Susan Granger’s dvd update for week of Friday, November 14:
Even though the new Harry Potter movie was moved to 2009, “Pottermania” continues with “Harry Potter Years 1-5” gift set, encompassing all five single-disc Harry Potter films and the Blu-ray Hi-Def set will add over seven hours of special features.
“Planet B-Boy” uncovers the international world of B-boying or “break dancing.” Set in Osaka, Japan; Paris, France; Seoul, Korea; and Las Vegas, Nevada, there are intimate stories featuring misunderstood dancers struggling for their dreams.
“Mister Foe” is a self-conscious, coming-of-age drama starring Jamie Bell (“Billy Elliot”) as an antisocial Scottish lad who spies on his stepmother (Claire Forlani) whom he suspects killed his beloved mother. Kicked out of the house, he heads to Edinburgh, where his voyeurism transfers to his new boss (Sophia Myles) who resembles his mum.
From writer/director/actor Saul Rubinek, “Cruel But Necessary” is a dark comedy that follows a suburban housewife’s journey of self-discovery and self-destruction as she videotapes every aspect of her life.
Guillermo del Toro’s “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” finds Hellboy (Ron Perlman), his pyrokinetic girlfriend (Selma Blair) and his bizarre cohorts battling the beasts of the Underworld.
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is a digital animation thrill-ride as Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are dispatched to aid in the rescue of Jabba the Hutt’s baby, Rotta the Huttlet.
PICK OF THE WEEK: For family viewing, “Kung Fu Panda” is an animated adventure with colorful, stylized characters voiced by a host of celebrities. Lumbering Po (Jack Black) loves martial arts and dreams of doing heroic deeds but it’s all wishful thinking for the pudgy panda until he’s unexpectedly recognized as the Dragon Warrior. The lessons he learns are to believe in himself and “today is a gift – that’s why it’s called the present.”