The extras on the “War of the Worlds” DVD ($39.99) are all business. Don’t expect to hear the name Katie Holmes or see Tom Cruise leaping off Oprah Winfrey’s couch.
If all the TomKat hype often overshadowed last summer’s release of the sci-fi remake, this dual-disc set makes sure to keep the focus where director Steven Spielberg undoubtedly always intended: on the film itself.
That film, incidentally, is a pretty effective one, telling an engrossing, intense story while also wowing audiences with awesome special effects, something mega-blockbusters often struggle to do. But “War” loses a bit of its impact on DVD; the towering tripods don’t look quite as daunting on television as they do blown up to mega-alien size on a big screen.
The movie’s often washed-out color palette also looks slightly grainy on disc, which doesn’t help matters. (The 5.1 surround sound, on the other hand, almost makes up for that.)
“War of the Worlds” is being sold in two formats: a very basic iteration that comes with just one featurette, and the limited-edition set reviewed here. Fans of the film, Cruise, Spielberg or all of the above should opt for the latter, which delivers more than two hours’ worth of bonus features.
Those extras are a mixed bag. Some – including “The H.G. Wells Legacy,” which features interviews with the grandson and great-grandson of the original “War” author – are informative but dull. Others, particularly the series of production diaries that chronicle the filming of “War of the Worlds,” offer revealing, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the lightning-fast process involved in bringing these mean E.T.s to life.
Some may be inclined to blow off “War of the Worlds” because of all the attention that swirled around Cruise this year. That would be a mistake. Despite a few flaws – including a resolution to the movie’s main story line that defies logic – “War” is a movie worth watching and a DVD with enough extras to keep even Cruise seated on a sofa for a few hours.
Most worthwhile bonus: The production diaries are the high point of the DVD, following Spielberg and crew as they travel from New Jersey to Virginia to Hollywood in their quest to film a major motion picture in less than four months. Seeing the actual locations – a street in New Jersey that doubles for a street in New Jersey – and intricate sets restores one’s faith in the notion that great sci-fi filmmaking doesn’t have to rely entirely on special effects.
Missing bonus: Spielberg provides no commentary, continuing his record of refusing to record audio tracks for DVDs and disappointing fans eager to hear what this influential and articulate filmmaker has to say about his work.
NEW ON DVD
Mr. and Mrs. Smith *** As “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” opens, John and Jane Smith (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) are dipping into couples therapy. On the surface, their problem points to suburban blues. The truth – relative for the J. Smiths – is that unbeknownst to John or Jane, each is a top-flight assassin. When an assignment goes awry, they’re ordered by their bosses to kill the other – a job each takes seriously. Directed by Doug Liman, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” is a tart, tasty, occasionally overly brutal parable about modern marriage wrapped in a rock- him, sock-her action flick. PG-13; 115 minutes (Lisa Kennedy)
March of the Penguins **** It’s one of the most satisfying movies of the year, a riveting and emotional documentary that succeeds by stepping back to observe nature as it is, rather than as humankind wishes it to be. Antarctica’s emperor penguins are one of the most extraordinary species on Earth for what they endure to raise their young. Luc Jacquet takes his cameras to the coldest, windiest spots of the world to watch male penguins starve themselves for four months as they hold eggs on their warm feet; the moms don’t have it much better, marching slowly across 70 miles of ice to get food and bring it home. G; 80 minutes (Michael Booth)
Murderball *** 1/2 What starts as an intriguing look at the violent sport of quadriplegic rugby quickly transforms into an all-encompassing look at America’s top disabled athletes and how they got there. A key point of “Murderball” is that the “noble” struggling athlete can be just as intense, and just as much of a jerk, as your average single-minded jock. Far from a downer, the film then goes even deeper, giving us rounded lives of remarkable people. R; 86 minutes (Michael Booth)
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo * 1/2 Rob Schneider’s return as a male prostitute who can’t seem to please anyone in or out of bed occurs in a men’s-club universe far more clever than that of the first “Deuce” film. You get some good one-liners and some bad gross-out jokes. Still, what it comes down to is Rob Schneider, who is the main problem in every Rob Schneider movie. R; 83 minutes (Vic Vogler)
