A weekly round-up of the latest DVD releases.

By Damon Smith


New to rent on DVD/Blu-ray

Life Of Pi (Cert PG, 121 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Drama/Romance/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £27.99/Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray £30.99/3D Blu-Ray £33.99)

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Adil Hussain, Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Vibish Sivakumar, Rafe Spall, Gerard Depardieu.

An inquisitive writer (Rafe Spall) turns up unexpectedly at the door of Pi Patel (Irrfan Khan), having been told the stranger's life story deserves to be immortalised in print. In flashback, Pi recounts his youth as the son of a circus owner (Adil Hussain), who decided to sell the family business in Pondicherry and emigrate to Canada with his wife Gita (Tabu) and two boys. A raging storm causes the Japanese freighter to overturn and young Pi (Suraj Sharma) escapes in a lifeboat along with a zebra, orang-utan, hyena and a tiger called Richard Parker. The rest of the clan, including Pi's older brother Ravi (Vibish Sivakumar), perish at sea. As the days pass, the predators prevail until just Richard Parker and Pi remain, trapped together in a vast expanse of water. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Yann Martel, Life Of Pi is a deeply moving tribute to the endurance of the human spirit in the aftermath of senseless tragedy. Sharma is mesmerising, plucking our heartstrings in close-up as his character is flung repeatedly through the emotional wringer. He doesn't strike a single false note and his relationship with the tiger is beautifully realised in tense, humorous and touching scenes. Claudio Miranda's sumptuous cinematography ravishes the senses, enhanced by slick digital effects, which bring the menagerie of two- and four-legged species to life. Director Ang Lee's vision is breathtaking and entire sequences have been masterfully choreographed to take full advantage of 3D, available exclusively on Blu-ray. He deservedly won this year's Oscar, marshalling a dizzying array of elements with jaw-dropping ease.

Rating: ****


The Oranges (Cert 15, 87 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, Comedy/Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £15.99)

Starring: Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Allison Janney, Alia Shawkat, Leighton Meester, Adam Brody, Sam Rosen.

David Walling (Hugh Laurie) and his wife Paige (Catherine Keener) live on Orange Drive in New Jersey opposite their best friends, Terry and Cathy Ostroff (Oliver Platt, Allison Janney). There is a deep bond between the two clans and lots of emotional baggage between David and Paige's son Toby (Adam Brody) and daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat) and Terry and Cathy's daughter Nina (Leighton Meester). As Thanksgiving beckons, the tranquillity of Orange Drive is shattered by the return of Nina after a five-year absence. Unexpectedly, Nina sparks an affair with David, which is eventually exposed, and the two families ponder the consequences of this betrayal. The Oranges is a bittersweet comedy of suburban malaise which examines the fallout of a May-December romance. American Beauty traversed the same territory with sharper wit and style but Julian Farino's film delivers a few riotous interludes, such as a furious wife destroying the outdoor Christmas decorations on her cheating spouse's front lawn by running them over in her car. Laurie and Keener exude the air of weariness of a couple who have been stuck in a rut for years, and Janney airs another sniping matriarch from her cluttered repertoire. Shawkat, who narrates, is poorly served, while Meester attempts to retain sympathy for her home wrecker. Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer's script boasts a smattering of delicious one-liners ("When you're a parent one day, you'll know what it's like for your child to hate you!") However, we've witnessed these painful trials and tribulations countless times before.

Rating: ***


Also released

Being Flynn (Cert 15, 97 mins, Universal Pictures (UK), Drama, also available to buy DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99 - see below)

The Collection (Cert 18, 79 mins, Entertainment One, Horror/Thriller, also DVD £12.99 - see below)

Dabangg 2 (Cert 15, 144 mins, Eros International, Action/Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99 - see below)

The Purge (Cert 18, 119 mins, Metrodome Distribution, Drama, also available to buy DVD £15.99 - see below)

You Will Be My Son (Tu Seras Mon Fils) (Cert 15, 97 mins, Drakes Avenue Pictures, Drama, also available to buy DVD £15.99 - see below)


New to buy on DVD/Blu-ray

Plebs - Series 1 (Cert 15, 112 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99, Comedy/Romance)

All six episodes of the ITV2 comedy written by Sam Leifer and Tom Basden which chronicles the misadventures of three lowly men in ancient Rome. Marcus (Tom Rosenthal), Stylax (Joel Fry) and their slave Grumio (Ryan Sampson) do not frequent the right social circles in the capital that would grant them access to a hedonistic world of grandeur and opulence. Instead, they must seek out meagre pleasures and like most young men, Marcus, Stylax and Grumio are driven by their raging hormones. The DVD includes The Orgy, The Gladiator, The Erotic Vase, Herpes Cat, Bananae and Saturnalia.


