Military might leads new DVDs and Blu-rays this week, with a World War II melodrama and an action-packed “G.I. Joe” sequel.
“Emperor” (Lionsgate, 2013, PG-13, $19.98, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurette, photo galleries, trailers).
Based on a true story, this melodrama set in 1945 Japan after Hirohito’s surrender has Gen. Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) trying to determine whether the emperor — who is worshipped as a God by his people — should be punished for war crimes and possibly executed. MacArthur gives his expert on Japanese affairs (Matthew Fox) 10 days to advise him.
Unfortunately, most of the movie follows Fox and flashbacks to his ill-fated romance with a Japanese woman years earlier, giving us far too little of Jones, who dominates every scene he’s in and is sorely missed for long stretches when he’s absent. Still, the Hirohito-MacArthur material provides an interesting window into a page of history that is often overlooked. (Also on Blu-ray, $24.99).
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (Paramount/MGM/Blu-ray, 2013, PG-13, two discs, $39.99; Blu-ray, DVD, digital versions; deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes, trailers).
This sequel to the first film threatens an apocalypse as high-tech villains take over the White House and obliterate London in a show of force. Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis team up to save the day, but the real stars are the computer animators who get to blow up lots of stuff. (Also on 3D Blu-ray, $49.99, and DVD, $29.99)
“The Place Beyond the Pines” (Universal/Blu-ray, 2013; R for language, violence, drugs; two discs, $34.98; Blu-ray, DVD, digital versions; deleted/extended scenes, audio commentary, featurette, trailers).
The first half of this film follows a motorcycle stunt rider (Ryan Gosling) who returns to robbing banks when he discovers he has a son; the second half follows a straight-arrow cop (Bradley Cooper) who manipulates his corrupt superiors to get ahead. Dreary, with no one to root for. Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta co-star. (Also on DVD, $29.98)
“Old Dog” (Icarus, 2012, not rated, $24.98, in Tibetan with English subtitles).
Deceptively low-key Tibetan comedy-drama is more political than it lets on. Enjoyable for the art-house crowd, though decidedly slow going and a bit aloof. Thin story has a young man selling the family mastiff without permission, which drives a wedge between father and son. With some difficulty, Dad retrieves the dog, but then it’s stolen in the night.
“Teen Beach Movie” (Disney, 2013, G, $26.99, deleted scene, dance rehearsals, trailers).
Cutesy, innocent youth pop-musical-comedy is more or less a riff on the Frankie & Annette “Beach Party” movies of the 1960s with a plot stolen from, of all things, Woody Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” as a pair of young teens are sucked into their favorite old surf ‘n’ sand movie, titled, um, “Wet Side Story.” Hey, that’s what it’s called.
“Love and Honor” (IFC/Blu-ray, 2013, PG-13, $29.98, featurette, trailer).
A soldier in Vietnam sneaks out of the country while on leave to persuade his girl back home not to dump him, then hopes to sneak back into Vietnam before being reported as AWOL. Strives to be old-fashioned romance but instead is simplistic and a bit silly. (Also on DVD, $24.98)
“Black Rock” (Lionsgate/Blu-ray, 2013, R for violence, language, sex, nudity; $24.99, audio commentary, featurettes, trailer).
Three foul-mouthed 30-something women (Kate Bosworth, Lake Bell and director Katie Aselton) get together for a campout at an island they frequented together as kids, but a drunken trio of hunters also arrives. Horror ensues. (Also on DVD, $19.98)
“A Night for Dying Tigers” (Monarch, 2013, not rated, $24 95).
Stagey but well acted dysfunctional family yarn (an independent-film mainstay) about varied troubled siblings, spouses and a fiancé gathering for an evening of “reveals” before one brother (Gil Bellows) goes to prison for five years. Jennifer Beals co-stars.
“Welcome to the Punch” (IFC/Blu-ray, 2013, R for violence and language, $29.98, featurettes, trailer).
James McAvoy stars in this violent British thriller as a cop obsessing about the bank robber (Mark Strong) that got away. But when the robber’s son is injured in a heist, he returns and the cop goes after him, until they uncover a conspiracy that threatens both of them. (Also on DVD, $24.98)
“House Party: Tonight’s the Night” (Warner, 2013; R for sex, language, drugs; $28.98, DVD and digital versions, deleted scenes, featurette).
Yet another entry in the high school party-down comedy series, with a token appearance by the original “House Party” guys, Kid ’n’ Play.
“Blaze You Out” (Lionsgate, 2013; R for violence, language, drugs, sex; $26.98, featurette).
Lupe, an aspiring DJ is raising her younger sister Alicia, whose boyfriend is involved in the local drug trade. When Alicia disappears, Lupe braves the underworld to save her.
“Robert Williams” (Cinema Libre, 2013, not rated, $19.95, photo gallery, trailer).
Documentary about and testimonial to the titular artist whose avant-garde, often psychedelic cartoons over the past 50-plus years have influenced many underground, self-described “lowbrow” artists.
“War On Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State” (Disinformation, 2013, not rated, $19.98, extended interviews, audio commentary, trailers).
Static documentary tells the stories of whistleblowers from the NSA, Lockheed and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Chris Hicks is the author of "Has Hollywood Lost Its Mind? A Parents Guide to Movie Ratings." His website is www.hicksflicks.com.
Email: hicks@deseretnews.com