“Solaris” (2002) is a more typical science fiction production than its Russian predecessor; it suffers from a formulaic interpretation of the original—exceptional—concept, bad casting and unexpectedly inept direction from the usually terrific Stephen Soderbergh. It is, however, worth watching, especially if you’ve got a thing for George Clooney.

On the action front, “X2: X-Men United” (2003) is a pretty good sequel, which in itself is a relatively high level of achievement. Yet its appeal is very genre-specific—recommended to those who enjoy comic book adaptations. Another recent action/fantasy thriller, “Underworld” (2003), misses the mark in a similar fashion—its excellent visual effects and intriguing interpretation of the history of vampires and werewolves get lost in the sea of substandard performances and poorly written script.

David Koepp’s “Secret Window” (2004) has all the makings of a five-star film: It comes from an acclaimed writer/director (“Spider-Man,” 2002; “Stir of Echoes,” 1999; “Mission: Impossible,” 1996), stars the current Hollywood “it” man Johnny Depp, and is based on Stephen King’s typically gruesome prose. The reason why the movie doesn’t make it is that it was made several years too late—spoiler alert!—having seen “Fight Club” (1999) makes “Secret Window” rather easy to figure out early on, taking all of the suspense out of a suspense-based film.

Kevin Spacey’s first turn as a leading man in “Swimming with Sharks” (1994) is definitely worth checking out. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t have much to offer beyond an intriguing plot premise and Spacey himself; its lack of budget is painfully obvious, and other cast members are dramatically inferior. Spacey’s same-year turn in “The Ref” provides just as good a look at the actor’s ability, while being a significantly higher-level production overall.

“Two Weeks Notice” (2002), starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant, is largely an exercise in following a formula; however, its witty dialogue and Grant’s against-type casting elevate it slightly above the usual romantic comedy fare. Another recent comedy, “Spinning Boris” (2003), starts off with a better than usual premise: Three American political consultants are brought to Russia to ensure President Yeltsin’s re-election or suffer the consequences. This well-written, satirically authentic mockumentary remains largely underrated, perhaps because of its niche appeal and lack of the usual Hollywood glitz.

“…you can’t really dust for vomit…” [proceed at your own risk]

Left to right: Jason Statham in “The Transporter;” Nick Stahl, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Claire Danes in “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines;” Joshua Malina and Gwyneth Paltrow in “View from the Top.” Photos: Jack English, Twent. C. Fox; Robert Zuckerman, IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co.; Darren Michaels, Miramax Film Corp.

The action flick unimaginatively titled “The Transporter” (2002) is largely plotless and pointless, unless the excellent choreography of fighting scenes is your sole criterion. Yet enough people saw it to justify making a sequel. Comparatively speaking, the same genre’s “S.W.A.T” (2003) should have been better in that it was full of good actors. Unfortunately, this talented group had to manage a script equally full of uniformly stereotypical characters and developmentally challenged dialogue. However, it is “Torque” (2004) that takes the category prize. When a “high octane” biker production barely includes any real—actually possible, that is, in view of pesky little certainties like gravity—motorcycling footage, you can’t expect it to deliver on any other level.

The third installment of the Terminator chronicles was thoroughly disappointing. As the publicity hype preceding the release promised, “T3: Rise of the Machines” (2003) was visually stunning. The mastery of computer graphics notwithstanding, the first two films in this cult series combined eye candy with exceptional story lines and characters we have come to care about—both of which were conspicuously absent in “T3.”

And for the grand finale, here is a totally random sampling of other things best avoided. If you weren’t tired of teen thrillers by now, “Swimfan” (2002) is guaranteed to do the trick. Brace yourself for “Fatal Attraction” (1987) a la high school. The supposedly comedic “View from the Top” (2003) was tragically not funny despite the best supporting-level efforts of Mike Myers. “Gigli” (2003) was a poor man’s “Chasing Amy” (1997). Ironically, the former had a much larger budget.

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