Toy Story 3

Get ready to log some major hours in front of the TV. The latest DVD releases include an HBO series and a '90s hit show, both of which will have you pressed into the couch for days. But if you're looking for less of a time commitment, we have something for you too. Take a look!

Toy Story 3

After a decade-long hiatus, Buzz and Woody return for another heartwarming Toy Story installment. When Andy prepares to leave for college, the toys wind up in a day care center and must fight their way back home. The film maintains the same creative humor that we've come to expect from the franchise, along with a message of growing up that's sure to strike a chord with adults. DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes look at Pixar, a sneak peek at the Toy Story-themed playland at Hong Kong Disneyland, and the short film "Day & Night" which played before the film in theaters.

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The Pacific

Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and the team behind the hit HBO series Band of Brothers deliver another in-the-trenches look at World War 2, this time from the perspective of the soldiers battling the Japanese in the East. The epic drama boasts excellent performances (watch for a cameo from Fringe's Anna Torv), and it's easy to get swept up in the characters' romances. But be warned: the gritty, savage portrayal of battle is often hard to watch. DVD extras include profiles of the Marines dramatized in the series and historical context for each episode.

One more to check out when you read more

• The Walking Dead had the highest ratings for any cable series this year — TV by the Numbers
• Watch a clip from the Toy Story 3 DVD — Moviefone
• Watch Zach Galifianakis smoke a joint on Bill Maher's show — Movieline
• The best "Treehouse of Horror" segments from The Simpsons — TV Squad
• The wacky movie gimmicks used to get people into theaters — Rotten Tomatoes
• See the first images from Steven Spielberg's Tintin — Vulture
• Watch the first American Idol promos for season 10 — Idol Chatter
• Johnny Depp may play the huntsman in Snow White and the Huntsman — MTV Movies Blog
• Learn how to get the sexy hairstyles from Burlesque — BellaSugar

Photo courtesy of AMC

Leonardo didn't have to worry about a little friendly competition from Angelina Jolie at the box office this weekend. Inception took in $43.5 million, keeping it on top for the second weekend in a row. Jolie's spy thriller Salt settled for second, debuting with $36.5 million.

Despicable Me was knocked down to third with $24.1 million, leaving The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Toy Story 3 neck and neck with $9.6 million and $9 million, respectively. Newcomer Ramona and Beezus didn't quite make the cut, taking in a meager $8 million in its opening weekend.

Send your congrats to Leonardo DiCaprio. After much critical acclaim, his latest film, Inception, went on to earn $60.4 million at the box office, making it the biggest opening of the actor's career (yep, even over Titanic). Those sales numbers put it far ahead of the weekend's No. 2 movie, Despicable Me, which took in $32.7 million.

But where DiCaprio and Inception found success, Disney's new release The Sorcerer's Apprentice took a heavy blow with a disappointing $17.3 million during its debut. That lands the Nicolas Cage film in third place, followed by Eclipse, which fell to fourth with $13.5 million, and Toy Story 3, which earned $11.7 million for fifth.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros

Evil rules! Villain Gru and his army of minions took control of the box office over the weekend with Despicable Me. The animated flick landed in first place, raking in $60.1 million for its debut. That number exceeded studio expectations and was enough to unseat Robert Pattinson and the vampires of Eclipse, which fell to second place with $33.4 million.

Coming in third was the other big new release, Predators which earned a solid $25.3 million. Rounding out the rest of the top five was Toy Story 3 with $22 million and The Last Airbender with $17.1 million.

Photo courtesy Universal Pictures

Surprise, surprise — Eclipse continued its hot streak at the box office, taking home the holiday weekend crown and raking in $69 million (the film has made $161 million since its midnight opening on Wednesday). The Last Airbender had a decent debut weekend as well: despite harsh reviews, the action adventure took in a respectable $40.6 million.

Toy Story 3 was bumped to third but still made a healthy $30.1 million, while Grown Ups settled for fourth place with $18.5 million. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz stayed in the top five with Knight and Day's $10.2 million. Though it's been a slow Summer for movies, the holiday weekend proved to be better than most — Eclipse had the third best Fourth of July weekend opening in history. Never underestimate the power of Edward Cullen.

As a child, I had to be lifted out of my theater seat because I couldn't stop sobbing after Bambi's mother was shot. The same thing happened when Dumbo was separated from his mother. I shouldn't be surprised that many Disney (and its offshoot, Pixar) films elicit the same reaction when I take my tot to the theater.

I've seen the first two Toy Story films multiple times due to their heavy rotation on our DVD player and have found them all to be charming stories that resonate with me. But no one prepared me for the avalanche of tears that would take control of me during the third installment of the trilogy. The story of a boy moving beyond his childhood and leaving the reminders of his youth behind had me begging the clock to freeze so my lil ones would remain innocent kids, who believe that their toy planes really can fly and that Spiderman is on the other end of their toy phones forever. We already have bags filled with infant and toddler toys, and I know that the future holds plenty more, but I wasn't ready to face the sense of abandonment that one feels when a loved one moves on.

I left the theater mourning the loss of my children's childhoods 14 years earlier than necessary. I also left that theater ready to cherish each day a bit more than I did before seeing the movie.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures