"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - B

A time-traveling delight (of sorts) with enough in the tank to keep nearly anyone happy, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is easily a "good buy" for your viewing dollar.

Brad Pitt re-teams with director David Fincher, who as already more than proved his skills with such outings as "Zodiac" and "Fight Club." "Benjamin Button" is decidedly lighter material, but it still bears out the fine craftsmanship of someone who knows how to pull together a good production.

The special effects fantastically bring along a love story spanning the decades of a man aging in reverse, a condition sure to strain his future with lifelong love Cate Blanchett. And there's even a pretty good supporting cast, including a fine performance from Tilda Swinton (who is, for once, not an evildoer).

And while the premise is intriguing, supporters good and effects solid, a sometimes-touching plot gets a little hampered with stutter-step pacing. I had the sense that co-writer Eric Roth brushed off his own "Forrest Gump" notes. I know I saw some of this before when the lead was again developmentally challenged.

And while I do buy Pitt's "Button," this is not the famous lead's best moment. We've seen him make a much larger splash in another film. In other words, standard-issue Pitt awaits you here.

Don't get me wrong - I liked this picture; it's good, entertaining and worth the first-run dollar. But it won't necessarily change your mind about any of those appearing on-screen, and it surely isn't a landmark effort. It's just somewhat better than most of the stuff out there.

Grade: B (a great story even with the flaws)

"The Spirit" - C

Disclaimer: Nothing I have to say about this movie will diminish the wonderful experience of reading Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. For me, The Dark Knight remains the greatest comic followed closely by Jademan's The Force of Buddha's Palm. So .... on with the review.

"The Spirit" is one of the more singular titles flooding theaters as 2008 comes to close. It sure brings the originality in a field crowded with love stories and kid flicks.

Gabriel Macht slips on the simple black mask and dapper suit to patrol Central City, a gritty crime-heavy metropolis where the sun never shines. The Spirit soon finds himself caught up in a mystery caper with his former best girl, "Sand Saref" (Eve Mendes), and his continuous nemesis, "The Octopus" (Samuel L. Jackson).

Missed opportunities: If you've not experienced the bloody genius of "Sin City," then "The Spirit" will seem truly original and maybe one-of-a-kind. But as I've already seen it and appreciate its artful handling, I was let down by the newcomer. "The Spirit" lacks to an overall "cool" compared with its predecessor.

Just as the manner and method of storytelling reflects the comic origins for the movie, so "The Spirit" suffers some of the pitfalls of straight comic-to-film transference. There are pacing and plot problems that become almost tedious and are not overshadowed by strong performances.

Jackson's just ok; not as evil as you've seen him before. Macht is rigid and seems to carry off the part pretty well, if you're expecting a deficit in the dynamic department. The ladies steal the show with Mendes and Scarlett Johansson ("Silken Floss") providing the comic relief and some much-needed tension.

"The Spirit" isn't terrible, but it is pretty flat. Hopefully, they'll do a better job next time out as Robert Rodriguez helps get the job done.

Grade: C (I'm sure it could have been much worse)