Not sure which DVD to pull off the new release shelf? Need a new Blu-ray to show off in 1080p? Or maybe you're looking through the new releases on Netflix and don't know what to add to your DVD queue? Take my advice and either buy-it, rent-it, skip-it, or wait-for-it to become available on HBO, Starz, or Netflix instant queue. Watch #1 first then work your way down the list.
Here are the twenty-five best new release movies that have been released on DVD and Blu-ray as of Tuesday, April 5, 2011.
1. The Social Network - Buy-it - Top 10 Best of 2010 - Under David Fincher's direction (Se7en), Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake star in this film about the founders of Facebook, and do so brilliantly. Like it or not, The Social Network was the best film of the year.
2. Black Swan - Buy-it - Top 10 Best of 2010 - Natalie Portman is the mysterious "black swan" in this psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet where competition is brewing with a new dancer in the company, Mila Kunis.
3. The Fighter - Rent-it - Top 10 Best of 2010 - Christian Bale is the trainer of boxing brother Mark Wahlberg, aka "Irish" Micky Ward, who is just about to go pro during the early 1980s. Like the boxer he portrays, Wahlberg is a longshot at Best Actor awards this year, but deservingly worth at least a nomination as his skinny co-star Bale steals scene after scene, and round after round, as per usual.
4. Animal Kingdom - Rent-it - Top 10 Best of 2010 - This brilliant Australian cops and robbers drama starring Guy Pearce is so perfect it'll make you wish you lived in Australia and were best friends with this Guy.
5. 127 Hours - Rent-it - Top 10 Best of 2010 - James Franco is the infamous outdoorsman Aron Ralston who famously got trapped under a boulder while on one of his solo adventures - and whether or not you know the ending you will be completely moved, shocked and thrilled by the finale.
6. Waiting for Superman - Rent-it - If you are a parent, because this documentary about the education system in the United States today, and the number of students attending schools but failing to learn anything, is truly eye-opening.
7. Unstoppable - Buy-it - Denzel Washington and that guy from the new Star Trek film are two men trying to slow a runaway train, and despite, or maybe even because it is based on a true story, it is completely entertaining from start to stop.
8. Despicable Me - Buy-it - The previews really don't give you any idea what this animated film is about, and though it is NOT a Pixar film, it's got that feel, with a creative story (a man with a secret hideout in a normal suburban neighborhood plans to steal the moon) and well-voiced characters by a list of big-name stars (Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, and Julie Andrews).
9. Tangled - Rent-it - A return to their proven princess formula but more entertaining and action-packed than your typical animated Disney films.
10. Get Low - Rent-it - Robert Duvall and Bill Murray are brilliantly sharp in this film about fabled, yet real-life hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party.
11. Inside Job - Rent-it - Matt Damon narrates this documentary about the 2008 financial crisis, which cost $20 trillion and millions of people their jobs and homes - and though we were all a part of this depressing time, this inside look is a must see on the greatest recession since the Great Depression.
12. Let Me In - Rent-it - With no recognizable faces (as all great scary movies should), this film about a bullied boy who meets a young vampire girl is as good, if not better, than the original foreign film.
13. Machete - Rent-it - This film about an ex-Federale out for revenge against the boss that betrayed him is the violent, over-the-top, shallow action film we all hoped Expendables would be.
14. Conviction - Rent-it - This remarkable true story starring Hilary Swank, Minnie Driver, and Sam Rockwell will have you vehemently rooting for a sister who puts herself through law school to help prove her imprisoned brother is innocent.
15. Paranormal Activity 2 - Buy-it - Even if you didn't see the first film in this terrifying low-budget horror series, this film about a haunted home will still entertain and scare. And though this prequel isn't quite as intense, it's actually better written and a more interesting plot.
16. Megamind - Rent-it - Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Brad Pitt voice this Dreamworks animated film from the brilliant villains point of view, making it an interesting spin on the superhero genre, but not on the level of the latest Pixar films, and is definitely not The Incredibles!
