"Spacey Invader"
by Scott Mantz

"K-PAX"
Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges
Directed by Iain Softley

The truth is out there...and so is Kevin Spacey in "K-PAX"

With all the horrible events dominating the headlines these days, it's easy to get discouraged. That's why now more than ever, we could use a Hollywood movie that restores our faith in humanity and changes the way we look at the world. Well, despite its best efforts, "K-PAX" is not that movie, and that's a shame--especially considering it has such an uplifting premise and engaging performances from Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey. Unfortunately, thanks to a derivative nature, a lazy pace, and far too many structural contrivances, it's safe to say that "K-PAX" lives too long, and it doesn't prosper.

Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) is a New York psychiatrist who's more dedicated to his mentally disturbed patients than he is to his emotionally starved family. One thing's for sure, he has his work cut out for him when he meets Prot (Kevin Spacey), a mysterious new patient who claims to be from the distant planet of K-PAX. At first, Dr. Powell treats him just like any other patient, but when Prot displays his uncanny knowledge of the universe and a charismatic ability to connect to his fellow patients, Powell begins to suspect that he might actually be who he claims to be. With days to go until Prot beams back into space (or so he says), Powell must decide once and for all if his patient is a real-life starman or a spaced-out wacko.

"K-PAX" tries to balance the other-worldly tranquillity of "Starman" (in which Jeff Bridges played the peace-loving alien with a heart of gold) with the wide-eyed wonder of "Awakenings," but it comes up short on both levels. For one thing, it's never quite clear why Bridges neglects his beautiful family in the first place, and we never actually see him come around to fully embrace them when the time is right. The result is a film that's something of an emotional underdog. Also, thanks to uneven plotting and pretentious camerawork under the direction of Iain Softley, the movie feels too forced and never turns into the sublime and effortless work of beauty that it sorely wants to be.

On the other hand, both Bridges and Spacey deliver the goods with high-caliber performances, and their connection and chemistry is what makes the film worthwhile. Bridges is relatively subdued, but his inner strength and quiet demeanor make for an effective balance as he tries to connect with Spacey (and in return, re-connect with his own family). Kevin Spacey delivers just the type of strong, engaging performance that you'd expect from him, but somehow, ever since his Oscar-winning turn in 1999's "American Beauty," it feels like he's only out to take on roles that have a certain holier-than-thou preachiness to them (witness "Pay It Forward").

As far as sheer entertainment value is concerned, you could do worse. "K-PAX" isn't going to change the way we look at the world, and for that matter, it isn't going to change the way we look at movies either. Even though it ends on a mysterious note that's destined to keep you guessing and make you wonder if we are alone in the universe, "K-PAX" turns out to be yet another derivative Hollywood production that boldly goes where far too many Hollywood productions have gone before.

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