Selected home-video releases:
“Ice Age: The Meltdown” – Al Gore was right. Global warming really is a danger – or was, at least in prehistoric times, in this sequel to the animated hit “Ice Age.”
The follow-up sets our pals Manny the mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano), Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) and the rest of their extended family on a trek to escape a deluge from a melting ice dam. Queen Latifah joins the cast, providing the voice of a mammoth who catches Manny’s eye.
The DVD wisely features a fresh short cartoon starring the franchise’s most popular character, the squeaking, squawking rat-squirrel creature known as Scrat, voiced again by Chris Wedge, director of the original “Ice Age.” There’s also commentary from the filmmakers and a series of “lost historical films” about the “Ice Age” denizens. $29.98. (20th Century Fox)
“An Inconvenient Truth” – Now for the story of global warming in a non-cartoon setting. For decades, Al Gore has preached that greenhouse gas emissions pose a serious ecological threat. After losing the 2000 presidential race, Gore made it his mission to travel the globe with his professorial yet accessible presentation on the problem. Gore stages elaborate multimedia shows stating his case that gases from oil, coal and other carbon fuels are trapping the sun’s heat in our atmosphere, potentially causing a catastrophic glacial meltdown that could flood much of the planet.
The documentary captures the spirit of Gore’s presentations, juxtaposing them with the trials and triumphs of his personal life. The DVD has a new interview with the former vice president, a making-of segment and two commentaries, one with director David Guggenheim, the other with the film’s producers. There’s also a music video for the film’s theme song by Melissa Etheridge. $29.99. (Paramount)
“You, Me and Dupree” – Owen Wilson’s the thing that wouldn’t leave in this comedy that casts the star of “Wedding Crashers” as a honeymoon party pooper. Wilson plays a lovably hapless slacker whose buddy (Matt Dillon) takes pity and invites his unemployed and newly homeless friend to stay awhile with him and his bride (Kate Hudson), their houseguest of course turning comic chaos loose on their lives.
The DVD has deleted scenes and outtakes, plus an alternate ending with commentary from directors Anthony and Joe Russo. The directors also provide commentary for the full movie, while screenwriter Michael Le Sieur and producer Scott Stuber offer separate commentary. There’s a parody of the movie’s trailer that presents it as a horror flick. $29.98. (Universal)
“Scoop” – Woody Allen plays it for rather scarce laughs in a tepid comedy about an American journalism student (Johansson) and a second-rate magician (Allen) who team up to investigate a dashing British aristocrat (Hugh Jackman), whom they suspect is a serial killer. $29.98. (Universal)
Christmas reissues
“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” – Marking the 50th anniversary of Seuss’ beloved holiday tale is a new DVD version of the classic 1960s animated adaptation, featuring the voice of Boris Karloff. The disc has a new feature on how the adaptation came about, interviews with the cartoon’s composer and key singer and the Seuss cartoon “Horton Hears a Who.” $19.98. (Warner Bros.)
“Miracle on 34th Street” – The 1947 Christmas gem returns in a two-disc set with both the original black-and-white version and a colorized edition. Maureen O’Hara plays a no-nonsense mom whose daughter (Natalie Wood) is convinced the new Macy’s department store Santa is the real thing. O’Hara offers commentary. $19.98. (20th Century Fox)
“Home Alone” – Macauley Culkin is a kid left to his own devices over the holidays – including foiling a couple of burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) – in the 1990 comedy. The DVD makeover features commentary with Culkin and director Chris Columbus, deleted and alternate scenes and five features. $19.98. (20th Century Fox)
TV on DVD
“Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet Seereez” – With Sacha Baron Cohen’s big-screen “Borat” a sensation in theaters, a four-disc set gathers both seasons of the comedy series in which his journalistic alter-egos – hip-hopping Ali G, Kazakh Borat and Austrian Bruno – skewer all things American. $49.99. (HBO)
“How I Met Your Mother: Season One” – Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris.$39.98. (20th Century Fox)
“Alias: The Complete Fifth Season” – Jennifer Garner’s final season of espionage. $39.99. (Disney)
“Boston Legal: Season Two” – More legal hijinks with the capable but emotionally warped attorneys at a Boston firm. $59.98. (20th Century Fox)
“So Notorious: The Complete Series” – Tori Spelling stars in a fictionalized send-up of her life as an ex-“Beverly Hills 90210” star and the daughter of legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling. $26.99. (Paramount)
“Seinfeld: Season 7” – Jerry Seinfeld ,Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards return for more adventures about nothing much. $49.95. (Sony)
“Perry Mason: Season 1, Volume 2” – Raymond Burr is back on the case as TV’s celebrated defense attorney, who takes on hopeless cases and almost always gets his client off. The five-disc set has 20 more episodes from the first season. $54.99. (Paramount)
“Star Trek: The Animated Series” – Before the big-screen flicks and a rush of spinoffs, the sci-fi series lived briefly in the mid-1970s with this cartoon series featuring vocals from the original cast, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley. $62.99. (Paramount)
Manny the mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano) gets troubling news from Fast Tony (Jay Leno) in “Ice Age: The Meltdown.”
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