Overrated

Strong females on television: Don't get me wrong; meaty roles for mid-career actresses are a welcome divergence from the Hollywood norm. But some of the latest entries in this vein -- such as Jada Pinkett Smith's "HawthoRNe" -- strike me less as a departure than as a lame new twist on TV's bandwagon-hopping-business-as-usual.

UNDERRATED

Vulnerable males in movies: Two new comedies, "Funny People" and "Humpday," are really all about the squishy insecurities that underlie the masculine shell of bravado. And in "Spread," opening Friday, Ashton Kutcher plays a hard-hearted hustler who turns soft when he falls for a waitress. Expect some sweet tweet heat for the King of Twitter -- a guy who is the walking definition of "underrated."

TIM CAMPBELL