DVD Corner

Each week, BDN film critic Christopher Smith will review the latest DVD releases.

“Alias: Complete Fifth Season”

Hardly the series at its peak, which is likely a good reason the series ended here – the show loses its way early on and struggles to recover. Still, there are flashes of the edgy writing fans remember. Jennifer Garner’s Sidney Bristow remains a quick-change artist with a vicious kick, a tramp’s wardrobe and a few colorful fright wigs that could get her work on any nighttime dock. Garner’s talent is such that she’s able to generate sympathy from a character whose core is composed of steel. Extras include the usual – deleted scenes, a blooper reel – as well as a marginal behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of the 100th episode. Grade: C+

“The Ant Bully,” DVD and HD DVD

The movie knows that not all bullies are created equal and that some just need a little nudge to lift them to the higher level of human existence they resist. That’s the case for young Lucas (voice of Zach Tyler Eisen), a hapless, 10-year-old boy so relentlessly bullied by neighborhood brats that he becomes a bully himself. That is, of course, until a group of ants shrink him down to size and transform him into a better person. Teamwork, understanding and tolerance are underscored throughout, with the film’s beautiful animation at its best in a gentle, flower-petal flight across a living room “meadow.” Rated PG. Grade: B+

“Behind Enemy Lines,” Blu-ray

How do we get out of Iraq? Send in Owen Wilson. As Chris Burnett, a Navy flier whose jet is shot down over Bosnia during the Bosnian War, the actor displays an uncanny ability to run through wide-open fields while dodging bullets, bombs, land mines, sniper fire, helicopters, tanks and, in the end, the full weight of the Serbian army. To stay alive, all Burnett apparently needs to do is to duck his head and run like hell; the bullets and bombs grease by him. In the film’s most energetic (and ludicrous) scene, he darts through a series of exploding mines, with the whirlwind of debris leaving him curiously untouched. In this particular climate, the lot of this is somewhat difficult to believe. Rated PG-13. Grade: C-

“Clerks II”

A sharp, smart return to raunchy form that picks up 12 years after its infamous predecessor became an underground hit. Raunchy only works if there is an undercurrent of substance to lift the bottom feeding, which “Clerks II” does well. It’s a movie that has no problem plunging into the messy depths of bestiality while also, somehow, generating a groundswell of affection for the characters understandably dumbstruck by it. It features the return of Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes and director Kevin Smith. Rosario Dawson is winning in a romantic subplot. Rated R. Grade: B+

“The Golden Girls: Complete Sixth Season”

One of the series’ best seasons, with story lines finding Stan finally proposing to Blanche (Rue MacLanahan) and Rose (Betty White) at last meeting her father. The highlights roll throughout, with one show in particular, “Stand by Your Man,” proving an excellent example of how the series effectively walked the line between comedy and drama. Grade: A-

“Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut,” Blu-ray

A middle-of-the-road, anti-war movie about the Crusades. Now available on Blu-ray, Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven” puts an affectionate, understanding arm around Christians and Muslims, treating each equally in an attempt to offend as few people as possible, before it allows them to enter into one ugly, bloody holy war for Jerusalem. As Mel Gibson proved with “The Passion of the Christ” and then with his revealing Malibu rant, a point-of-view still is possible in Hollywood when it comes to religion, even if it promises to cause a firestorm of controversy. Scott isn’t up for that sort of press, so he crafts a good-looking movie that’s politically safe first, entertaining second. Rated R. Grade: B-

“Superman Returns,” DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray

Some might wonder why the old bird bothered. The film fails to achieve the greatness of last year’s “Batman Begins,” or, for that matter, its 1978 predecessor, “Superman.” “Returns” is a glossy, special effects-heavy movie with a few sparks, but it misses the sense of fun, danger and sustained energy it needed to fully captivate and entertain. As Superman, newcomer Brandon Routh is a likable prop, a man better designed for photography than for delivering feeling and personality. He generates some heat with Lois (Kate Bosworth), but only passing tension with Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor, who wants to bully the world into destruction. With Frank Langella as Perry White and Parker Posey in a nice but underused turn as Luther’s flighty girlfriend, “Superman Returns” does a fine job assembling all of the familiar parts. In the end, when you add up all the missed opportunities over the course of its 157-minute running time, the idea that Superman has returned isn’t enough. Rated: PG-13. Grade: C+

“X-Men-The Last Stand,” Blu-ray

Leading the good mutants is Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who believes in a world in which humans and mutants should coexist in harmony and thrive as one. But what is Xavier to do when it’s announced that there is a cure for the mutant gene he and others possess, and that it if employed, it will wipe out their very existence? For Xavier and his posse, which includes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Rogue (Anna Paquin), and Storm (Halle Berry), the only response is to fight back. Ian McKellan returns as Magneto, with two new characters introduced to the mix – Kelsey Grammer as the hirsute Dr. Henry McCoy and Ben Foster as the bewinged Warren Worthington III. The film’s action is every bit as tight as you expect, and its high-definition transfer is among the best yet, though there is a caveat – the series’ familiarity is starting to weaken its core. Rated PG-13. Grade: B-