The Wrestler
Fox
DVD and Blu-ray

Disturbing, fascinating, and all hinging on a remarkable performance by Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler is the antithesis of all those ridiculous shows you see on syndicated TV, though it will make you wonder what happens to those circus-style showbiz wrestlers after they leave the ring. As Randy “Ram” Robertson, Rourke (in yet another amazing cinema transformation) is a figure of tragedy yet also a man of hope. It’s about dreams lost, age, and struggling to retain shards of personal dignity. This is no fairy tale. The supporting cast — especially Marisa Tomei as a stripper-girlfriend and Rachel Evan Wood as Robertson’s nearly estranged daughter — are also superb, multi-dimensional…never clichés.  The Blu-ray detail is startling and makes the scenes in the ring all the more graphic and painful to watch at times.  This is a harsh yet compassionate and even sentimental masterwork from director Darren Arnofsky, and for Rourke, without a doubt, a landmark performance and amazing return for the often volatile actor. The compelling Bruce Springsteen title song adds to the pathos.

The Uninvited
Dreamworks
DVD and Blu-ray

Based on the Korean film, A Tale of Two Sisters, this is a creepy and jolt-providing (you’re sure to jump out of your couch/armchair at times during a viewing) horror-thriller of mystery and betrayal.  A young woman (Emily Browning) returns home from a mental ward (her mother’s death in a fire put her over the edge) and she finds her father (David Strathairn) has taken up with her mother’s former nurse (Elizabeth Banks), while her sister (Arilelle Kebell) is an angry, emotional loaded gun. Then comes mom’s accusing ghost to stir up the hair-on-end factor.  Not exactly superior in the Blu-ray edition — the effects are more eye-popping certainly, though honestly, the cheaper DVD may suffice for most and is, unless you’re a big horror must-have-it aficionado, this, ultimately, is a rental for a good scary night at home.

In a Galaxy Far Far Away
10th Anniversary Edition
Cinevolve

The documentary on Star Wars fandom — one fan at the center of it all, in particular — captures the time leading up to the anticipation then disappointment of George Lucas’s first “prequel” in 1999, The Phantom Menace (hey, Qui Gon Jinn was mighty cool, though of course if he hadn’t bitten the dust from Darth Maul, Annakin would’ve never grown up to embrace the dark side, huh?).  Imagine waiting 40 days in line to see what was to turn out to be a debacle — a debasing of the universe you love (it made even the “bad” Trek films of the ’80s look great in comparison, really).  Director Tariq Jalil captures the love and dejection of those Star Wars fans. B-movie sci-fi kingpin Roger Corman makes an appearance, as do Adam Corolla and Jimmy Kimmel (long before his late-night stardom or Man Show break-out with buddy Carolla). We see the fans go crazy for new action figures and other toys; we see discussions of the force, conventions and more. And then comes that punch to the gut and the annoying pod-racing kid and worse — Jar-Jar Binks. It makes you really feel sorry for the hardcore throng, creating greater pathos than you’d ever imagine a Star Wars doc would.

Secrets of the Furious Five
Dreamworks

A short shot for this release, since it was already part of a special two-fer package when Kung Fu Panda came out on DVD.  Here, Jack Black’s Panda hero, Po, tells young Kung Fu disciples the tales of struggle and epiphany for each of the Furious Five: Viper, Crane, Tiger, Mantis and Monkey.  Each vignette has a touch of a moral to it and affirmation about being true to who you are and turning to a life skill to achieve.
The film, overall, is a bit short and is best picked up at a discount price. But if you just picked up Kung Fu Panda alone some months back, it’s a nice little companion release. Extras include featurettes (such as “Inside the Chinese Zodiac,” “Animals of Kung Fu Panda,” and “Learn the Panda Dance”).

The Line
Cinevolve
DVD and Blu-ray

Down Under, Aussie and Asian crime families collide, and to avoid an explosion of violence, a newly minted detective teams up with a veteran, tossed-out-the-rulebook undercover cop as the probe and prod to solve a murder. Who can be trusted? Who isn’t corrupt?   This crime thriller finds a web of gray where that line of the title is often hard to find.  A B-movie, pretty much, but a solid one.