Crazy, Stupid, Love.
We didn't much care for this ensemble rom-com when it was released in late July, but audiences disagreed, turning it into a sleeper summer hit. Still, we stand by our opinion that the movie contains exactly one great storyline -- the sweet, charming romance between Ryan Gosling's Barney Stinson-like player and Emma Stone's sharp-as-a-tack law school grad -- surrounded by lots and lots of dross, from Steve Carell's unconvincing transformation from loser to lothario, to his young onscreen son's creepy obsession with his older babysitter (played by America's Next Top Model alum, Analeigh Tipton). The movie's other sins include wasting the talents of Julianne Moore and Marisa Tomei in poorly conceived supporting roles and Carell's cringe-inducing climactic confessional -- which, as per rom-com tradition, is delivered in a way too public forum. If you loved this movie, more power to you. For us, the film errs more on the "crazy, stupid" side of the equation.
Extras: Deleted scenes and extended conversations between Carell and Gosling and Gosling and Stone.

Cars 2
Well... it had to happen at some point. Mighty Pixar struck out with this frenetic, charmless sequel to one of their most successful (financially, if not creatively) films. The main source of the problem? Moving the focus of the story from Owen Wilson's likable racecar Lightning McQueen to Larry the Cable Guy's grating tow truck Mater, making him the unwitting hero of a convoluted spy story that takes both cars from Radiator Springs to Japan to England. A few clever gags aside, Cars 2 mostly feels like it's running on fumes.
Extras: What's likely to be a defensive commentary track from Cars mastermind (and head of Pixar) John Lasseter, the short Toy Story cartoon "Hawaiian Vacation" and an all new Cars short starring... Mater, once again. Sigh. You think they would have learned their lesson.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
One of the best New York movies ever made, not to mention one of the greatest thrillers in a decade filled with great thrillers, this 1974 tale of a subway-heist-gone-wrong finally scores a high-def release, all the better to enjoy the gritty images of '70s-era New York, as well as Robert Shaw's juicy turn as the gangster-in-chief and Walter Matthau's hilariously dry performance as the transit cop on the gang's trail. Although Tony Scott's 2009 remake turned out to be better than anticipated, it's impossible to top the original for attitude and white-knuckle excitement. This Pelham also offers one of the all-time great final shots. Just watch it already, will you?
Extras: Nothing of note.

Hook
Along with Always and Amistad, Hook -- which makes its belated Blu-ray bow -- is one of the forgotten entries in Steven Spielberg's filmography. Released in 1991, right before the Hollywood legend reinvented himself with the one-two punch of Jurassic Park and Schindler's List, this riff on the Peter Pan story is typically remembered -- when it's remembered at all -- as being a bloated, overlong bore. And it's true that it's far from Spielberg's most sure-footed feature; at 142 minutes, it's at least a half-hour too long and the visual are production designed to within an inch of their life. For a director that usually handles spectacle so adroitly, Hook is almost too lavish and overdressed. And yet, there are several terrific elements here, from Dustin Hoffman's fabulous portrayal of the titular pirate to the grown-up Peter's (played by Robin Williams in a flawed, but still effective performance) strained relationship with his young children. (Julia Roberts' Tinkerbell remains a big piece of miscasting, though.) It's also worth noting that -- until this winter's Adventures of Tintin flick -- Hook was Spielberg's last out-and-out children's movie; after Schindler's List, he'd spend the next two decades tackling more emotionally and dramatically mature material, from Saving Private Ryan to Munich. Hook may not be a masterpiece, but it's nothing to be ashamed of either. Now Always on the other hand...
Extras: Nada. Too bad: it would have been fascinating to hear Spielberg's thoughts on what went right -- and wrong -- with Hook two decades later.

Also on DVD:
With the period drama Water For Elephants, adapted from the best-selling book of the same name, Twilight's Robert Pattinson tried to show that he's capable of more than feuding with another guy (Taylor Lautner) over a waifish heroine (Kristen Stewart) by... feuding with another guy (Christoph Waltz) over a waifish heroine (Reese Witherspoon). But this time there are elephants! Also based on a best-seller, Wayne Wang's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan takes place in 19th century China and chronicles the friendship between two girls who seek ways to rebel against the strict social mores of their era. A pair of Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers offer their latest non-fiction features this week; Errol Morris goes back to his oddball roots with the wild ride that is Tabloid, a killer yarn that involves manacled Mormons and lovely, possibly deranged blondes among other things. Meanwhile, Alex Gibney's Magic Trip recounts the misadventures of coutner-culture icons Ken Kesey and his Merry Band of Pranksters during their drug-fueled bus trip across America in the '60s. Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson and an overqualified supporting cast look positively lost fighting their way through the bizarre Japanese puppet-show inspired action picture Bunraku, but don't be surprised if the film becomes a midnight movie favorite -- it's just that weird. The Nicolas Cage/Nicole Kidman home invasion movie Trespass already suffered the indignity of going straight to VOD (with a very limited theatrical release) and now it's turning up on DVD without any fanfare. James Mangold's Cop Land was supposed to re-launch Sylvester Stallone as a heavyweight dramatic actor, but that career path never materialized. It's still a good performance though and the movie itself remains underappreciated. George Clooney added "director" to his resume with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, the long-stalled biopic of Gong Show host/CIA agent Chuck Barris. It's not the most auspicious directorial debut ever, but it signaled Clooney's interest in tackling more challenging material behind the camera. Until that terrible ending, Scrooged represents Bill Murray at his finest. The flick's also got one of our favorite Carol Kane performances ever. Finally, the ten-disc Liam Neeson Film Collection covers some of the Irish actors highs (Rob Roy), lows (Nell) and huhs? (Shining Through).

Think you're a TV or movie expert? Prove it! Play Trivia Without Pity, our new online trivia game with over 2,000 questions about the shows and films you love -- and love to hate.

What are people saying about your favorite shows and stars right now? Find out with Talk Without Pity, the social media site for real TV fans. See Tweets and Facebook comments in real time and add your own -- all without leaving TWoP. Join the conversation now!