All I really know about the “Prince Of Persia” video games is that the first one was way too freakin’ hard for me, so I never bothered with the others. (Though I hear that’s changed.) So I didn’t come into the theater as a fan of the video games, just a fan of fantasy adventure. Prince Of Persia’s story centers on a young street urchin turned prince who finds himself caught in the middle of treachery within his adopted royal family. He is accused of a murder and is on the run for most of the movie, trying to prove his innocence by unmasking the true culprit and his evil schemes. There is plenty of adventure to be had as the title character, cleverly played by Jake Gyllenhaal, leaps from roof to wall like an ancient free runner, stopping now and then to engage in fast-paced swordplay. Some of the early action scenes especially are clever in their design and very engaging to watch. Fights are well choreographed, but with no innovation. The story is straightfo...

  Since I don’t always buy new games as soon as they come out, and since I don’t often play them through quickly enough, I’ve never done a video game review before. But I thought since Final Fantasy 13 is still pretty new I could try out an idea I’ve been toying with for a little while: A “First Five” Review. The idea is that I play through the first five hours of a video game and offer a “first impression review” based on my experience. I’ve been a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series and have played every game in the main series (excluding the game boy games, or games like Final Fantasy Mystic Quest or Final Fantasy X-2) starting with the original Final Fantasy on the 8-bit NES. The chief elements that have brought me back to the series again and again are the strategic, fun battle systems and the blend of sci-fi and fantasy. FF games also tend to boast the best RPG graphics, involving stories and lengthy playtime. My favorite games in the seri...

Although this movie almost doesn't qualify as science fiction or fantasy, it has enough geek appeal by nature that I knew I would eventually see it and probably review it. And after a quick stop to a Red Box and an hour and a half on my couch, I'm wishing I would have seen this movie sooner! "The Men Who Stare At Goats" is based on a true story of how the U.S. government funded an operation to create soldiers with psychic abilities. Ewen McGregor plays a journalist who travels with one of the program's most successful soldiers(George Clooney) and learns about this strange and secret world first-hand. Like many unique movies, this film suffered from "in the box" marketing, which presented it as a comedy. And though it has a few laugh out loud moments, it is largely a light-hearted drama, though it does turn a little darker toward the end. The performances are great across the board with Jeff Bridges truly shining as the psychic military progra...

To my memory, the original Iron Man movie is the only film I have given a 10 out of 10 for quality in a review. So I was very excited to see the next installment of this exciting film franchise. I am a huge comic book geek, though mostly for the DC universe, with a few Marvel Comics from the past and much of the "Ultimate" line. So although I'm very familiar with and love the Iron Man character, I am not a hardcore Iron Man fan. Let's get right to the meat of things. This is a great movie and you should definitely check it out. The dialogue is just as smart, the acting is just as clever, the action is just as explosive and the effects are just as cool. And as with any sequel to a successful film, more money has been thrown at this one to amp things up a notch. Fans of superhero action should not be disappointed by the action in this flick. It's a great ride! Robert Downey Junior continues to offer a unique but strangely fitting portrayal of Tony Stark and...