Author: Jason Zingale

Being crowned the King of Buzz at the Sundance Film Festival doesn’t always equal success, but sometimes it can turn a small movie into a big deal, and “Napoleon Dynamite” certainly fits the bill with its wildly eccentric hero popping up everywhere on TV these days. The film succeeds not only as a unique, independent comedy, but also as a charming coming-of-age tale that appeals to people of every age. “Napoleon Dynamite” isn’t exactly the year’s funniest film, but it does make for a memorable experience that can be enjoyed over and over again. Newcomer Jon Heder stars as the…

Two years ago, Vin Diesel made a multi-million dollar decision not to return to the “Fast and Furious” franchise, fearing that a sequel would limit his future script options. Unfortunately, he seemed to forget this when he decided to reprise his role as the alien Riddick for a sequel to the 2000 sci-fi/horror hybrid “Pitch Black,” a sleeper hit with fans of both genres. A relative unknown before the original role thrust him into action hero semi-stardom, it now appears that the role that made him will likely be the one that breaks him as well. Taking place five years…

Based on Homer’s epic poem “The Iliad,” the story of “ Troy” follows a classic battle of gods and warriors in a struggle for love, power and fame. With the release of Wolfgang Petersen’s it-has-to-be-long-to-be-epic tale of the egocentric Greek and Trojan legends, the battle of Troy takes the jump from history books to film with little consideration, disregarding the story’s historical accuracy and failing to entertain audiences with the kind of flashy battle sequences the summer season demands. The Greek empire was built on selfish rulers like Agamemnon (Brian Cox), whose dreams of world domination were interrupted when his…

Tony Scott’s latest action thriller “Man on Fire” would be a lost sheep if Denzel Washington wasn’t there to save it from complete failure. Although his latest performance doesn’t exactly turn the edgy and visually irritating film into a box-office winner, it certainly helps enhance the final product. Denzel is back to his Hollywood A-game as Creasy, a washed-up assassin-for-hire who drowns his sorrows in Jack Daniels and Linda Rondstandt ballads. While visiting Mexico, his old war buddy Rayburn (Christopher Walken) helps Creasy secure a bodyguard job for Pita (Dakota Fanning), the daughter of successful Mexican businessman Samuel Ramos (Marc…

Fans of Marvel Comic’s “The Punisher” can finally throw out their copies of the 1989 direct-to-video version starring Dolph Lundgren, a film that failed to give any cinematic justice to the beloved comic book hero. Finally, we can all let out a sigh of relief with the latest rendition of everyone’s favorite vigilante. The update is smart and fresh, compensating for years of painfully watching Lundgren stalk around in yet another unidentifiable B-movie. Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) has just completed his final undercover operation for the FBI, retiring fairly early and leaving for a family reunion in Puerto Rico before…

Since faking his death at the end of the first film, the infamous Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski (Bruce Willis) has thrown in the towel as a contract killer, leaving all the excitement to his accident-prone wife Jill (Amanda Peet) while he stays home to cook and clean. Oz (Matthew Perry), on the other hand, has become totally obsessed with security since the threatening events of the prior film, installing surveillance equipment all over his property while his wife Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge) sits by the pool sunbathing. When big-time Hungarian mobster Lazlo Gogolak (Kevin Pollack) is released from prison and kidnaps…

The story opens in war-torn Germany where the Nazis have combined technology and black magic to open up a portal that would release the Seven Gods of Chaos and complete their plans of world domination. Needless to say, their plan is foiled and the Americans in the process discover a small demon-boy, curiously named Hellboy. Fast-forward 50 years and Hellboy (Ron Perlman) has been brought up by the zealous Professor Broom (John Hurt) and trained by the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense as an agent employed in the ongoing fight against darkness. Alongside Abe Sapien (Doug Jones and voiced…

In The Rock’s newest film, “Walking Tall,” Hollywood’s latest and greatest action hero manages to kick plenty of ass, save the day and get the girl, all in 74 minutes. Now that’s impressive. With amazing action sequences and a simple story that doesn’t bog itself down with unnecessary character development, “Walking Tall” is a clear winner. Chris Vaughn (The Rock) has just arrived back home from an eight-year service as a Special Forces sergeant and is just looking for some quiet rest and a job at the town’s old mill. The problem is, the mill was shut down after his…

Has Ben Affleck been taking acting lessons? That’s doubtful, but he fares much better than usual as a man who can’t remember his past in “Paycheck,” the latest from action director extraordinaire, John Woo. The thriller also marks the latest Philip K. Dick story to be adapted for the big screen, and though it doesn’t live up to some of the other films based on the author’s work (like “Blade Runner,” “Total Recall” or “Minority Report”), it’s still a mildly entertaining slice of science fiction that’s anchored by some top-notch action. Affleck stars as reverse engineer Michael Jennings, a technological…

Looking to strike gold once more after last year’s hit-or-miss comedy “Intolerable Cruelty,” the Coen Brothers, known for their quirky and unconventional dark comedies, have taken a 1955 British classic and added their own trademark flavor in an attempt to create something fresh for this generation. What “The Ladykillers” ends up being, though, is a mediocre comedy with a slew of over-exaggerated performances and the same boring drabble that qualified last year’s film as an utter failure for most fans. Tom Hanks takes a comedic turn as Professor G.H. Dorr, a charming intellectual with a penchant for reciting Edgar Allen…