Underrated / Overrated

UNDERRATED

Max Von Sydow in “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”: Though much of Stephen Daldry’s well-intended adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s Sept. 11 recovery novel comes off heavy-handed and a bit precious, this veteran actor adds a grizzled note of genuine humanity as a mysterious figure from young Oskar Schell’s past. Von Sydow doesn’t speak a word of dialogue, but his warm, quirky performance says more than any other in the film.

Blockbuster video stores: With a ‘90s revival in full swing, there may be no more vivid time capsule of the decade than these blue-and-gold relics, if you can still find one near you. With most rentals a Red Box-fighting 99 cents, it’s a surprisingly workable option when all else fails. The odd reality is that despite all the talk of streaming video and technological advances, renting the movie you want can still be simplest and most efficient with a decades-old business model.

OVERRATED

Musical chairs, the game show: Coming soon to a CW affiliate near you, the somewhat unfortunately named “Oh, Sit!” takes network creativity to new heights by promising a riveting round of “musical chairs for adults,” which apparently will include a live band and an obstacle course. Place your bets for how long it will take for more childhood activities to air, such as high-concept twists on tag, high-speed skipping and, of course, watching TV.

The arc of Lana Del Rey: Welcome to 2012, where an artist can be the Next Big Thing, have the social import of her music debated among critics and be tapped for a too-soon set on “SNL,” only to have her sound just bad enough to conceivably kill her career after only two songs and a still-unreleased album. This is the ballad of Lana Del Rey, a possibly interesting artist with a decent voice who just might already be finished before she started. Who dares to be next?

— Chris Barton