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Video In Stores

Universal Studios photo

Brendan Fraser returns as explorer Rick O’Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Coming To Video

Here is a partial list of movies scheduled to be released on video in the coming weeks. Dates are subject to change.

Dec. 23: The Duchess, Ghost Town.

Dec. 30: Resident Evil: Degeneration, Towelhead.

Jan. 6: Pineapple Express, Babylon A.D.

Jan. 13: Appaloosa.

-- relish staff and wire report

Published: December 18, 2008

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (PG-13): Brendan Fraser returns for a third outing as Rick O'Connell, an adventurer who keeps running afoul of mummies. This time around, he's up against an ancient Chinese emperor (Jet Li) with a scheme for, as you might expect, world conquest. Maria Bello takes over for Rachel Weisz as Rick's wife, and Luke Ford plays their son. The film is lively and fast-paced, but lacks the spark of the first Mummy movie. Then again, so did the second, and that didn't stop them from making this one. It's available either as a single-disc DVD, a two-disc DVD set filled with extras, or a Blu-ray also filled with extras.

Mamma Mia! The Movie (PG-13): The music of ABBA became the basis of a stage musical, which became the basis for this theatrical film. It's a fluffy, frisky romantic comedy about a woman (Meryl Streep) whose daughter (Amanda Seyfried) wants her father to walk her down the aisle. Trouble is, she's not sure which of her mom's three suitors from way back when (Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard and Pierce Brosnan) is her real dad. Hijinks ensue, all serving as just an excuse for characters to burst into song. Most of the performers are game, but as for Brosnan, well, now we know why James Bond didn't sing.

All three versions of the release -- single-DVD, double-disc DVD special edition and Blu-ray -- include a "sing along" option with lyrics displayed on the bottom of the screen and a deleted song, "The Name of the Game." The double-disc and Blu-rays also have other extras including deleted scenes, interviews and making-of footage.

Death Race (R): The long-rumored remake of the 1975 cult classic Death Race 2000 was a disappointment. Many of the original film's cleverest notions are removed to make this less a satire and more a generic action flick. Jason Statham plays a prisoner who is forced to take part in a lethal demolition derby in the near future. Joan Allen plays the warden who oversees the race, and Tyrese Gibson takes over Sylvester Stallone's 1975 role as rival racer Machine Gun Joe. Extras include a documentary, a look at the stunts and an alternate unrated cut of the film. The Blu-ray also has technical specs on each of the race cars and drivers, and a multiple-angle feature that lets you create your own race scenes.

Burn After Reading (R): This light-hearted crime and espionage caper from directors Joel and Ethan Coen has Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and more in the tale of people who aren't as clever as they think trying to do clever things. It's nowhere near as good as the Coens' last film, No Country For Old Men, but as a fun romp it works. Extras on both the DVD and Blu-ray versions include interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and a comical look at Clooney's return for a third film with the Coens.

The Criterion Collection on Blu-ray (Various Ratings): The Criterion Collection video label has long been known for its lavish releases of cinematic classics, with an occasional nod to modern audiences as well. After waiting out the Blu-ray versus HD-DVD format war, the company has now released its first batch of Blu-ray titles. Among the first offerings are the splendid thriller The Third Man with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten; David Bowie's science fiction tale The Man Who Fell to Earth; Owen and Luke Wilson in director Wes Anderson's debut film, Bottle Rocket; and director Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express.

Deathproof and Planet Terror on Blu-ray (Unrated): The two films that comprised the theatrical double-feature Grindhouse come to Blu-ray as they did on DVD, as individual expanded editions. Deathproof is director Quentin Tarantino's tale of a serial killer (Kurt Russell) who uses his stunt car to kill pretty young women. The film gets tedious at times, but builds toward a rousing finale. The more entertaining Planet Terror is director Robert Rodriguez's deliciously over-the-top saga of a zombie apocalypse, with Rose McGowan as a stripper whose leg is replaced with a machine gun so she can mow down the bad guys. Subtle, it's not. The Blu-rays of each movie have all the extras from the previous DVDs. Planet Terror also includes a new, cleaner print of the film in addition to the original, which was deliberately damaged to look like an old movie-theater print. Sadly, most of Grindhouse's fake trailers are still missing; only Machete is included, with Planet Terror.

Mr. Bean: The Ultimate Collection (Unrated): Rowan Atkinson's petulant, mute man-child has proven a hit all around the world. This seven-disc boxed set has all 14 episodes of his live-action series, plus his two theatrical films and episodes of an animated version that continued the character's misadventures.

Hamlet 2 (R): This raunchy-yet-sweet-hearted comedy stars Steve Coogan as a high-school drama teacher who falls on hard times. He decides to throw himself into his latest production, a musical sequel to William Shakespeare's Hamlet, in which he will have Hamlet team up with Jesus. The film is a fun parody of movies about teachers trying to inspire their students.

Will Shakespeare (Unrated): Tim Curry is well-cast in this biographical drama about the famed playwright, who probably wouldn't have approved of Hamlet 2.

Generation Kill (Unrated): HBO's intense, realistic miniseries follows a journalist traveling with a group of Marines during the early days of the war in Iraq. The DVD includes real Marines discussing their time in Iraq.

Petticoat Junction -- The Official First Season (Unrated): This 1963-70 sitcom was the less-wacky second of a trilogy of shows about country folk from producer Paul Henning. Compared with The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres, it seemed downright subdued.

The House Bunny (PG-13): Anna Faris is a Playboy bunny who gets booted out of the mansion but finds a new home with a campus sorority, a group of socially inept women who receive a makeover and learn how to deal with the world courtesy of their new "sister."

Traitor (R): Not available until Friday, this thriller stars Don Cheadle as a Special Forces agent suspected of being a terrorist himself, and Guy Pearce as the man trying to hunt him down.