Disney’s ‘The Great Mouse Detective’ is released on Blu-ray

The Great Mouse Detective

Walt Disney Blu-ray, $19.99

Some people trace the revival of Walt Disney animation to 1989’s “The Little Mermaid,” but one of the main reasons that “Mermaid” got the go-ahead was because of the success of 1986’s “The Great Mouse Detective.” Under the supervision of Ron Clements and John Musker (who later helmed “Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and the recent “The Princess and the Frog”), “The Great Mouse Detective” tells a Sherlock Holmes story more rooted in tradition than the recent Robert Downey Jr. vehicle -- even though all the main characters are rodents. The movie was groundbreaking for its combination of cel animation and CGI. And now “The Great Mouse Detective” is coming to Blu-ray, complete with an interactive game, a singalong and a featurette.

Pirate Radio

Universal, $29.98; $36.98

“Love Actually” writer-director Richard Curtis returns to ensemble comedy with “Pirate Radio,” a historically inaccurate but generally enjoyable look back at mid-’60s Britain, when rogue rock ‘n’ roll DJs took to the seas to defy the government and thrill youngsters nationwide. The movie’s soundtrack is as high-powered as its cast (which includes the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy). The DVD and Blu-ray come with an hour of deleted scenes and a Curtis commentary.

Defendor

Sony, $24.96

Woody Harrelson continues his recent winning streak with “Defendor,” an offbeat superhero movie in which Harrelson plays a meek, mentally ill man who dresses up in a costume at night to clobber criminals, alongside a drug-addicted prostitute played by Kat Dennings. Harrelson keeps “Defendor” on an even keel, holding on to the angst of his character while also remembering to be entertaining. Harrelson keeps the bonhomie rolling on the DVD commentary track, which he shares with writer-director Peter Stebbings and Dennings. The disc also includes outtakes, deleted scenes and an hour of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Tenderness

Lionsgate, $28.98

The indie drama “Tenderness” features mega-star Russell Crowe, yet the movie came and went last year with almost no attention, perhaps because director John Polson and screenwriter Emil Stern’s adaptation of Robert Cormier’s novel is too low-key to leave much of an impression. Crowe plays a detective who shadows a recently released young murderer, convinced the kid will kill again. The DVD adds only a six-minute featurette.

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