Bait 3D (Cert 15, 93 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Horror/Thriller/Action)

A year after he witnessed his best friend being savaged by a shark, Josh (Xavier Samuel) is working in a supermarket, where he stacks shelves with colleague Naomi (Alice Parkinson) under the watchful eye of their boss, Jessup (Adrian Pang). A tsunami sweeps into the supermarket, flooding the building, and trapping Josh and Naomi in the store with a pair of would-be thieves - Doyle (Julian McMahon) and Kirby (Dan Wyllie) - a few customers, a shoplifter called Jaime (Phoebe Tonkin) and Josh's old flame Tina (Sharni Vinson). As they search for an escape route from the flooded building, the survivors come under attack from a pair of voracious great white sharks.


Spartacus - War Of The Damned (Cert 18, 540 mins, Anchor Bay Entertainment, DVD £39.99/Complete Collection DVD Box Set £79.99/Blu-ray £49.99/Complete Collection Blu-ray Box Set £99.99, Action/Drama/Romance)

In the final series based on the exploits of the legendary Roman gladiator Spartacus (Liam McIntyre), the eponymous hero spearheads a rebel army comprising thousands of freed slaves. These men pose a major threat to the Roman Senate so Marcus Crassus (Simon Merrells) and a young Julius Caesar (Todd Lasance) are assigned the task of crushing the resistance and dispelling the air of invincibility that surrounds Spartacus. A 14-disc box set comprising the four Spartacus series - Blood And Sand, Gods Of The Arena, Vengeance and War Of The Damned - is also available.


The Collection (Cert 18, 79 mins, Entertainment One, DVD £12.99, Horror/Thriller)

Marcus Dunstan directs the straight-to-DVD sequel to his 2009 horror The Collector, about a deranged serial killer who kidnaps one of his victims and slaughters the rest. Arkin O'Brien (Josh Stewart), the only survivor of the first film is locked inside a red box, awaiting his gruesome fate. Unexpectedly, plucky teenager Elena Peters (Emma Fitzpatrick) opens the trunk and Arkin discovers he is inside a nightclub that has been booby-trapped by The Collector (Randall Archer). In a matter of minutes, hundreds of innocent people have been shredded, sliced and squashed to death. The Collector captures Elena as his trophy but Arkin manages to escape from the bloodbath and he is promptly hospitalised. Elena's powerful father (Christopher McDonald) dispatches his henchman Lucello (Tee Tergesen) to forcibly persuade Arkin to join the hunt for The Collector and to bring the mad man to justice.


You Will Be My Son (Tu Seras Mon Fils) (Cert 15, 97 mins, Drakes Avenue Pictures, DVD £15.99, Drama)

A father overlooks his son as successor to his business empire with devastating consequences in Gilles Legrand's slow-burning drama. Paul de Marseul (Niels Arestrup) owns a chateau and vineyard in Saint-Emilion, the Bordeaux wine region of France. He is renowned for his excellent nose and attention to detail and Paul hopes to pass on his business to his son Martin (Lorant Deutsch). However, it is painfully clear that the young man doesn't possess the same passion or dedication and would be a poor heir. Instead, Paul lavishes praise and attention on Phillipe (Nicolas Bridet), son of his steward Francois (Patrick Chesnais), who clearly has the talent to enhance the reputation of the chateau and vineyard. Snubbing Martin creates friction between father and son and this tension between the generations intensifies, jeopardising the smooth running of the firm.


Dabangg 2 (Cert 15, 144 mins, Eros International, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Action/Drama/Romance)

Arbaaz Khan directs this sequel to Abhinav Singh Kashyap's 2010 action drama, reuniting lead stars Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha. In the first film, corrupt cop Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) learnt to cherish the value of the family unit - something that eluded him as a child - thanks to the beautiful Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha). Myriad enemies including Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood) used all of their cunning to bring down the cop and everyone close to him. For the sequel, Chulbul and Rajjo are now married with a beautiful child, and living in Lucknow, where the cop witnesses rape, murder and degradation on a daily basis. Local politician Thakur Bachcha (Prakash Raj), who is heading for re-election, is at the centre of the sleaze, so Chulbul exposes the public servant to the media, which leads to a prison sentence. Thakur swears revenge and when he is eventually released back into the community, he targets interfering Chulbul and his loved ones.


Being Flynn (Cert 15, 97 mins, Universal Pictures (UK), DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Drama)

Based on writer Nick Flynn's memoir and directed by Paul Weitz, Being Flynn is a drama about an estranged father and son attempting to reconnect. Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) endured a traumatic childhood: his con-man father Jonathan (Robert De Niro) disappeared when he was young and his emotionally unstable mother Jody (Julianne Moore) subsequently committed suicide. Consequently, Nick has found it difficult to focus on his dream of becoming a writer and he now works in a homeless shelter, tending to the needy and the vulnerable. Eighteen years after his father walked out of his life, Nick is stunned when a delusional and shambolic Jonathan turns up at the shelter looking for a place to sleep for the night. Determined to exorcise the demons of the past, Nick struggles to reconnect with the old man who caused him so much heartache.


