surely an item can be unique in one aspect but not in others.

i.e. an apple might have a unique flavor from all other apples, but it still looks the same, has seeds, a core, etc.

Must Love Dogs has a unique sense of humor in some respects, but everything else in it is very pro forma. Therefore, though some of the story is unique, the film itself ain’t all that unique.

and yes, “certainly not all that unique” is way below your standard.

why put in the “all that”?

though I note the common horror of using unique as if it was some sort of scale has invaded many journalists minds now, it must be resisted by those who respect the language.

like…”it always puts me in a darkest black mood” ?
NO, black is black,
unique is unique,
not almost, not very, not nearly, not certainly not all that,

I know I sound like my pedant dad but on this issue, but it just grates more than any other – I’ll let a thousand other poor grammar statements through my personal radar without comment – if they are shorter and sweeter than their correct alternatives – but unique is unique, I want to preserve the word.

Are you saying “isn’t all that unique” is bad English? I suspect one of the 12 New Times arts editors might have noticed if it were.