Can I just say I too have a brand new MacBook Pro (i5) and it has exhibited the same problems as you have decribed...
Only once mind you, but I was in a web form filling in the text when Safari appeared to crash, I couldn't force quit or get back to the Finder at all, the power button gave me the restart/sleep/shutdown bits but couldn't force quit Safari at all.
MacBook is a few days old with no modifications, original RAM, HD etc.
So far today it has been alright though... weird
Only once mind you, but I was in a web form filling in the text when Safari appeared to crash, I couldn't force quit or get back to the Finder at all, the power button gave me the restart/sleep/shutdown bits but couldn't force quit Safari at all.
MacBook is a few days old with no modifications, original RAM, HD etc.
So far today it has been alright though... weird