Author: Jason Zingale

Strange as it may seem, “Battlefield 2: Modern Combat” was the very first FPS that I took a liking to, so when DICE announced that they’d be moving the “Battlefield” franchise in a new direction with “Battlefield: Bad Company,” I was both excited and worried. Then came word that “Bad Company” would miss its initial release date, and my excitement quickly plummeted. Thankfully, it seems there wasn’t much truth to all that negative buzz making its way around the Internet, and though “Bad Company” isn’t quite as spectacular as more recent war titles like “Call of Duty 4,” it’s still…

“Guitar Hero: On Tour” is a video game anomaly. For all intents and purposes, it shouldn’t exist. In fact, when rumors that a handheld version of the popular music game was in the works, most discounted it as just that, a rumor. After all, “Guitar Hero” was meant to be played with a plastic toy guitar, in a room, with a group of friends, and a DS version would drain all the fun that the console version had to offer. Or so we thought. “Guitar Hero: On Tour” may not feel like the real deal, but it doesn’t feel like…

Every summer, there’s at least one movie that critics all over the world are dreading, and this year, that movie is “The Love Guru.” The Mike Myers comedy has already earned its share of protests from those who feel the actor’s latest character promotes a negative ethnic stereotype, but that has very little to do with whether or not the movie is any good. We critics have been proven wrong before with films that are not only better than expected, but actually quite enjoyable, yet while “The Love Guru” had the potential to surprise, it’s just as terrible as we…

When “Men in Black” opened on July 6th, 1997, Will Smith was already riding high on the success of another sci-fi blockbuster, “Independence Day.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out that his next film was guaranteed to be a hit, regardless of whether or not it was actually any good, but the fact that it was good only helped to make “Men in Black” one of the year’s biggest movies. What many people fail to remember is that while the film is lots of fun, it isn’t half the summer tentpole movie that we’ve come to expect from…

Much has been made about the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding Marvel’s big screen relaunch of the Incredible Hulk. From the alleged debate over the film’s final cut between star Edward Norton and the studio, to the recent announcement that Norton would be snubbed a writing credit for his polish of Zak Penn’s script, the movie was gearing up to be a publicity-fueled disaster. As it turns out, all that fuss was for nothing. Not only is director Louis Leterrier’s “The Incredible Hulk” a vast improvement upon Ang Lee’s 2003 version, but it’s a solid comic book movie that is sure to…

After a decade of Japanese imports and several more years of the Atari-produced “Budokai” series, you’d think “Dragon Ball Z” fans would have finally had their fill of button-mashing fun. With the release of “DBZ: Burst Limit,” however, it’s become apparent that their thirst will never be quenched, no matter how good (or bad) the latest installment is. Thankfully, Atari’s latest fighter based on the popular anime series is the best yet – doing away with those silly scavenger hunts for capsules and Dragon Balls, and instead concentrating on what’s most important. As fighting games go, “Burst Limit” is pretty…

After films like “Happy Gilmore” and “The Waterboy” transformed Adam Sandler into a comedy superstar, the “SNL” alum has churned out a pretty hit-and-miss career. For every good movie that Sandler has made he’s followed up with a bad one, and though his latest string of films have been remarkably mediocre, “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” is a step back in the right direction. The decision to team up with longtime pals Judd Apatow and Robert Smigel certainly paid off, because while the film isn’t as great as his earlier work, it’s far better than you could possibly imagine.…

If major league baseball was made up of Incredible Hulk-sized super athletes who’ve either been working out and chugging health shakes three times a day, or pumping their bodies full of steroids, it would look a lot like 2K Games’ arcade baseball title, “The BIGS.” Created with the ultimate fan in mind, “The BIGS” cuts through all the crap and complexity of more recent baseball games by focusing on the exciting aspects, like pitcher/batter showdowns, supercharged dingers and ninth inning comebacks. And while some might view this as being somewhat shallow, it doesn’t make the over-the-top experience any less addictively…

There’s not much one can say about the “Super Monkey Ball” series that hasn’t already been said. For some, it’s an incredibly addictive romp that’s easy to pick up and play, while others simply refuse to forgive the title’s cutesy simian antics and complete lack of depth. This reviewer has long been a pledging member of the latter camp, and while the new installment of the franchise, “Banana Blitz,” looks to enhance the experience with a new multiplayer mode featuring fifty different mini-games, this Wii-exclusive is plagued with far too many problems to recommend it over the far superior mini-game…

After directing some of the best action films of the late 80s and early 90s, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood came calling for John Woo. Unfortunately, the Hong Kong director got off to a disappointing start with B-movie fare like “Hard Target” and “Broken Arrow,” and it looked like he might never recapture the magic he showcased in his earlier films. Forced to prove that he had what it took to make it in Hollywood, Woo finally found his groove with the 1997 hit, “Face/Off” – high-concept action film that, if nothing else, served as his…