G-Force DVD Review
By Will Morgan
My wife loves guinea pigs. Between the ages of ten and eighteen she raised nine of these fragile fur balls, one of which died under the knife in a complicated surgery while another had to be put to pasture Godfather-style after viciously biting a neighbor. Personally, I don’t see the attraction. They stink, they make lots of noise, they don’t do much more than eat greedily and stare at you with dull (and inexplicably creepy) eyes, and they have a life expectancy only slightly longer than your average gold fish. (more)


The Velveteen Rabbit (2009) DVD Review
By Will Morgan
Michael Landon Jr.’s adaptation of Margery Williams’ children’s classic takes some significant liberties, but it reaps the rewards of a more compelling and balanced narrative. The story of The Velveteen Rabbit seems much more centered here than in its original incarnation, and its emotional punch carries a deeper resonance. (more)


Avatar Review
By Will Morgan
I simply can’t believe that this bloated, silly, unoriginal, self-important hunk of cinematic refuse is the most expensive story ever told. That’s a reality I’m unwilling to embrace. (more)


Sherlock Holmes (2009) Review
By Will Morgan
These are dark days indeed. London is frozen in the grip of fear; paralyzed by a devilish evil and its dread practitioners. Lord Blackwood, captured by Sherlock Holmes and executed by the police for murder and black sorcery, has returned from the grave more powerful than before. His wicked schemes seem to drive forward relentlessly, as if powered by the winds of Hell. With time short and hearts faint, only England’s greatest detective and his loyal friend and colleague can stop him. (more)


Fantastic Mr. Fox: A Call from the Wild Review
By Will Morgan
Fantastic Mr. Fox is rare breed. It unfolds slowly and on its own time. It never drags--its pace is leisurely but well-measured. The art style and stop-motion photography are as unique as the story; the decidedly low-tech but painstaking approach well in keeping with this uncompromisingly old-fashioned tale. Thoughtful and entertaining, Fantastic Mr. Fox is nothing short of…well, fantastic. (more)


Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian Review
By Will Morgan
Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian really isn’t very good. It’s unevenly directed and ironically unimaginative when it counts the most; and yet, for some reason, I can’t quite bring myself to hold that against it. Yes, it’s silly and awkward at times, but the film isn’t actively offensive and it doesn’t intentionally try to insult your intelligence - so I feel like I ought to cut it a little slack. (more)


Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Playstation 3 Exclusive) Video Game Review
By Will Morgan
You really can’t go wrong with Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time, the newest title in Sony’s long-running and successful platform franchise. The ninth title in the series and the third on Playstation 3, A Crack in Time picks up where the last adventure left off, following the impetuous space-feline Ratchet as he scours the galaxy in search of his kidnapped friend, the intellectual and ever-Zen robot, Clank. (more)


A Christmas Carol Review
By Will Morgan
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has always been one of my favorite trappings of the holiday season. It’s a dark tale, but it is forged in the fires of a desire for hope and redemption that burns brightly in every human heart. It speaks to the truths of charity and forgiveness that glow dimly throughout the rest of the year, but faithfully come into focus every Christmas season. (more)


Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Game Review (PS3, X-Box 360, PC)
By Will Morgan
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward’s latest opus to bravery and machismo, has already smashed through sales records and is sure to be the runaway hit of the Christmas season; but is this military shooter appropriate for kids? Of course not - but if the legions of thirteen year-olds I’ve battled online is any indication, your boys will be begging to play it. (more)


Where the Wild Things Are Review
By Will Morgan
The world can be a nasty, depressing place. Suffering and sadness surround us daily, and yet, by some miracle, the human spirit survives. Somehow, we can, even for a moment, overcome the crushing weight of the world and enjoy the beauty and love that shines through the cracks. Well, at least most of us can anyway. (more)


Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Review
By Will Morgan
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the new film by Sony Pictures Animation is a perfectly serviceable slice of family entertainment – nothing more and nothing less. It’s not nearly as funny as a contemporary classic like Shrek 2, and it never even approaches the transcendent state of true metanarrative that Disney/Pixar’s Up so effortlessly achieved - but I don’t really hold that against it. Not every kid grows up to play for the All-Stars; not every meal can be gourmet. This film doesn’t represent the pinnacle of modern cinema, but it doesn’t wallow in the dregs of tripe and trope either. (more)


Batman: Arkam Asylum Video Game Review (PS3)
By Will Morgan
Batman has enjoyed a great deal of critical and commercial success on the silver screen (Joel Schumacher’s tenure notwithstanding), but video games featuring the Caped Crusader have never played well with critics or fans. Most of them failed on a very fundamental level, and were simply poorly constructed, but even the ones that weren’t essentially broken never managed to capture the gothic essence of the darkly iconic hero and his manic Rogues Gallery. (more)


