NEW ON THE SHELF

“THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO,” starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. Director David Fincher (“Fight Club”) Americanizes the already well-regarded adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s overwhelmingly popular if relentlessly graphic and downbeat novels featuring Lisbeth Salander (Mara), a young punk computer programmer who aids a disgraced journalist (Craig) in getting to the bottom of a old missing persons case, in the meantime violently confronting some horrific demons of her own. Though some may question its raison d’etre, Fincher is the unparalleled master of the disturbing, stylish thriller, and his take on the original Swedish imports is if anything more assured. Special features include interviews with cast and crew and a commentary with Fincher. Rated R. Running time: 2:38

Suggested retail price: $30.99; Blu-ray $40.99

“HOP,” animated with the voices of Russell Brand and James Marsden. Harmless holiday fluff finds rebellious young rabbit E.B. (Brand) rejecting dad’s (Hugh Laurie) legacy in favor of absconding to Hollywood with sights on becoming a rock ‘n’ roll drummer, a quest that gets waylaid upon being struck by the car of Fred (Marsden), a regular dude with very little in the way of life plans. A rambling, likable family comedy whose underachieving nature makes it easy to miss the rather impressive melding of animation and live action on display. Rated PG. Running time: 1:35

Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.98

“THE MUPPETS,” starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams. One of the most delightful comebacks in recent memory, the creative minds behind “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Flight of the Conchords” teamed up to catapult an old pop-culture phenomenon back into the public consciousness, and Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang haven’t been this hilarious and lovable in years. Teaming with helpful humans Segel and Adams, the Muppets must band together to save their dilapidated studio from an evil, occasionally rapping oil baron (Chris Cooper), with the expected boffo musical numbers, unabashedly corny jokes and freewheeling chaos that endeared the world to these crazy characters back in the day. It’s safe to say Jim Henson would have approved. Rated PG. Running time: 1:43

Suggested retail price: $29.99; Blu-ray $49.99

“TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY,” starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. Based on the acclaimed novel by John le Carre, this deliberately paced spy thriller is a rare chance for the oft-unhinged Oldman to showcase his ability to project subtle nuance when given the opportunity. No car chases or goofy gadgets here, just serious (and often seriously sloshed) men engaging in serious, guarded conversation, all rendered fascinating through flawless performances from Oldman, Firth and an impressive roster of veteran character actors including John Hurt and Toby Jones. Rated R. Running time: 2:07

Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $34.98

“THE SITTER,” starring Jonah Hill and Sam Rockwell. Lowbrow, far less family-friendly quasi-reworking of 1987’s “Adventures in Babysitting” finds hapless boyfriend Hill attempting to score some coke for his rotten girlfriend while simultaneously looking after his neighbor’s three uniquely problematic children. Rated R. Running time: 1:21

Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99

NEW TO BLU-RAY

“BATTLE ROYALE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION,” starring Beat Takeshi and Chiaki Kuriyama. Brilliant, influential and brutal, this alternately beloved and criticized collection has been aptly described as a cross between “A Clockwork Orange” and “Lord of the Flies,” detailing as it does the drastic punishment of an out-of-control high school by imprisoning its students on an island and forcing them to fight to the death. A cult classic, over-the-top gorefest with more to say than most, this exhaustive collection is loaded with extras, including making-of featurettes, behind-the-scenes footage, rehearsal footage, a press conference and much more. Not rated; contains graphic bloody violence, language and sexual content. Running time: 6:08

Suggested retail price: $49.99

VIDEOPORT PICKS

“CARNAGE,” starring Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz. Arming a quartet of our finest performers with gleefully nasty dialogue and letting them go for each other’s throats for an hour and a half, the ever-unpredictable Roman Polanski gives us “Carnage,” at times an incredibly uncomfortable little movie for which the term “black comedy” barely suffices. Kicking off when a well-to-do couple (Foster and John C. Reilly) invites another couple (Kate Winslet and Waltz) to their home in an effort to resolve a playground scuffle that took place between their young children, the parties in question waste no time in proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the street, and all manner of verbal altercations and underhanded alliances ensue. Rated R for language.

Suggested retail price: $30.99; Blu-ray $35.99

“A LONELY PLACE TO DIE,” starring Melissa George and Ed Speleers. A take-no-prisoners thriller that pits formidable heroine George and her fellow, less physically able mountaineers against a bloodthirsty group of kidnappers, whose young bounty the climbers accidentally discover while scaling the beautiful but treacherous Scottish Highlands. Mountain-situated cat-and-mouse games are nothing terribly new in cinema, but director Julian Gilbey (“Rise of the Footsoldier”) stages the proceedings with true menace, creating a wonderfully unpredictable tension wherein no character is safe, no matter how likable. Not rated; contains language and graphic violence. Running time: 1:39

Suggested retail price: $24.98; Blu-ray $29.98

– Courtesy of Videoport

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