DVD Corner

“The Carmen Miranda Collection”: Includes five films from the Brazilian queen of the fruited hat – and it’s a strong collection, with Fox coming through with some of Miranda’s best films, many of which lifted spirits during World War II. The set features 1943’s “The Gang’s All Here,” with Miranda, Alice Fay and James Ellison backed by Busby Berkeley and the Benny Goodman Orchestra; 1944’s “Greenwich Village,” with Miranda cast as a fortuneteller opposite Don Ameche and Vivian Blaine; and 1944’s “Something for the Boys,” in which Miranda’s Chiquita Hart saves herself, Vivian Blaine and Phil Silvers from financial straits. Rounding out the set are 1946’s “Doll Face” and 1946’s “If I’m Lucky,” each with Blaine and Perry Como. The latter finds Miranda singing “Bet Your Bottom Dollar,” exactly what audiences should do on this entertaining collection. Grade: A-

“Drillbit Taylor” DVD, Blu-ray: Stephen Brill’s comedy knows a few things about bullies, all of which bear repeating. It understands that the average bully is a weak little miscreant whose fists and tough talk, when pressed into a corner by the real thing, pack the punch of a feather. It also knows not all bullies are created equal and that some are so sociopathic, drastic measures must be taken to get them under control. Witness what happens to bespectacled Wade (Nate Hartley), heavy-set Ryan (Troy Gentile) and stunted Emmit (David Dorfman) when they are targeted by the bully Filkins (Alex Frost). To protect themselves, they hire the bodyguard Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson), who initially is here only to scam these kids out of their allowances until he predictably softens and decides to help them fight for themselves. Hartley, Dorfman and the very likable Gentile all rise above so-so material and make it funnier than it might have been otherwise. As for Wilson, he’s good, coming through with exactly the sort of safe performance you expect. Rated PG-13. Grade: B-

“Manchurian Candidate” Blu-ray: Jonathan Demme’s remake of John Frankenheimer’s jittery, 1962 Cold War classic about political brainwashing arrives on high-definition Blu-ray disc to slay the political process as well as corporate America, with Big Business viewed here as the real threat to our country, much the way the communists were feared in the original film. Gulf War veteran Maj. Bennett Marco (Denzel Washington) discovers that during the war, he and other members of his platoon had computer chips implanted that have brainwashed them into remembering events that never occurred. Of chief concern to Marco is Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), the vice presidential candidate backed by a vicious, powerful mother played by Meryl Streep, and also controlled by Manchurian Global, a mysterious corporate giant that has special interest in making sure Shaw gets into the White House. As ever, Washington is so good, you almost take him for granted. Same goes for Streep. While the movie doesn’t match the raw, satirical power of the original, it scores for being prescient, relevant and beautifully acted. Rated R. Grade: B+

“Vantage Point” DVD, Blu-ray: This intentionally fragmented political thriller set in Salamanca, Spain, involves terrorists shooting the president of the United States (William Hurt) just as he’s about to deliver a speech on terrorism. The irony! The film’s gimmick, reminiscent of the technique used in Kurosawa’s superior “Rashomon,” is revealed in its trailer. Through the vantage points of several characters (Dennis Quaid, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Eduardo Noriega), the audience presumably will piece together the mystery of who shot the president and why. This tactic proves interesting for the first part of the movie, but as the film keeps rewinding through time in an effort to reveal new angles and fresh clues, it becomes tiresome, sloppy and – worse – even comical. Rated PG-13. Grade: C-

“We Were Soldiers” Blu-ray: Based on a true story, the Vietnam War drama, now out on Blu-ray disc, is set in 1965. It chronicles the first major battle fought between American soldiers and the North Vietnamese Army, with Mel Gibson as Lt. Col. Hal Moore, a happily married father of five who must lead his battalion into a battle zone without proper preparation or intelligence. The film’s momentum shifts when Gibson and his men are quickly overwhelmed by thousands of enemy troops. Now their mission is to get out alive. It’s up to Moore’s wife (Madeleine Stowe) to deliver the gruesome news of the growing death count to wives and families on the home front. And it’s up to a helicopter pilot played by Greg Kinnear to make certain the skies are safe. Bursting with nobility, patriotism and sentiment, “We Were Soldiers” is mostly strong, an extremely graphic, realistic war movie that also stars Chris Klein and Sam Elliott in solid supporting roles. Rated R. Grade A-