blocking punches with his head, all while the humble Chinese-born actor displays the true thespian side of the dangerous action star that we’ve all been…

It will come as no surprise that some people in the movie industry are simply just more talented than others. Jack of all trades Paul Haggis is certainly one of those people, but it wasn’t until he was credited for his work on last year’s Best Picture winner, “Million Dollar Baby,” that he got his share of the spotlight. Due to his recent success with Clint Eastwood, Haggis’ latest film, “Crash” (which he wrote and directed), is getting more attention than usual for an independent feature, but it’s every bit deserving. Featuring an all-star cast of talent, “Crash” brings to…