“Bulletproof Monk” – Blu-ray: What fresh hell is this? Chow Yun-Fat as The Monk with No Name? The affable Seann William Scott delivering a performance that suggests his career high, thus far, has been “Dude, Where’s My Car?” Dude, say it isn’t so. Their movie, “Bulletproof Monk,” now available on high-definition Blu-ray disc, is a conceptual wreck, with poor Yun-Fat, so great in so many Hong Kong action films and so perfect in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” asked to sell this sort of fortune-cookie trash: “Water which is too pure have no fish.” Chow, baby, movie this dumb deserve no audience. The film is based on a comic book, which will surprise nobody who sees it. Like a cartoon cell, everything within it bleeds offscreen, which isn’t large enough to contain all the unnecessary hoo-ha crammed into it. The movie is an overstuffed pinata, a riot of plot threads crisscrossing and weaving until it forms a noose from which the movie hangs itself – not that many will care. Rated PG-13. Grade: D

“Crank”: It might be inspired by the 1950 film “D.O.A.,” but really, “Crank” is more of a sly, hard-core throwback to the action films of the 1970s, when political correctness didn’t alter creative thought and the movies, as such, were a lot looser to watch. Looser doesn’t necessarily mean better, though without the presence of a filter, there’s no question that the films “Crank” is trying to emulate had a raw edge that many of today’s movies lack. Since it’s that very edge that also tended to offend, whether it was through the use of bloody violence, racial stereotypes or in the negative treatment of women, what’s presented here is twofold – a satire of those films, as well as an homage to them. Jason Statham is Chev Chelios, a hit man who begins the film in what should be the final, deadly throes of the Beijing Cocktail, a toxin injected into his neck by the toughs who want him dead. Told he has only an hour to live, Chev kicks into high gear, only to learn from his doctor (Dwight Yoakam, terrific) that the more aggressive he becomes, the longer he will live. So, let the aggression – and the adrenaline – ensue. Throughout, “Crank” takes so many R-rated risks, the movie makes you feel as if you’ve been slapped by a stranger – you’re startled by the violence, surprised by the chutzpah, and maybe a little turned on by it. Rated R. Grade: B+

“The Illusionist”: A satisfying period mystery from writer-director Neil Burger that seamlessly draws you in, wows you and then tricks you, though you’re delighted by the trick even if you saw it coming. Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna – fittingly where Freud grew up and began his practice – this layered, beautifully measured film stars Edward Norton as Eisenheim the Illusionist, who has developed an illusion so unaccountably real, one is forced to question that if it is real, what are we to make of his abilities? It appears that he has the power to bring people back from the dead, which gives those who attend his shows hope that he might be able to bring back their own lost loved ones. At each show, he conjures wavering images of the deceased – either a man, a child, or a woman come to the forefront. It’s the woman who gets him into trouble. When Eisenheim was young, he fell in love with the duchess Sophie von Teschn, whose family separated them until, years later, Eisenheim meets Sophie (Jessica Biel) again at one of his performances. Their connection is undeniable, yet a disconnect is at hand. Sophie now is engaged to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), a ruthless man who is so insecure, he decides to ruin Eisenheim. Reluctantly assisting Leopold is Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti), who narrates the story and who becomes stunned by the ease with which Eisenheim turns the tables on Leopold in the wake of a grotesque murder. Deception and betrayal all are part of the melodramatic mix – as are several fine performances from the excellent cast. As for the ending, pay close attention. Unlike most magicians, Burger has the burden of being a director, which means that for his film to succeed, he must reveal his own tricks lest he let down his audience. In a final rush of images, he does – and, though it comes in a blur, the damned thing adds up. Rated PG-13. Grade: B+

“Rising Sun” and “Rocky” – Blu-ray: For this review, two separate Blu-ray copies of Fox’s “Rising Sun” and “Rocky” were purchased and returned, each of which had technical difficulties to the point that rendered them unplayable. Pixilization was the culprit, with the screen shifting between the bright and the clear to the unwatchable. Each was played first on the PlayStation 3’s Blu-ray disc player and then on the Sony BDP-S1 with similar results. So the problem doesn’t appear to be the hardware, which leads one to question whether there is a problem with Fox Blu-ray product itself. Attempts to receive new product from Fox were declined.

“Transporter 2” – Blu-ray: Jason Statham is back in the stubble as transporter Frank Martin. Here, he is schlepping for a U.S. drug czar and his unhappy wife (Matthew Modine, Amber Valletta), who have hired Frank to drive their 6-year-old son, Jack (Hunter Clary), to and from school and to the occasional doctor’s appointment. Circumstances lead Frank and Jack to Lola (Kate Nauta), a nearly naked she-killer in six-inch stiletto heels who is working for an oily assassin (Alessandro Gassman) with an ugly plan to undo them all. Creatively choreographed gun fights, fist fights, and well-conceived pyrotechnics trump logic. Statham is dependable. What he has is the action hero’s necessary bald pate and pumped-up physique. In this genre, that’s half the battle. Rated PG-13. Grade: B-