Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Warner Bros.
Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy & BD-Live

The most recent installment in the Harry Potter film series is the darkest yet, as the forces of “he who must not be named” strike harder, and our young hero (Daniel Radcliffe) and mentor Dumbledore (Micharl Gambon) fight the good fight. In Half Blood Prince, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint continue to shine, as well as Hermione and Ron Weasley, while it’s surely hard to imagine anyone other than Alan Rickman as the oh-so-sinister Snape. This is the first of the films to truly have a near-cliffhanger ending, and for good reason. It also leaves one waiting anxiously for what will be the two-film conclusion of the story, based on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Meanwhile, there are plenty of engaging bonus features here, along with the feature, which likely needs multiple viewings anyway to take it all in.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Three-Disc Edition + Digital Copy + DVD
Fox

This sequel to Night at the Museum is more of the same, with a Washington, D.C. setting instead of New York. Ben Stiller is back, as are Robin Williams and Owen Wilson in their character cameos, plus Amy Adams nearly steals the movie as a charming Amelia Earhart. Sure, there are some out and out silly bits, as museum statues, figurines, and more all come magically to life once again, and it’s up to Stiller – no longer a museum night guard, but what the heck – to set things straight. Behind-the-scenes looks at the cast and effects are fun stuff too.

G-Force
Three-Disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Copy
Disney

Action king Jerry Bruckheimer takes the talking, funny little animal route with G-Force, and The Chipmunks this ain’t, as intelligent, wise-acre guinea pigs are the heroes, along with bumbling and scheming bad-guy humans (but of course) headed up by the great-in-anything Bill Nighy. Voicing the furry good guys are Sam Rockwell, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, and Jon Favreau, while Tracy Morgan and Wil Arnett are the government agents working with them to save the world.  It’s all a little dopey overall, though the 10-and-under set will enjoy it. Bonus material includes an alternate ending, deleted scenes and a gag reel.

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
Disney

The first TV movie for the hit series Wizards of Waverly Place is a little less static than the show and pushes Selena Gomez and, to a certain extent, David Henrie as even bigger Disney stars. A family vacation for the magically enabled Russo family turns to trouble when teen daughter in rebellion Alex (Gomez) makes a wish she shouldn’t have, and the three kids (Jake T. Austin is the youngest brother) have to fix their parents’ no-gone marriage before they’re gone from the universe.  It’s a low-level Indiana Jones-ish quest, and kids who love the series will go for it all the way. The special package includes a key-chain.

For a limited time, win a copy from Buzzine!

SpongeBob Squarepants
Season Six, Vol. 1
Truth or Square
Nickelodeon

Ah, le sponge Robert, still absurd and wacky but also imbued with plenty of heart and swellness. The first volume of Season Six features adventures from two-episode half-hour shows, such as “House Fancy/Krabby Road,” “ A Life in a Day/Sun Bleached,” “Giant Squidward/No Nose Knows,” “Boating Buddies/The Krabby Kronicle,” and the lil’ epic, “SpongeBob vs. The Big One” (guest-starring Johnny Depp as Jack Kahuna Laguna). Special bits include “The SpongeBob History Song” and a series of bonus shorts.

The stand-alone DVD, Truth or Square, is the start of the next part of the season and, in addition to the oddball title story with lots of live action, is not animated gag stuff. While SpongeBob has to protect the Krabby Patty formula then loses it, we find the live action pirate getting into all sorts of mishaps, along with theme songs for the other characters if they’d been the star of the show instead of our spongey hero.

For a limited time, win a copy from Buzzine!

Naruto Uncut Box Set Season One, Vol. 1
Viz

Naruto is one of the better, less cookie-cutter, “haven’t we seen this before” animated series.  The “uncut” set for Season One, Volume One is filled with several story arcs featuring martial arts and mystical face-offs, battles and such. Language options, by the way, are English and, yes, Japanese.  The eps include “The Forest of Chakra,” “The Land Where a Hero Once Lived,” “Battle on the Bridge! Zabuza Return,” “The Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja Joins the Fight!” and more.

Bleach, Vol. 22
Viz

Teenage Ichigo Kurosak is the the hero of the ongoing fantasy-adventure Bleach, gifted with a sixth sense to see restless spirits.  In Volume 22, he encounters Soul Reaper Rukia, who eventually passes on her sword and power to Ichigo, taking on the Soul Reaper role to face soul-eating creatures…but he doesn’t want the mantle, and there lies the conflict.

Pokemon Elements
Vol. 5 – Ice
Vol. 6 – Dark

And Pokemon keeps on comin’ – this time, with more thematic tales based on elements and centered around various characters. In Ice, you get “Freeze Frame,” “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let it Snorunt!” and “Spring Fever,” while Dark features the stories “Absol-ute Disaster,” “Pop Goes The Sneasel” and “A Bite to Remember.”

SciQ Vol. 3 and 4
Smithsonian

SciQ makes science (and tech) fun for kids. Each release on DVD is loaded with inventive approaches to making learning a playful experience, led by three older kids. Volume Three spotlights poop (yes, poop), bugs and robots, while Volume Four plays with meals, human performance and wild wheels.

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