Wolfenstein Game Review (PS3)
By Will Morgan
The Wolfenstein franchise has stood by me in the tough times like a loyal, Nazi-killing friend. The classic PC game, Wolfenstein 3-D provided me with sweet, furtive moments of distraction in Computer Science class, and its sequel, the fantastically awesome Return to Castle Wolfenstein, helped me pass the long, lonely hours after a particularly bad break-up during my freshman year in college. These games have given me a lot, and I feel like I ought to give them back something in return, but I just can’t bring myself to muster up that same enthusiasm for the franchise’s latest entry, simply titled Wolfenstein. (more)


TV Review: Chuck
By Will Morgan
It’s every geek’s fantasy. Someday the world will need you. Someday the call will come and your gift for math, your ravenous love for obscure comic books, your allegiance to geek chic bands, and those long, lonely hours of practice with video games will finally, blessedly pay off. You – and only you – can save the world. (more)


The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry Review (Limited Release--October 2, 2009)
By Will Morgan
I want to be very careful here to criticize, but not to mock, what I assume was a genuine and heartfelt effort by Christian filmmakers to produce a touching and meaningful film. The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry is a “Christian” film, but it would be a stretch to call it Christian entertainment. I’m sorry to say that it fails on almost every level and at almost every turn. Not only does this make it a chore to watch, but its message is so clumsily delivered that it just might turn away more people than it attracts. (more)


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review
By Will Morgan
Mr. Lucas, Mr. Koepp, and Mr. Spielberg, allow me to address this review to you as an open letter. Congratulations, Mr. Lucas, you have finally made me question my faith in the geek community and in mankind at large. That’s what you’ve been trying to accomplish, isn’t it? Surely this must be your life’s goal. It’s either that or you have some kind of sick wager with the Prince of Darkness to see how much of your drivel the good people of Earth will accept before we rise up in revolt against your wicked alliance. (more)


The Monster Squad Review
By Will Morgan
Both my parents are movie buffs, and I grew up in a house where the television was always on, whether we were watching it or not. While they were on the whole fairly careful about censoring my viewing choices, they did slip up sometimes. I saw Gremlins and Ghostbusters when I was way too young and, as a consequence, I still have Gremlin nightmares, in which I know the little nasties are in the house and I have to turn on all the lights and search in all the cabinets to find them. (more)


District 9 Review
By Will Morgan
I once read that the best science fiction doesn’t really deal with aliens, distant planets, laser weapons, and space travel. The best science fiction only uses these things as a medium to tell us about humanity. That element of the fantastic reveals truths about our shared condition that just wouldn’t stand in such stark relief if told by more conventional means. (more)


Julie & Julia Review
By Will Morgan
As my wife and I stepped up to the counter at our local multiplex this weekend, I asked the attendant for two tickets to “Julie vs. Julia.” The bemused cashier cocked her head and looked at me strangely until I realized my mistake. (more)


No Country for Old Men Review
By Will Morgan
I realize I’m arriving late to the party, but there’s no other way to say it: No Country for Old Men is an amazing and powerful film. In fact, I’d be willing to rank it as one of the very best films I’ve ever seen. It’s terrifically acted, beautifully filmed, briskly edited, wonderfully scripted, and skillfully directed. It deftly plays against expectations in a way that defies convention, and yet embraces reality. It’s a brutal film, yes, but one that is worthwhile both in terms of its quality and in its message. (more)


Ghostbusters: The Video Game Review (PS3)
By Will Morgan
When I was three or four years old, I was determined to run away from home. I don’t remember why I was so upset, but I do remember weighing my options and eventually deciding that the only possible way to move forward was to pack my bags and start fresh on my own. It was already dark outside and raining when I grabbed my plastic suitcase and began to stuff it full of socks and underwear, but I figured I could still make it to my grandmother’s house and crash at her place while I plotted my next move. (more)


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Review
By Will Morgan
It was one of those oppressive summer days, cursed with stifling humidity and lorded over by a scorching sun. It was too hot to go outside, and all of my friends were either on vacation or away at camp. I was stuck, a prisoner in my own home, with nothing to brighten my pitiful existence but the promise of a new Transformers cartoon. (more)


Disney/ Pixar's Up Review
By Will Morgan
I have hardly anything bad to say about Up. It’s a touching, funny, exciting, and immersive slice of cinema that deals with classic ideas and universal emotions. It may be an animated film, but it’s rich with surprising maturity and a depth of insight that will surely appeal to all ages. (more)


