Overrated/underrated

Last update: October 31, 2009 - 2:16 PM

Overrated

James Cameron's "Avatar" is supposed to be one of the most anticipated movies of all time (due out Dec. 16). The "Titanic" director has been working on this sci-fi epic for years -- promising to wow filmgoers with special effects we've only dreamed about. The first trailer came out this summer and a longer version this month. Reaction? Eh. It looks like every other 3D computer-animated kids movie, but with really big guns.

UNDERRATED

When FX's biker drama "Sons of Anarchy" premiered last year, it felt too familiar -- like "The Sopranos" on motorcycles, mixed with a little "Hamlet." Its story followed Jax, a young gun looking to usurp his gang's leader (who happens to be his stepfather). Now in its second season, the show has blossomed into an emotionally taut spectacle, relying as much on character as it does on stunning violence. While it overflows with testosterone, the show has found its heart in Jax's mother, played by a bad-to-the-bone Katey Sagal (Peggy Bundy from "Married ... With Children"). Give this woman an Emmy.

TOM HORGEN

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