17. Tron: Legacy - Buy-it - New This Week - This dazzling 3D sequel to the 1982 nerd fantasy about a programmer's cyber universe isn't quite as captivating as the original, but is certainly as visually stunning - especially on Blu-ray accompanied by Daft Punk's 7.1 surround sound score.
18. Red - Rent-it - Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich are retired CIA agents who know too much, and therefore become targets for the Agency that trained them. But it is just another comic book adaptation that falls short, despite some big name actors doing things we aren't used to seeing them doing - at least not anymore.
19. Piranha 3-D - Rent-it - If you are in the mood for a bloody, gnarly, laughable, b-movie horror film filled with naked ladies and over-the-top gore, this is your ticket.
20. Fair Game - Rent-it - Naomi Watts and Sean Penn star in this dramatic, action-packed, mystery/suspense about the CIA, New York Times, Iraq, weapons of mass destruction, and the Bush administration - fair enough?
21. Hereafter - Rent-it - Matt Damon in an under-marketed-because-it-stands-on-its-own Clint Eastwood directed film about three intertwined post-9/11 tragic stories sounds like a heavily-Oscar nominated film, but it is a too slow, too sentimental, and too low-key to create the buzz it needs.
22. Takers - Rent-it - It's a new Rat Pack-ish Oceans-11-y heist film, starring Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Tip 'TI' Harris, Chris Brown, and Hayden Christensen, so don't expect top notch acting, or really acting at all, but the film is entertaining from a story and action standpoint.
23. Morning Glory - Rent-it - Trying to put Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Goldblum, the writer from Devil Wears Prada, the producer of LOST, and the director of Notting Hill together in a comedy about careers versus love is like trying to make 1+1+1 = 2. It can't be done, despite the most entertaining efforts.
24. Nowhere Boy - Wait-for-it - This drama about a 15-year old John Lennon is remarkably accurate, and therefore interesting, and Aaron Johnson is casted perfectly for the role.
25. Love and Other Drugs - Wait-for-it - Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway are two opposites who attract in a film based on Jamie Reidy's memoir "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman" though the effects of this drug wear off before itís over.
Twenty-five other new releases on DVD/Blu-ray that didn't make the top twenty-five:
26. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Rent-it - New This Week - Strong performances and impressive special effects make this 3rd Narnia film one of the best, unfortunately the previous two films in this franchise were lackluster at best, and by no means on the same level as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, which this film is basically a combination of.
27. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole - Wait-for-it - This adventurous film will certainly entertain children, but Zack Snyder's animated directorial debut (300, Watchmen) is actually decent enough to entertain any fantasy/adventure movie buff.
28. The American - Wait-for-it - You'll be moved by the stillness of this film, starring George Clooney as a lonely and subdued assassin in a slow-paced and beautifully shot spy thriller.
29. Dinner for Schmucks - Wait-for-it - Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis are three of the funniest people alive right now, but even this hysterical trio can't save this film from being a bland appetizer that never reaches the fulfilling meal that was promised.
30. Catfish - Wait-for-it - Well actually, first make sure you see the trailer, because half of the intrigue begins with the intrigue, then wait patiently until this "true" story is in a theater close enough to completely "shock" you.
31. It's Kind of a Funny Story - Wait-for-it - This sentimental piece about a 16-year old boy befriending a psychiatric patient (Zach Galifianakis) is promising at times, including moving performances from the entire cast, but it will ultimately leave you shaking your head in disappointment.
32. Case 39 - Wait-for-it - It is completely repulsive, illogical and just plain silly - despite stars like Bradley Cooper and Renee Zellweger - but horror fans might be entertained.
33. Due Date - Wait-for-it - Due Date stars Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis - which sounds like a hilarious duo - in a film about a cross-country road trip to catch the birth of a child - which sounds like a hilarious plot - but it is not!
34. I Love You Phillip Morris - Wait-for-it - New This Week - Jim Carrey gives the best performance of his career in this sweet, sincere, romantic comedy about an improbable but real-life charismatic conman.