Star Trek Review
By Will Morgan
When I was six or seven years old, my mother would pick me up from school every Friday afternoon, and drive us to an Alfalfa Video store in Jackson. The store was right beside a Pizza Hut, so we would order our pizza and then look for movies while we waited. (more)


inFamous Game Review (PS3)
By Will Morgan
Do everyday experiences shape who we are, or does it take a crisis to truly define us? Who are we really - the average Joe sitting behind a desk in a business suit, or the desperate man fighting for survival when the lights go out? inFamous, a Playstation 3 exclusive developed by Sucker Punch Productions, is a virtual playground where the theories of ethics and morality meet the road of hardship and unchecked power. (more)


Land of the Lost Review
By Will Morgan
After a surprisingly arduous weekend of home improvement projects, I had finally put my tools aside and proclaimed a tenuous victory. It was a beautiful day, and my mind and body were finally at ease. I was in a good mood; and as I settled into the darkened theater, arm in arm with my lovely wife, I was prepared to cut Land of the Lost a bit of slack. I expected it to be dumb, but I was hoping it would at least be entertaining. (more)


Backyard Baseball '10 Game Review
By Will Morgan
Like a prophet in the wilderness, I am crying out to anyone who will listen: “Unless we change our ways, Nintendo’s Wii will be the ruin of video games as we know them.” (more)


Drag Me to Hell Review
By Will Morgan
Revulsion and surprise are not horror. A four-year old can elicit the same response by opening their mouth to show you their chewed-up food or standing behind a door before jumping out and yelling, “Boo!” While they might be good for a causing a sick stomach or bringing on cardiac arrest, these simple tricks can’t infect their audience with a deep sense of psychological terror or dreadful unease. (more)


Taken Review
By Will Morgan
There must be laws to govern a civilization; and to maintain any semblance of order, all men must follow them. But when some refuse to obey society’s laws, what must a just man do to defend himself and those he loves in the face of evil? How far can he go in this quest before his ruthlessness has rendered him just as irredeemable as his enemies? (more)


Terminator: Salvation Review
By Will Morgan
James Cameron’s The Terminator is an undisputed classic. It’s a perfectly honed thriller and a testament to the idea that, with enough skill and passion, filmmakers can transcend the limitations of a tight budget and deliver a masterful rendering of a simple but engaging concept. (more)


Willow Review
By Will Morgan
There’s something about the thrilling and deadly poetry of fencing that captures the imagination. With its thrusts and parries, its advances, retreats and quick reversals, a good sword fight can encapsulate the whole notion of an epic struggle between good and evil. (more)


X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review
By Will Morgan
It’s always painful to look back upon a missed opportunity and to mourn over so much wasted potential. Unfortunately, among movie fans and comic geeks, X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be a source of consternation and regret for years to come. (more)


X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition Game Review
By Will Morgan
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition is a sort of hack-n-slash beat-‘em-up that distills the spirit of such classic games as Double Dragon and Ninja Gaiden. The controls are simple and the gameplay is straightforward – enter a room, tear through a bunch of dudes, solve some light puzzles, move to the next room. (more)


Bedtime Stories Review
By Will Morgan
Imagination is a wonderful thing. It’s the creative and inspirational spark without which all the best things in life – art, music, literature (and yes, movies, television, and video games) – could never exist. While I was growing up, my mother encouraged me to develop a healthy imagination almost as much as she sought to cultivate the virtues of honesty, kindness and hard work. (more)


Henry Poole is Here Review
By Will Morgan
Sometimes a seemingly promising movie can wear out its welcome. Like a houseguest past his sell-by date, in the beginning, you may happily embrace a film and welcome it into your home, but after a time, its themes and characterizations have worn thin and you can’t help but start checking your watch. I realize it’s not easy to craft a compelling work of cinema, but hundreds of filmmakers somehow manage to pull it off each year, and it’s a real shame when a movie with tons of potential squanders it by failing to engage an audience. (more)


The Happening Review
By Will Morgan
First of all, it must be said that The Happening is not a good movie. It’s not going to win any awards, it’s not going to engender a cult following, and it is not going to do Mr. Shyamalan any favors. This film doesn’t offer him the cinematic redemption that so many of his disenchanted fans, like me, were hoping it would. In fact, Shyamalan’s career, as we know it, is probably over. As it should be. After all, the lack of outside creative input flowing into his projects and the purported inflation of his ego cannot sustain three solid critical and commercial failures in a row. Having said all of this, however, I must say that The Happening is not a complete and utter failure. (more)


Monsters vs. Aliens 3-D Review
By Will Morgan
I’ve always been a fan of old school monster movies. Whether set in the halls of a Transylvanian castle or the busy streets of Tokyo; whether the villain is one of the iconic ghouls of the Universal roster or one of the imposing behemoths of Japanese cinema; nothing quite captures the imagination in the same way that a good monster can. (more)


