Author: Jason Zingale

The last thing the world needed was yet another quirky coming-of-age film, especially one as dull and disjointed as “Terri.” It’s actually a little hard to believe that the movie was so well-received at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, because there isn’t anything about it that’s particularly engaging or funny. Though the involvement of John C. Reilly does add some class to the film, “Terri” is still a mostly lackluster viewing experience – one that asks you to give a damn about characters that have absolutely no redeeming qualities at all. Jacob Wysocki stars as the title character, a socially…

With so many movies these days focusing on the negative effect that the economic recession has had on the average American, it’s refreshing to see a film like “Larry Crowne” that’s so infectiously optimistic about the future. Though tiptoeing around the seriousness of the situation may not be very realistic, Tom Hanks (directing for the first time since 1996’s “That Thing You Do!”) has chosen to make a film that places entertainment above politics, and there’s nothing wrong with that. “Larry Crowne” might seem a bit too light and cheerful for its own good, but it’s a pleasant slice of…

Still waiting for the first good comedy of the summer? Well, you’ll have to be a little more patient, because “Bad Teacher” isn’t quite the gut-busting laugh factory that we all hoped it might be. The film isn’t nearly as naughty as it thinks, because despite rushing out of the gate with plenty of filth and vulgarity, “Bad Teacher” eventually slinks back into a more reserved and formulaic revenge comedy that doesn’t really earn any laughs so much as force them down your throat. It’s as if the spirit of the Farrelly brothers has taken over the body of director…

Hollywood hasn’t been kind to the superheroes of the DC Universe. Unlike its competitors over at Marvel, the only real success that the comic book publisher has had recently with bringing its characters to the big screen is with Christopher Nolan’s Batman films. Warner Bros. was hoping to change all that with “Green Lantern,” but unfortunately, the movie is all set-up with very little payoff. Despite a strong mythology at its core, director Martin Campbell has somehow managed to make the origin story the least interesting part of the film. And when that comprises a big chunk of your movie,…

Terrence Malick’s highly-anticipated new film, “The Tree of Life,” is practically guaranteed to cause dissention among viewers. While some will likely appreciate its ambitious attempt to deconstruct the meaning of life, others will think that it’s nothing more than a pretentious piece of cosmic gobbledygook that doesn’t say much of anything at all. Personally, I’ve had bowel movements that were more exciting than the first half of this movie, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate what Malick is trying to accomplish here. And yet, despite asking some pretty big questions about God, free will, and learning to cope with…

Woody Allen is without a doubt the most prolific filmmaker working today (he’s released a new movie almost every year since his 1966 debut), so it’s actually quite incredible that he’s still able to come up with new ideas, let alone good ones. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped critics from bemoaning the decline in the quality of his films over the years, even if he does manage to sneak in a good one every once and a while. But although Allen will probably never rekindle the magic of his earlier movies, he comes pretty close with “Midnight in Paris,” a light…

When “The Hangover” was released in theaters in the summer of 2009, all director Todd Phillips could hope for was that his latest movie wouldn’t get completely lost in the shuffle of the big-budget tentpole films. But surprisingly, the movie was an overnight hit, eventually going on to become the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time and practically guaranteeing the likelihood of a sequel. Not that anyone actually thought Phillips could pull it off, mind you, but just the idea of seeing the Wolfpack reunited for another night of drunken debauchery was enough to pique our interest. And as it…

Massy Tadjedin’s directorial debut, “Last Night,” is the kind of movie that would typically be described as an adult drama. So why does it feel like it was written by a bunch of children? A character-driven tale about a husband and wife whose marriage is tested when they’re tempted by a night of lust with another member of the opposite sex, the film seeks to examine the moral implications of succumbing to that temptation. Or in other words: to cheat or not to cheat? But despite its A-list cast and a strong central performance from star Keira Knightley, “Last Night”…

If Kate Hudson had any idea that she’d still be making lame romantic comedies ten years after becoming a mainstay in the genre, she probably would have made some radically different career decisions, because at this point, even Hudson has to be sick and tired of watching herself in these movies. Her latest film, “Something Borrowed,” certainly isn’t the worst thing she’s ever done, but it’s par for the course, as it trips and stumbles over just about every rom-com cliché in the book on its way to the film’s oh-so-obvious happy ending. It’s not a complete waste of time…

There aren’t very many movie franchises fortunate enough to make it to five films (most are horror series, and by that point, the quality has decreased significantly), but the guys behind the “Fast and Furious” movies can count themselves among the lucky few. No one could have imagined that there would still be enough gas left in the tank for a couple sequels, let alone four, when the first film raced into theaters in 2001, but director Justin Lin has played an integral part in keeping the series chugging along since taking over the helm with “The Fast and the…