White Tiger (Cert 12, 104 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, War/Drama)

Based on a novel by Ilya Boyashov, Karen Shakhnazarov's drama centres on a Red Army sergeant who becomes obsessed with destroying a seemingly invincible white Tiger tank fighting for the Germans. Sergeant Ivan Naydenov (Aleksey Vertkov) is a skilled commander but he is outwitted by a German tank, which inflicts devastating damage on Russian troops. Ivan is badly burnt on the battlefields and he swear revenge, risking everything to discover the chink in the armour of the mysterious white tank so he can stop the metal behemoth before it mows down more Russian solders.


The Purge (Cert 18, 119 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £15.99, Drama)

Zara (Amanda Pilke) hopes to escape from a gang of criminals operating in Estonia. She seeks sanctuary with her Great Aunt Aliide (Liisi Tandefelt), whom she has never met before. Indeed, her only link with the old woman is a photograph of the young Aliide (Laura Birn), which her mother passed to her many years ago. The two women, from different generations, slowly get to know each other and as Zara learns about Aliide's disturbing experiences during Stalin's reign, she realises that there is much to learn from the past to avoid great suffering in the present.


Journeyman - The Complete Series (Cert 12, 595 mins, Medium Rare, DVD £29.99, Sci-Fi/Drama/Thriller)

Four-disc set of all 13 episodes of the fantasy series about an investigative journalist who possesses the power to travel back in time and potentially alter the course of history for the better. Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd) lives with his wife Katie (Gretchen Egolf) and son Zack (Charles Henry Wyson) in San Francisco, where he works on a newspaper that takes an interest in the local community. Without any warning, Dan experiences sudden and disorienting jumps through time. He gradually comes to terms with this newfound ability and realises that he can harness his abilities for the greater good. However, ripples in time can sometimes have unexpected consequences and all of the temporal meddling takes Dan further away from his loved ones.


Malcolm In The Middle - The Complete Fifth Season (Cert 12, 482 mins, Fremantle Home Entertainment, DVD £29.99, Comedy)

In the fifth series of the hit US sitcom, child genius Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) continues to suffer the wrath of his jealous and bullying classmates for his astonishing IQ and intelligence. Labelled a geek along with the other bright kids, Malcolm struggles to fit in, while at home he is torn between his control freak authoritarian mother (Jane Kaczmarek) and overly caring father (Bryan Cranston). The three-disc set includes all 22 episodes.


Behind The Wall (Cert E, 137 mins, Wienerworld, DVD £15.99, Documentary)

Michael Patrick Kelly directs this documentary, shot through the eyes of people living on either side of the Berlin Wall. The film weaves together real-life testimonies from German citizens who were affected by the wall, contrasting memories before and after the structure was built with jubilation and fears after the first bricks of the wall came tumbling down in November 1989.

Diana: A Portrait (Cert E, 50 mins, Odyssey/Fremantle, DVD £9.99, Documentary)

In death as in life, Diana, Princess Of Wales remains a source of fascination around the world. This re-release of Adrian Munsey and Alan Scales's 1992 documentary incorporates exclusive material from Diana's personal archives and an interview with royal biographer Andrew Morton, posing questions about her role in the Royal Family, her relationship with Charles and the future of the monarchy.


DVD retail top 10

1 (1) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2 (-) Pitch Perfect

3 (4) Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred

4 (2) Game Of Thrones - Season 2

5 (-) Jack Reacher

6 (-) Mrs Brown's Boys - Series 3

7 (3) Tinker Bell And The Secret Of The Wings

8 (7) Skyfall

9 (5) Silver Linings Playbook

10 (-) Game Of Thrones - Season 1-2 Complete

Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk


DVD rental top 10

1 (1) Silver Linings Playbook

2 (2) Taken 2

3 (-) Seven Psychopaths

4 (3) Anna Karenina

5 (5) The Campaign

6 (7) End Of Watch

7 (10) The Watch

8 (6) The Bourne Legacy

9 (4) Sightseers

10 (-) Ted

Chart supplied by www.LOVEFiLM.com


Film streaming top 10

1 (-) 10 Years

2 (1) Life As We Know It

3 (2) Despicable Me

4 (3) The Adjustment Bureau

5 (5) Faster

6 (10) Seeking A friend For The End Of The World

7 (6) Rampage

8 (8) The Ugly Duckling And Me

9 (4) Just Go With It

10 (-) Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole

Chart supplied by www.LOVEFiLM.com