Race to Witch Mountain Review
By Will Morgan
Nostalgia can be a movie lover’s best friend and worst enemy. Our fond memories can be a source of pleasant reflection, but sometimes our affection for a film can taint our judgment of its sequel or its too often inevitable remake. While it’s true that many sequels don’t measure up to their illustrious forbearer, and that most remakes either miss the point of the original incarnation or devolve into an inferior shot-for-shot rehash of material that was once fresh and novel, sometimes a sequel or a remake can actually surpass the original in terms of quality and entertainment. (more)


Trivial Pursuit Game Review (Wii)
By Will Morgan
I was an exceptionally awkward child. I would often trip over my own feet. I tended to hum a lot and annoy those around me. I wasn’t equipped with the sharpest wit or the best social graces. I had a horribly pronounced overbite that probably could have incited villagers to attack me with clubs and pitchforks had I been born two centuries earlier. And my scrawny frame and lack of even the basest athletic abilities were such that, when I once forgot my jersey before a basketball game, I was able to borrow one from a girl on the team. Our coach made the girl lend me the jersey, but not before I heard her tell her friends that she would have to burn it afterward. (more)


Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 Video Game Review (Playstation 3)
By Will Morgan
When I was a freshman in high school, I went out a couple of times with a nice, attractive girl that I met while on a youth function with my church. We went to the movies and sat awkwardly through As Good as it Gets (not a good choice for an adolescent date movie), and I took her to a school dance, where everyone agreed she was too good for me. (more)


Where Eagles Dare Review
By Will Morgan
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Sadder words have seldom been spoken in the English language. They bring to mind the bittersweet nostalgia of a time when things weren’t just different; they were better. (more)


Slumdog Millionaire Review
By Will Morgan
Like 90% of this country’s adult population, I’ve always felt like I could write the next great American novel. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to develop a compelling narrative. I’ve got the beginnings of several works of fiction swimming around in my head, but I’ve yet to be able to connect all the dots to form a convincing middle or a gripping conclusion. (more)


Resident Evil 5 Game Review
By Will Morgan
I’ve been a fan of survival horror games ever since I cried myself to sleep at night after playing Aliens vs. Predator on my PC. Every time the disc would load, I would curse myself for putting it in the drive, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to play it for more than half an hour. (more)


Batman: The Animated Series Review
By Will Morgan
A deafening explosion rips through the night like a knife, casting an eerie glow on the city’s seedy shadows. Two figures emerge from the glow, large and hulking, with menace in their eyes. They slip silently into the night, nearly making their escape. (more)


Deadly Creatures Game Review (Wii)
By Will Morgan
I’m going to come right out and say that I’m not really a fan of the Wii. I realize that’s like saying you hate Christmas and you club baby seals for fun, but I’ve just never warmed to Nintendo’s uber-popular gaming system. With very few exceptions, I have found the Wii’s catalogue to be supremely underwhelming. (more)


Jurassic Park Review
By Will Morgan
I’ve contemplated and debated, I’ve weighed and adjudicated, and I have come to the conclusion that Jurassic Park is indeed my favorite film of all time. Why would a grown man name a movie about rampaging dinosaurs as his personal favorite? Well, since you asked … (more)


My Date with Drew Review
By Will Morgan
When he was twelve years old, my cousin’s mind revolved around two things: paintball and Michelle Pheiffer. I love him like a brother, so I supported him in his celebrity crush as best I could. I shudder to think what the person who ripped our tickets must have thought when two otherwise well-adjusted teenage boys - who had resolved to put down their video games and paintball guns for a couple of hours - paid to go see One Fine Day at the local theater. Good times. (more)


Quantum of Solace Review
By Will Morgan
My wife and I are deeply obsessive people. Thankfully, our marriage works because we are obsessive about different things (otherwise, we just might kill and eat each other). Most of these eccentricities were clear while we were dating, so we at least had the option to run away screaming. For instance, she knew early on that I have an almost physical need to clean at all hours of the day and night (and a seeming immunity to ammonia fumes) and I knew that she has some strange fascination with the US Postal Service. (more)


Run, Fatboy, Run Review
By Will Morgan
Film has had been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and it has probably affected me in more ways than I even realize. Under this permeating influence, I grew up seeing myself as the hero of my own story. (more)


Street Fighter IV Game Review (Xbox 360)
By Will Morgan
I grew up in the golden age of fighting games and like any kid in the early 90s; I played plenty of Street Fighter II. In the battle of the 2-D fighters, I actually preferred the darkly violent Mortal Kombat series, but my mom wouldn’t let me play it. Given little choice, I made the most of the situation and embraced Capcom’s more family-friendly brawler. (more)


The Rocketeer Review
By Will Morgan
If I could have grown up to be one superhero, it would haven been …. Okay, to be honest, it would have been Batman. When I was six, I even had a detailed plan on how I could turn my dad’s RX-7 into the Batmobile. I had schematics and everything. The RX-7 was, after all, so much cooler than my mom’s Corsica, and it already had a spoiler. (more)