35. Faster - Wait-for-it - The Rock is back and he shot Dwayne Johnson in the face then ran him over with a fast car - unfortunately, the script is just as corny, and so are the names of the characters: The Rock as "Driver", Billy Bob Thornton as "Cop" and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as "Killer" - but fans of over-the-top action will find it better than most of the recent releases in the genre.
36. Shrek Forever After - Skip-it - This Shrek film (like the 3rd) is a disappointment, cutting back on the pop-culture references that we loved in the 1st, and still missing the story that drew us back into the 2nd.
37. The Switch - Skip-it - Aniston and Bateman are perfectly funny together, and 6-year old Thomas Robinson steals every scene he is in, but the script is too rom-com formulaic to even suggesting renting since you know what's going to happen before it even begins.
38. Burlesque - Skip-it - Christina Aguilera is a small town girl with a big voice (surprise!) who moves to LA, becomes a cocktail waitress, and eventually makes her way on stage to sing (surprise!). The soundtrack is good, the film is awful.
39. Casino Jack - Skip-it - New This Week - Even a two-time Academy Award winner (Kevin Spacey) can't transform this film about the greedy and corrupted American lobbyist (Jack Abramoff) into anything more than a conman you could care less for - and never want to see again.
40. Skyline - Skip-it - Disappointed doesn't begin to describe anyone who saw this sci-fi film that starts off so well with a promising idea, but that idea is quickly abducted by the ridiculous dialogue spoken by actors that might as well be aliens on a planet of implausible plots.
41. The Next Three Days - Skip-it - Classified as a drama/horror/romance and not surprisingly, mystery, this completely implausible film stars Russell Crowe as a husband to a wife who is arrested for a murder she didn't commit.
42. All Good Things - Skip-it - Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst are the title characters in this based-on-a-true story ("based" being the key word) about the most notorious missing persons case in New York history that will leave you with little to no answers and hundreds of questions.
43. Saw 3-D - Skip-it - Believe it or not, this is hands down the worst installment in the once terrifyingly-grotesque-and-brilliantly-plotted-now-overly-grotesque-and-illogically-plotted series.
44. For Colored Girls - Skip-it - Janet Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg (yes, you read those two names correctly as actresses starring in a feature film) are two black females in this Tyler Perry special interest/drama based on an award-winning play named "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf" (yes, "enuf" and not "enough") - I think you know my opinion by now - and probably have made your own.
45. How Do You Know - Skip-it - Reese Witherspoon + Owen Wilson + Paul Rudd = formulaic romantic comedy. Surprisingly, add in Jack Nicholson and it just gets worse. Definitely skip this romcom about a professional softball player, professional baseball player, and corporate executive.
46. Jackass 3-D - Skip-it - Despite being in 3-D, this third installment in the wild and crazy stunts and pranks trilogy is nothing new - and honestly nothing you haven't seen before.
47. My Soul to Take - Skip-it - Wes Craven misses again with this overly complex, incomprehensible tale about a murderer who swore to return and kill the children born the day he died. Confused yet?
48. Little Fockers - Skip-it - Top 10 Worst of 2010 - New This Week - Despite a star-studded cast (De Niro, Stiller, Hoffman, Streisand, Alba, Keitel, Wilson), and some decent prequels, this "comedy" took #8 on the list of worst films of 2010.
49. Yogi Bear - Skip-it - Top 10 Worst of 2010 - Whether you are on team Boo-Boo (voiced by Justin Timberlake) or team Yogi (voiced by Dan Aykroyd), the only thing more terrible and disappointing than Yogi Bear in 2010 was The Tourist (voiced by the most monotonous, boring voice imaginable).
50. The Tourist - Skip-it - Top 10 Worst of 2010 - Angelina Jolie crosses paths with American tourist Johnny Depp who is dumb-founded by the beauty of Europe and this charming stranger. The cat and mouse game that ensues is more like a game of sloth and tortoise, as Depp is such a believable actor and Jolie is so beautiful that you will actually be dumb-founded into boredom yourself.
Read weekly reviews of the top 10 best movies in theaters and best new released on DVD/Blu-ray here every week: Ryan Pratt - National Movie Examiner at: http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-national/ryan-pratt
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