New on DVD: ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Universal, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.98

Equal parts imaginative and aggravating, Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s “Scott Pilgrim” graphic novel series stars Michael Cera as the dim, self-centered Canadian indie-rocker, who has to fight the seven super-powered exes of his would-be girlfriend Ramona (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Why does Scott like the mumbly, charmless Ramona? Why does Ramona like the childish, thoughtless Scott? Those questions are never satisfactorily answered by “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (or by O’Malley’s books, frankly), but those with a high tolerance for one-dimensional young people should still enjoy this movie’s good humor and dazzling effects, which turn the ins and out of an ordinary slacker romance into a frenetic videogame. The DVD and Blu-ray come with a Wright commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes and featurettes galore.

Antichrist

Criterion, $39.95; Blu-ray, $39.95

Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist” is a boldly personal take on the horror film, tossing all of the moody Dane’s musings on faith, gender and nature into an unfettered phantasmagoria. Willem Dafoe plays a therapist who tries to help his wife (Charlotte Gainsbourg) heal from the accidental death of their toddler son. Von Trier initially mocks the impotence of touchy-feely self-help exercises, but then he turns on the audience, subjecting us to repellent sexual violence as the therapist descends into his wife’s nightmares. “Antichrist” is equal parts repulsive and silly, but it contains some of the most memorably frightening images since Dario Argento’s “Suspiria.” Criterion’s DVD and Blu-ray editions feature a typically mordant Von Trier commentary track, plus interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Charlie St. Cloud

Universal, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.98

Ben Sherwood’s bestselling novel “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud” is a sweet account of a young man struggling to move on with his life after the death of his younger brother, but what works on the page doesn’t always work on-screen —is evidenced by this movie adaptation, a glossy Zac Efron vehicle. Efron’s great in lighter roles, but here, as a man who has long conversations with his kid brother’s ghost, he can’t overcome the story’s maudlin tendencies. The featurettes on the DVD and Blu-ray focus mainly on Efron, though director Burr Steers does provide a commentary track.

Grown Ups

Columbia, $28.96; Blu-ray, $38.96

There’s an air of crowd-pleasing desperation to “Grown Ups,” an Adam Sandler comedy costarring his old “Saturday Night Live” pals Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider (plus Kevin James), all playing boyhood friends who realize they’ve lost touch with who they used to be. The movie is both broadly funny and broadly sentimental. The DVD and Blu-ray add a commentary by director Dennis Dugan, plus outtakes and bloopers.

Ramona and Beezus

20th Century Fox, $29.99; Blu-ray, $39.99

Beverly Cleary’s books about precocious grade-schooler Ramona Quimby have been kid favorites for decades, and while the cutesy big-screen adaptation “Ramona and Beezus” doesn’t have the originals’ scrappy charm, it’s well-cast and family-friendly. Based mostly on the book “Ramona and Her Father,” the movie stars Joey King as the young heroine, who causes all kinds of accidental trouble when she tries to help her dad weather a layoff. The special-effects-heavy fantasy sequences and romantic subplot for Ramona’s aunt (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) are unnecessary, but children who love the books should find a lot to like here too. The DVD and Blu-ray are refreshingly kid-focused, with featurettes that explain to youngsters how a movie gets made and an interview with Cleary.

And...

“The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection” (Buena Vista, $149.99); “I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale” (Oscilloscope, $19.99); “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child” (New Video, $29.95); “Men of a Certain Age: The Complete First Season” (Warner, $39.98); “Sherlock: Season One” (BBC Warner, $34.98; Blu-ray, $39.98).