Author: Jason Zingale

The masters of horror are back, and while it’s been some time since either has shown his ugly face/mask on screen (aside from last year’s “Jason X”), their presence seems so familiar to theater-goers that Freddy and Jason just aren’t as scary as they used to be. Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), the child murderer that was burned to death and later came back to life only to haunt the children of Elm Street in their dreams, has been forgotten and is no longer feared, and hence he no longer exists in the dream world. In order for him to regain…

A catchy theme song, strong script, gripping action and a killer ensemble cast help make “S.W.A.T.” one of the best films this summer in a season otherwise overrun with blockbuster let-downs and headaches. Loosely based on a not-so-good 1970s TV show, “S.W.A.T.” isn’t bogged down with hidden messages or bad humor, but is instead served up for pure enjoyment. Sgt. Hondo Harrelson (Samuel L. Jackson) is brought back from retirement to assemble an elite S.W.A.T. team that will be capable of handling extremely dangerous situations with their young and aggressive methods. Hondo recruits five members for his team, including recently…

Everyone is running to their nearest theater to check out “Seabiscuit,” this summer’s feel-good movie of the year about a racehorse that inspires America through the Depression. While the film can be stirring on one level, its overall effectiveness nonetheless falls short of its considerable potential. The story of the horse that won the hearts of America is the center of three much more important stories, namely those of the men that brought the racehorse to fame. Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) is a successful Buick salesman when the stock market suddenly crashes and an economical meltdown ensues. After a divorce…

In the third installment of his very successful franchise of super small super spies, director Robert Rodriquez continues to keep it fresh for fans of all ages. While the plot behind “Spy Kids 3-D” isn’t as strong as its predecessors’, his enhancement of the visual effects is astonishing, especially when combined with the effects of 3-D. In “Spy Kids 3-D,” Rodriquez continues the ongoing story of the Cortes spy family, this time centering the story on the youngest of the group, Juni Cortes (Daryl Sabara). Juni has since walked away from the spy game to venture into the field of…

First “American Pie” and then “American Pie 2” set the standard for innovative and refreshingly disgusting humor, a measure of excellence that all other teen comedies since then have fallen well short of. Although the third installment of the series, “American Wedding,” isn’t quite up to par with its predecessors, it still thrives on the traditional steady diet of potty humor and ingenuity. Most of the cast returns for the third film in which Jim (Jason Biggs) proposes to his equally nerdy girlfriend Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). She of course accepts in a horribly embarrassing opening scene involving Jim’s dad, again…

Feel free to add “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” to the pile of sequels that should have never been made. The action is rare in the treasure hunter’s second outing, and it seems the refreshing originality that breathed life into the first film is still trying to catch its breath. Then again, that’s not too surprising considering you’ll be exhausted by the time you’re finished reading that ridiculously long title. This time around in the world of stealing antiques, Croft (Angelina Jolie) discovers the lost ruins of Alexander the Great. But after finding a glowing orb that…

I’m going to get straight to the point on this one: “Bad Boys 2” sucks. The headache caused by no-talent co-star Martin Lawrence’s constant screaming still lingers days later along with the painful memories of the over-the-top action sequences that simply ruined the film. And now, I’m left to mourn the two and a half hours I forever lost to this horrible sequel, precious time I’ll never recoup. Will Smith and Lawrence, responsible for the enormous success of the original film in 1995, return as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, two Miami police narcotics officers who are now chasing a…

Bean, Mr. Bean. Comic genius Rowan Atkinson is back on the big screen in his second major motion picture “Johnny English,” a simple and carefree spoof on the suave endeavors of secret agents like James Bond. The film is only semi-entertaining, though, because it’s not exactly performed or written to the full extent of Atkinson’s talent. Johnny English (Atkinson) is a nobody in the spy world, but after every other British agent is killed in a freak bombing, he is the only one left to be assigned to protect the Royal Jewels during their restorative unveiling. When the Jewels are…

In 1999, comic writer Alan Moore created a concept in which 19th Century literary figures joined forces to form a team with superhero-like tendencies. It may be the most original idea in comic book history, but the film variation ultimately just doesn’t live up to the expectations set by the graphic novel. It’s 1899 and Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery) has been selected by the British government to lead a league of other extraordinary men against a man who calls himself the Phantom, a mysterious villain pitting all the countries against one another in an attempt to ignite a world war.…

When Disney decided to create a feature-length film based solely on a theme park attraction, they must have had their doubts. Meanwhile, the rest of Hollywood probably thought they were just plain mad. Fortunately for Disney, they employed a pair of talented writers and cast Johnny Depp in the lead role, resulting in the Mouse House’s very first PG-13 film and one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. “Pirates of the Caribbean” is exactly what you look for in a summer blockbuster, all while delivering a much-needed overhaul to the classic pirate flicks of the golden years. Years…