Underrated / Overrated

Crying at cartoons: Given their well-earned (and lucrative) run of critical acclaim, the film genies at Pixar hardly belong in this column. But when did John Lasseter & Co. get so great at tugging heartstrings? First there was that famed montage in “Up,” and now “Toy Story 3” features a tense moment involving just heartfelt eye contact that fogged up our 3-D glasses (especially thanks to you, Bullseye). Pixels never seemed so alive.

John Prine: A favorite among fans of rustic, sharply drawn songwriting, the sixtysomething Prine has two terrific releases this month. One is the solid live album “In Person & on Stage,” but the other, “Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows,” may be the standout. Featuring covers by like-minded indie heroes such as the Drive-By Truckers, Lambchop and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Prine’s weathered words sound better than ever.

‘Supergroup’ buddy comedies: Maybe this started with the improbable middle-brow hit “Wild Hogs,” but we sincerely hope that the micro-trend of packing a formulaic comedy with stars to mask the sucking void in place of its story has peaked with “Grown Ups.” Granted, it’s entirely possible that a movie that thinks highly enough of a urinating-in-a-pool gag to use it in the trailer will set a new standard in funny, but at this point we sure hope not.

‘Retiring’ from acting in your 20s: We’ll miss you, Amanda Bynes, who brought so much joy to our lives with “What a Girl Wants,” “She’s the Man” and . . . wait, who are you again? While we appreciate the effort it took to announce you’re hanging ‘em up at the ripe old age of 24, here’s a tip: Unless you’re Michael Jordan, if you’ve had a job just over 10 years, you didn’t retire. You just quit.