Overrated/Underrated

Nick Cave: At this point, we’re going to have to request a MLB-styled congressional inquiry into just what’s driving this veteran Australian singer-songwriter, who at fiftysomething years old really shouldn’t still be throwing around the same rock ‘n’ roll fire he brings on his just-released album, “Grinderman 2.” As witty, raw and bile-fueled as his 2007 recording with this side project from longtime band the Bad Seeds, Cave simply may not be aging — if we’re lucky.

‘Children’s Hospital’: If you missed this surrealist hospital-drama spoof when it was the weirdest series ever aired on a TV network’s website, the good people behind Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim” have brought a new batch of its twisted, bite-size comedy to basic cable. Featuring an ensemble cast led by “Daily Show” vet Rob Corddry as a “Patch Adams”-inspired doc slathered in clown makeup (and stage blood), think of this as “Grey’s Anatomy” but far sicker.

The contuing saga of ‘Resident Evil’: All due respect to Milla Jovovich (who makes a pretty convincing zombie-slaying action hero), but isn’t there some rule that action movies come only n threes and if a fourth comes along there are years of waiting and audience outcry? We recognize the video game offers all sorts of good-time killing thrills, but was there really a grass-roots movement somewhere clamoring for all those unanswered questions from “Resident Evil: Extinction”?

Pop’s continued youth movement: While tapping children for pop stardom hasn’t been news since Stevie Wonder had “Little” in front of his name, we’re troubled by the startlingly club-ready “Whip My Hair” from 9-year-old Willow Smith, the youngest daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. While the days of “ABC” by the Jackson 5 may be behind us, can’t even an already famous kid still look and sound like a kid while making a record that’s (presumably) for kids?