Detective is game for spectral foe

Max Payne

20th Century Fox, $29.98/$34.98; Blu-ray, $39.98

Some of the best modern videogames achieve a near-cinematic quality, but the big-screen videogame adaptation “Max Payne” proves that a game-plot alone does not a movie make. Mark Wahlberg plays Max, a police detective working to solve the case of his murdered family by venturing into the realm of the supernatural. “Max Payne” jumps from one action sequence to another, all of which look awesome but have the narrative complexity of Donkey Kong.

The DVD and Blu-ray editions ratchet up the cross-platform cool via a commentary track by director John Moore, a conversation with the movie’s effects mavens and an “animated graphic novel.”

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City of Ember

20th Century Fox, $29.99

Most family-oriented fantasy films rely on broad characters and distracting effects, but “City of Ember” is played in a lower key, with naturalistic performances and elaborate, lived-in sets. Based on Jeanne DuPrau’s young adult novel, “City of Ember” stars Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement”) as one of an emerging generation of children questioning the direction of their crumbling underground city and the actions of its mayor (Bill Murray). The film isn’t exactly enchanting, but its mature themes and rich plot make it a useful young-adolescent corollary to Pixar’s “Wall-E.”

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Igor

MGM, $29.99; Blu-ray, $39.98

Because the animated feature “Igor” was too macabre for young children and too cutesy for hip adult moviegoers, it had a hard time finding an audience in theaters, but perhaps this oddly charming little cartoon will have better luck on home video. John Cusack provides the voice for a mad scientist’s helper, who discovers he can create life all by himself and immediately gets into big, big trouble. Grim action and sentimental life lessons ensue.

The DVD and Blu-ray editions include a commentary track by the filmmakers and some too-short featurettes.

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Repo! The Genetic Opera

Lionsgate, $19.98; Blu-ray, $29.99

Those who complain that modern horror movies have devolved into over-cranked remakes and torture porn should embrace this bold experiment in genre cross-breeding, mixing musical theater with sci-fi splatter. Paul Sorvino plays the wicked CEO of a company that engineers perfect body parts for surgery addicts, while “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” favorite Anthony Head plays his tragic repo man sent to collect the organs of clients who can’t make their payments. The two are locked in a love-hate relationship, which plays out against a pounding, wall-to-wall rock score.

The DVD offers two featurettes that trace the origins of the production, plus two commentary tracks (both of which feature director Darren Lynn Bousman). The Blu-ray adds yet another commentary track (featuring bit player Paris Hilton), deleted scenes and two more featurettes.