What to Rent

Snow White and the Huntsman

Kristen Stewart puts a new spin on the titular character, turning Snow White from a fragile princess into a fearless leader in the re-imagining of this classic tale. Charlize Theron stars as the evil Queen Ravenna, Snow's jealous stepmother who employs a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to track Snow down. Her goal? To eat the girl's beating heart and achieve everlasting youth. The action sequences are top-notch, and Theron shines (literally, thanks to makeup), but a little more romance would have been nice. Extras include "A New Legend Is Born" featurette and director commentary.

48%

What to Expect When You're Expecting

After decades on the best-seller list, advice book What to Expect When You're Expecting gets a movie adaptation, but this romantic comedy treads far from its source material. The film's ensemble cast includes Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth Banks, and Brooklyn Decker all as expectant mothers in different situations. The movie doesn't have a lot of surprises, but it's pretty heartwarming. Bonus features include two featurettes, deleted scenes, and a digital copy of the film.

23%

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The Five-Year Engagement

Jason Segel reteams with Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller for the tale of two love birds who just can't get the timing right. Segel is one half of a committed couple (Emily Blunt plays his other half) who are head over heels for one another, but as they get engaged, life takes them in different directions and they are repeatedly forced to delay their wedding. Despite excellent chemistry from the two leads, this romantic comedy is a bit of a downer. The DVD comes equipped with a commentary track featuring Stoller and the cast, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and several making-of featurettes.

63%

Safe

Jason Statham assumes control of another action flick in Safe. This time, Statham is fighting off bad guys and shooting up New York City in order to protect a young Chinese girl. The child is a genius with a photographic memory, and dangerous gangsters need to know what only she can tell them by heart. Extras include commentary by writer-director Boaz Yakin and the featurettes "Cracking Safe," "Criminal Battleground," and "The Art of the Gunfight."

57%

Life Happens is also available on DVD this week.

The Lucky One

Zac Efron stars as Logan, a conflicted marine in this schmaltzy adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks romantic novel. While overseas in Iraq, Logan finds a picture of a beautiful girl (Taylor Schilling) and comes to believe she's the reason he was able to get out of duty alive. Upon his return to the States, Logan finds her in Louisiana and becomes a part of her and her son's life, much to the chagrin of some protective friends. Efron is appealing, but the movie is cheesy and formulaic. The DVD comes with the "Zac and Taylor's Amazing Chemistry" featurette.

20%

Battleship

Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgard are brothers and navy men in Battleship, an overblown actionfest inspired by the board game of the same name. Alex (Kitsch) is a stubborn but lovable rule-breaker, while Stone (Skarsgard) is the dependable leader, but their world is flipped upside down when aliens touch down near their Hawaiian naval base. Suddenly, it becomes up to Alex to save his fellow troops, the country, and his girlfriend (Brooklyn Decker) from being demolished. The DVD includes an alternate ending and seven film featurettes.

34%

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Chimpanzee and Freelancers are also available on DVD this week.

The Dictator

Sacha Baron Cohen plays Admiral General Aladeen, the prejudiced leader of a fictional oppressive country, Wadiya, in this comedy. He comes to visit the United States, and after one of his advisers (Ben Kingsley) betrays him, he assumes a new identity and falls for a hippie shop owner (Anna Faris). Borat director Larry Charles reteamed with Cohen for this offensive yet surprisingly funny comedy in the same vein of Cohen's previous character-driven movies. DVD extras include both unrated and theatrical versions of the film, an ultraviolet copy, a Larry King interview with General Aladeen, and deleted and extended scenes.

58%

Bernie

Jack Black stars as Bernie, a strange funeral assistant who befriends a wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine) in rural Texas. A church choir singer and a Sunday school teacher, Bernie's an upstanding member of the community, so it's particularly shocking when the town finds out that his widow friend has been murdered and Bernie is the prime suspect. Matthew McConaughey also stars in the slightly off-kilter dramedy from director Richard Linklater. The DVD comes with deleted scenes and three featurettes.

91%

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Bel Ami

Stepping outside of the Twilight franchise, Robert Pattinson stars as Georges Duroy, a young soldier sleeping his way into the upper echelon of late 19th century Paris society. On his way to the top, Georges romances many women, including Madeleine (Uma Thurman), Clotilde (Christina Ricci), and Virginie (Kristen Scott Thomas). Despite a beautiful backdrop and cast, Pattinson's performance falls flat, along with the film. The DVD comes with interviews with the main cast and directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.

