New DVDs This Week

Posted on December 11, 2008 - 5:08am by michael The Dark Knight, arguably the best movie to come along in a decade, makes its long-awaited DVD debut this week, heading up a relatively short list of new releases. Not that that matters much, of course, because this movie is so good that there not really  much reason to look for anything else now that you can finally get a copy of your own! The Dark Knight not only shattered records and flew past expectations, but it completely redefined the very nature of who Batman is and even revolutionized the comic book movie subgenre itself. Obviously, it is Heath Ledger's powerhouse performance as The Joker that stands far above the rest of the cast, but the movie is full of big names and brilliant performances. Batman continues his tireless efforts to bring order to Gotham City and round up the criminals that plague the streets, but just when he seems to be making progress the mysterious and morbidly fascinating psychopath known as The Joker emerges, challenging Batman's beacon of goodness and hope with his own peculiar brand of random but overwhelming violence and terror. In confronting this new enemy, Batman is forced to confront everything he believes and everything he thought he knew about himself. Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gory Oldman, and Morgan Freeman. Directed by Christopher Nolan The Dark Knight (2008), PG-13, 152 mins. Horton Hears a Who comes off as a run of the mill animated kid's movie, but it's actually pretty charming. The message of respecting everyone as a person no matter how small is just a little too happy and neatly packaged, but the movie treads much more treacherous (and more interesting) waters when it introduces a character who dislikes Horton teaching the rest of his community to believe in something they can't see. Besides, the story is unique and the animation is outstanding. And check out that cast! I imagine if you were impressed with A Bug's Life you may also get a kick out of this one. Horton is an elephant who, using his giant elephant ears, hears a cry for help literally coming from a speck of dust. Upon closer inspection, he realizes that there is a whole community living on that speck of dust, and they call themselves Whos. After meeting the mayor of Whoville, Horton agrees to keep the speck of dust in a safe place, but finds himself in all sorts of trouble when he begins telling his friends in his own community about his new discovery. Voices provided by: Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, and Seth Rogen. Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino Horton Hears a Who (2008), G, 86 mins. Other Hot New DVDs: I Am Legend Tropic Thunder WALL-E Kung Fu Panda Get Smart The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 Journey to the Center of the Earth Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Hellboy II: The Golden Army