NEW ON THE SHELF:

“The Expendables 3,” Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham. Once again managing to employ every action star of the ’80s and ’90s ever to riddle a stuntman with bullets and then make a terrible joke about it, “The Expendables 3” does an admirable job keeping up the good-natured, over-the-top bro-centric bonding and rampant explosions. Joining Stallone and the rest of the lovably armed lunkheads are Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson, and most memorably, Harrison Ford, hilarious in his brief but terrific scenes as an easily irritated (of course) C.I.A. agent providing intel to the crew. Viewers who grew up having heated playground discussions about “Rambo” and “Commando” are, as always, most likely to come away satisfied from this entry, but even action naysayers may find themselves won over by the none-too-serious (and occasionally even kind of reflective) escapism. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:50 Suggested retail price: $29.95; Blu-ray $39.99.

“The Giver,” Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep. Belated adaptation of the acclaimed 1993 Lois Lowry novel, “The Giver” predated the end times obsession so successfully exploited in such now-ubiquitous teen series as “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent,” so its tale of a society struggling to rebuild following an undefined catastrophe practically pioneered this sort of thing. Bridges’ performance as the titular leader, an old man who reintroduces the lost concept of human emotion to young Jonas (Brendan Thwaites, “Maleficent”) via physical transference, makes this mostly successful adaptation worth checking out all on its own. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:37. Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99.

“The November Man,” Pierce Brosnan, Bill Smitrovich. Former 007 Brosnan looks to jumpstart another franchise with this compelling if disturbing adaptation of Bill Granger’s popular spy novel series, here portraying Peter Devereaux, an alternately cool and cruel ex-CIA operative dragged back into action, as so often tends to happen, for the purposes of rescuing a Russian double agent, and meanwhile bumping into an old protégé who has deadlier plans for Peter’s intended quarry. Action heroes don’t come more dependable than Brosnan, and though Devereaux is by design a far less likable character than Bond, he’s of course suavely riveting all the same. Rated R. Running time: 1:49. Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $39.99.

“Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas,” Tyler Perry, Larry the Cable Guy. Perry’s ever-popular gun-toting, Bible-banging granny stars in her inevitable holiday movie, rather logically pairing with fellow crass caricature Larry the Cable Guy for a lowbrow, obliquely Christian yuletide misadventure. Will no doubt fit comfortably on a shelf between “Ernest Saves Christmas” and “Santa Claus: The Movie”. Rated PG-13. Running time: 1:40. Suggested retail price: $29.95; Blu-ray $39.99.

– Courtesy of Videoport