28%

The Lorax

Danny DeVito voices the titular character from Dr. Seuss's classic children's book in this musical CGI retelling. Zac Efron also lends his vocals to the film as a boy searching for a Truffala tree to win the affections of his dream girl (Taylor Swift). While on his journey, he encounters The Lorax, a furry orange creature dedicated to preserving the once-bountiful land. The message may be pure, but the frenetically paced movie is muddled with too much action and music. Extras include three short films, sing-a-longs, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

55%

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LOL

Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore are a daughter and mother striving to connect with their friends, romantic interests, and each other in this American take on a popular French film. Lola (Cyrus) is stuck nursing a heartbreak but soon discovers that the love of her life may be right in front of her, in the form of her rocker best friend (Douglas Booth). LOL may be a great pick for fans of Cyrus, but more seasoned moviegoers might be disappointed in the film's lack of charm and flat, somewhat insulting, characters. DVD extras include commentary with the director, Lisa Azuelos and three featurettes, including "The Cast of LOL."

Detention

The Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson stars as Clapton Davis, a student who just wants to survive his senior year. Unfortunately, Davis has more than his SAT scores to look out for. A slasher killer is on the loose at his high school, and it's up to Clapton to stop him. Horror/comedy mashup Detention is jam-packed with time travel, body swapping, and, of course, romance — all with the clock ticking down to the apocalypse. The DVD comes with a making-of featurette.

32%

The Three Stooges, Intruders, and Lockout are also available on DVD this week.

Friends With Kids

Jennifer Westfeldt stars in, wrote, and directed this comedy. Single Julie (Westfeldt) and her best friend, womanizer Jason (Adam Scott), agree to have a baby together, despite their married friends' warnings. The two love each other platonically but discover that their friendship gets complicated as they raise a child. Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, and Kristen Wiig are hilarious and heartbreaking as their network of friends. Extras include audio commentary, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a making-of featurette.

68%

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Ewan McGregor plays Dr. Alfred Jones, a fisheries expert who accepts the task of bringing fly fishing to the arid land of Yemen at the request of a sheik who enjoys the sport. Though he's skeptical about the project, he's propelled to succeed by the sheik's pretty consultant, Harriet (Emily Blunt). Two featurettes, "Miracles Happen: Making Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" and "The Fisherman in the Middle East: Novelist Paul Torday," are included on the DVD.

68%

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American Reunion

Over a decade after their graduation, Jim, Stifler, and the whole American Pie gang return to their old stomping grounds for the high school reunion. The group is older but, arguably, not wiser, and they embark on the same type of raunchy shenanigans, complete with scantily clad high school girls and lots of alcohol. Though it's nice to see the characters and rock to the '90s hits on the soundtrack, the jokes and dynamics feel a little old, and some of the tomfoolery goes way too far. DVD extras include deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

43%

The Flowers of War

Christian Bale stars as John Miller, an American caught overseas while the battle between China and Japan rages around him. It's 1937 Nanking, and the terrified John seeks refuge in a European church among a group of schoolgirls and prostitutes from the red-light district. Complications arise when the girls are asked to sing in front of the Japanese army, and John must take heroic measures to ensure their safety in the brutal and disturbing film, based on the novel by Geling Yan. A five-part making-of documentary is included with the DVD.

41%

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21 Jump Street

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are unlikely partners assigned to go undercover and infiltrate a high-school drug ring in this comedic adaptation of the '80s cop show. Fitting in proves to be a little more difficult than they imagined, and their drug mission soon takes a back burner to their quest for popularity. The film has a nice balance of chase scenes and hilarious high-school moments, and Tatum holds his own against comedic veteran Hill. DVD extras include a blooper reel, a segment with Johnny Depp, deleted scenes, and an audio commentary.

85%

The Artist

In this charming, award-winning darling, Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a silent film actor whose life is turned upside-down upon the arrival of talking pictures. As the world collapses around him, he finds a friend in dancer Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), whose vigor for talkies reignites his passion for filmmaking. The near-completely silent The Artist won five Oscars, including best picture, best director, and best actor. Extras include a making-of featurette, a blooper reel, and a look at the locations used in the film.

98%

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In addition to the following DVDs, Project X is also available.

Wanderlust

Confronted with sudden unemployment, George (Paul Rudd) and his wife, Linda (Jennifer Aniston), must say goodbye to their NYC miniloft, swallow their pride, and head to George's brother's house to live temporarily. On the way there, they spend one magical night at Elysium, a commune in the wilderness, and following a confrontation with George's brother, they return to Elysium. There they discover the joys of living a life free of material possessions but also discover that the new way of life isn't exactly perfect for them. DVD extras include audio commentary by director David Wain, a gag reel, featurettes, and an episode of Wain's Web show.

59%

Big Miracle

Inspired by true events, Big Miracle chronicles the story of a reporter (John Krasinski) who discovers that three grey whales are trapped under ice in the Arctic Circle. He calls on his animal activist ex-girlfriend (Drew Barrymore) to draw attention to the situation and figure out a way to save the whales, and eventually the dilemma becomes an international sensation. Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, and Dermont Mulroney also star in the family-friendly animal tale. The DVD comes with commentary from director Ken Kwapis, deleted scenes, and two featurettes.

74%

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