PICKS & PANS

This week's reviews: 'Bad Company,' ZZ Top, 'Crime'

(PEOPLE) -- This week, PEOPLE.COM looks at the film "Bad Company," "Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top," and "Crime & Punishment" on NBC.

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Movie review: 'Bad Company'

Spy guys (from left) Anthony Hopkins, Gabriel Macht and Chris Rock adopt a no-nukes policy.

"Bad Company" is far funnier and more likable than it has any right to be, and the whale's share of the credit goes to Chris Rock. With his smart mouth, mischievous eyes and this-can't-be-happening-to-me double takes, he offers welcome comic relief in these not so comical times. This is particularly apparent in "Bad," a comedy-thriller with a queasy-does-it plot that pits a street-smart hustler turned reluctant CIA agent (Rock) against terrorists who've planted a nuclear bomb in New York City's Grand Central Terminal. (The film was scheduled for release last December but was put on ice after September 11.)

Think of Bad as a less bombastic "Sum of All Fears." Anthony Hopkins, playing Rock's mentor at the CIA, gives Rock a steady platform from which to launch biting zingers and shows considerable comic agility of his own, most notably when he calmly continues chomping away on gum while mowing down bad guys. Joel Schumacher ("Batman & Robin") keeps things moving but deserves the highest praise simply for giving Rock plenty of rein and letting him lead. The movie hints at the end that there's room for a sequel. Bring it on. (PG-13)

Bottom line: Good company

Music review: 'Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top'

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Various Artists (RCA)

ZZ Top gone country? The idea is not as bizarre as you might think. As this tribute album by many of Nashville's top male performers demonstrates, the Texas trio's blues-rock tunes have always been informed by a rootsy, southern sensibility. The best tracks here are by the performers most comfortable with country blues -- Willie Nelson's "She Loves My Automobile," Hank Williams III's "Fearless Boogie" and Dwight Yoakam's "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide." And Lonestar's version of "Gimme All Your Lovin' " shows just how close the contemporary country band's raucous approach is to ZZ Top's, capturing the exuberant spirit and shameless hubris of the hirsute honorees.

Bottom line: Wake up and catch some ZZs

TV review: 'Crime & Punishment'

NBC (Sundays, 10 p.m. ET)

NBC touts this 13-week series (starting June 16) as a "real-life 'Law & Order'." For once, a believable promo.

Executive producer Dick Wolf (the man behind the "L&O" franchise) and filmmaker Bill Guttentag focus on deputy district attorneys in San Diego as they prepare and present criminal cases. Actual prosecutors may not perform with the polish of Sam Waterston, but the trial scenes here rival "L&O"'s for drama, thanks to three-camera courtroom coverage and a lot of skillful editing. A murder defendant grins inappropriately on the witness stand; cut to the prosecutor checking to see if the jury noticed. It's seamless -- and spontaneous. Only when the prosecutors get together for pep talks and strategy sessions does an element of artificiality creep in.

Bottom line: Nonfiction makes a solid case