“Cinderella Man”
RATING: 3 PLAY
Universal, $29.98
Who’s in it: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti
Recap: Was it the title? Crowe’s personal problems? Did this cliched, yet uplifting Depression-era tale of boxer Jim Braddock come at a time when many preferred the darkness of “Million Dollar Baby?” Whatever the case, some in Hollywood are hoping a limited theatrical re-release and this DVD will help revive the film’s Oscar potential.
Best extra: “Ringside Seats” ropes in writer Norman Mailer to give blow-by-blow commentary on an actual Braddock fight.
Secrets revealed: Director Ron Howard, on one of three commentary tracks, notes he and the entire cast read Studs Terkel’s “Hard Times” to learn about the hardships of the Great Depression.
Feature to skip: “The Fight Card: Casting Cinderella Man” is mostly well-produced fluff about making the actors match their real-life inspirations.
Trivia: In a bid to boost business, some theater chains started offering a money-back guarantee for patrons seeing the film.
If you liked this, try: “Seabiscuit,” a similar story featuring a horse instead of Crowe.
“Fantastic 4”
RATING: 1 PLAY
Fox, $29.99
Who’s in it: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis
Recap: Hopefuls pointed to “Fantastic 4” as a sign the movie industry wasn’t as moribund as it seemed, but for the wrong reasons–i.e. if people would pay to see this, they’d see anything, so how bad can things be?
Best extra: Chiklis of TV’s “The Shield,” who plays the Thing, is the most gung-ho participant on the commentary track, sparking his fellow cast members into conversational action.
Secrets revealed: To prepare for her role as genetic engineer Sue Storm, Alba completed her PhD at Harvard. Just kidding! But Welsh actor Gruffudd, who plays the stretchy Mr. Fantastic, had to learn his American-accented lines phonetically.
Feature to skip: The “Video Diary” is just footage of the cast making the press and publicity rounds. Awesome!
Trivia: Director Tim Story preceded this film with the not-so-special-effects heavy “Taxi” and “Barbershop.”
If you liked this, try: “X2: X-Men United,” a good example of how to do a superhero movie right.
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ALSO OUT TUESDAY
“24: Season Four”
Fox Home Video, $69.98
If there is a more compelling hero on American TV than Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), get his DVD. Until then, watch Sutherland and the producers and writers of “24” create a deeply informed discourse on heroism in the post-9/11 era. Loaded with extras fans will love for the added history.
“The West Wing–The Complete Fifth Season”
Warner Home Video, $59.98
Creator Aaron Sorkin left before the fifth season, and the narrative suffered. Nevertheless, the characters he created remain, and it still is a pleasure to spend time with them in their highly moral and dazzling workplace.
“The Dukes of Hazzard”
Warner Home Video, $28.98
The remake of the popular TV show with Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville as cousins Bo and Luke Duke, plus Jessica Simpson as Daisy. It contains unrated and rated additional scenes and gag reels, featurettes showing how the Daisy Dukes were made and how to send a car through the air like the General Lee goes flying in the movie.
[ THE BALTIMORE SUN, REDEYE ]COMING SOON
IN STORES NEXT WEEK
– “Frank Miller’s Sin City-Recut & Extended Edition”
– “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”
– “King Kong–Peter Jackson’s Production Diaries”
– “The Island”
– “Roll Bounce”
– “Gilmore Girls–The Complete Fifth Season”
– “The Simpsons–The Complete Seventh Season”
