K-PAX Starring Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack and David Patrick Kelly. Rated M.

From the planet K-PAX, Prot (Spacey) is on a fact-finding mission on Earth. Confident and tolerant, he readily accepts institutionalisation when apprehended as a loony by the NYPD.

Falling under the care of Dr Mark Powell (Bridges), Prot is as much studying his captors as they are studying him.

After all, what better place to study the human race than in an institution where so many varied specimens of the one species are conveniently gathered.

Dr Powell has dealt with more than a few delusionals in his time and knows that time is the one factor he needs to crack the toughest case.

Prot's visit is time limited, however, as he must catch his light beam back to K-PAX at exactly 5.51am on July 27.

It seems you can bounce around Earth at will without fear of bumping into other light travellers, but there is so much traffic on and off K-PAX that it all has to be carefully regulated.

Racing against time, Dr Powell must discover Prot's secret, but finds himself drawn into a convincing story of galactic proportions.

Even the scientific community is forced to question a few long-cherished theories.

None the less, the good doctor is determined to get to the bottom of the case - if there is one.

In the mean time, Prot is dealing out some home-spun wisdom of his own, challenging many a long-held axiom of the psychiatric profession.

Fellow patients warm to the friendly alien and place great faith in his advice.

Competition is rife, bringing wierd and wonderful people out of personal cocoons as they all vie for the one spot available to accompany Prot on the long journey home to K-PAX.

Like it or not, Dr Powell is forced to accept that Prot may be getting better results in his short visit than many professionals have achieved with sustained effort. Whether alien or human, genius or madman, the clock is ticking for two men destined to change each others view of the world.

K-PAX is a feal-good movie that doesn't do much wrong - but doesn't quite inspire either.

Kevin Spacey's performance is excellent, Jeff Bridges is Jeff Bridges - take him or leave him - and of all the loonies in the loony bin, David Patrick Kelly did it for me.

I was harmlessly entertained and amused for just on two hours but, in the end, I walked away feeling not much of anything at all, really.

I'm sure I won't have too much trouble forgetting this one.