Cars
DISNEY, $29.99
Who’s in it: voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy
Recap: The weakest of the usually excellent Pixar batch, “Cars” isn’t terribly memorable but still looks awesome.
Best extra: “The Inspiration for Cars” is the closest this disappointing DVD comes to the bells-and-whistles, behind-the-scenes features of other Pixar DVDs. (Can a real special edition be far behind?)
Secrets revealed: Much of “Cars” was inspired by long research trips along the real Route 66.
Feature to skip: “Mater and the Ghostlight,” a dull made-for-DVD film starring Larry the Cable Guy’s rusty dump truck scene-stealer.
Trivia: Co-writer/director John Ranft died a year before the film’s release.
If you liked this, try: “Doc Hollywood,” the nearly forgotten Michael J. Fox movie whose plot is eerily similar to that of “Cars.”
RATING: 1 PLAY
Transformers: The Movie
Sony, $21.98
Who’s in it: voices of Peter Cullen, Judd Nelson, Orson Welles
Recap: Capitalizing on early buzz for the upcoming big-budget, live-action adaptation, this 20th anniversary special edition of the animated “Transformers” is primo ’80s cheese–and cult movie gold.
Best extra: Geeks will salivate at the wealth of “Transformer” trivia dolled out on two commentary tracks.
Secrets revealed: The earlier VHS edition edited out a bit of startling profanity and tacked on a happy ending, but both changes are fixed here.
Feature to skip: An episode of the old animated TV show, “Scramble City,” may serve as a companion to the film, but the DVD couldn’t get the original audio cleared, so we’re stuck listening to fans talk over it instead.
Trivia: “Transformers: The Movie” marked the final screen credit of the legendary Orson Welles.
If you liked this, try: “Boogie Nights,” which references the terrible “Transformers” hard rock soundtrack clunker “The Touch” in its hilarious recording studio sequence.
RATING: 3 PLAYS
BEST OF THE REST
– “Beverly Hills 90210: The Complete First Season” (Paramount, $54.99)
– “Police Squad! The Complete Series” (Paramount, $19.99)
– “Wordplay” (IFC, $24.95)
