This week will see the American DVD debut of the cult anime series Hetalia: Axis Powers and the Masamune Shirow-created Ghost Hound anime as well as a number of cult TV series including Fringe, Glee, and the original Twilight Zone on Blu-ray.  Also the recently dormant theatrical category comes to life with the underrated epic Prince of Persia and two of the best romantic comedies from a year in which the genre has been down.

 

Anime

 

There is a major slate of releases this week with four different Blu-ray offerings, but the most intriguing release of the week is Hetalia: Axis Powers Season 1 Complete Collection (Funimation, “17+,” 130 min., $34.98).  Based on the Webcomic/manga by Hidekaz Himaruya, the Hetalia anime, which was produced by Studio Deen, is a satirical allegory of World War II with all the participating countries personified as high school age kids who exhibit the appropriate “national traits.”  Often outrageous and controversial, Hetalia has already developed a major cult following in Japan and in the U.S. where it is cosplay favorite.

 

This week’s Blu-ray anime releases include Dragon Ball Z Kai Season 1 Part 2 (Funimation , “13+,” 325 min., BD $54.98, DVD $49.98), the streamlined, hi-def version of the popular DBZ series (see “DVD Round-Up: Week of May 18th” for more on DBZ Kai).  Also out in the hi-def format are Slayers Season 4: Slayers Revolution (Funimation, “13+,” 312 min., BD $59.98) and Slayers Season 5: Slayers Evolution-R (Funimation, “13+,” 312 min., BD $59.98), the two most recent (2008 and 2009) TV anime series based on the popular D&D-like fantasy franchise and animated by J.C. Staff.

 

The other Blu-ray release this week is Ghost Hound Complete Series (Sentai Filmworks, “!3+,” 550 min.,BD $89.98, DVD $69.98), an anniversary series for Production I.G. based on a concept by Masamune Shirow, the creator of Ghost in the Shell.  This supernatural horror series about three teenage boys with traumatic childhood experiences who have “out-of-body experiences, should appeal to those who enjoyed the Ghost in the Shell movies and TV series.  Ghost Hound aired on Japanese TV in 2007 and 2008. 

 

Sentai has another excellent release this week, Golgo13, Collection 2 (Sentai Filmworks, “13+,” 325 min., $59.98), the stylish 2008-2009 series about a professional assassin based on the manga by Takao Saito.  There is a definite “old school anime” feel to this well-crafted, but never flashy series that emphasizes the professionalism of it protagonist in a series of well-plotted narratives.

 

The other new release is Corpse Princess Complete Collection Part 2 (Funimation “17+,” 300 min., $59.98), the second half of the horror/action series produced by Gainax that aired in Japan in 2008.

 

Re-priced releases due this week include the Blade of the Immortal Complete Collection Litebox (Media Blasters, “16+,” 325 min., $39.99), which is based on the innovative samurai manga by Hiroaki Samura (published here by Dark Horse), the Dragon Ball Z Dragon Box 4 (Funimation, “13+,” 1050 min., $59.98), and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 2 Complete Collection (Bandai Entertainment, “13+,” 350 min., $64.98). 

 

TV on DVD

 

There are new cult series galore this week including Fringe: The Complete Second Season (Warner Bros., 1012 min., $59.98, BD $69.97).  Created by J.J. Abrams and Star Trek scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, Fringe is the saga of a special FBI team that uses “fringe” science to investigate a series of ghastly unexplained occurrences around the world.

 

But the prime cult TV release of the week is the new Blu-ray edition of the first season of the original Twilight Zone series.  The Twilight Zone Season 1 (Image Entertainment, 933 min. $99.98) features all 36 episodes of the first season of the groundbreaking science fiction series in pristine high definition along with loads of extra features. 

 

For those whose tastes run to musical theater there is Glee: The Complete First Season (Fox, 1012 min., $59.98, BD $69.98).  Fox released the first half of Season 1 earlier and is also putting out Glee: Season 1 Vol.2 (Fox, 506 min., $39.98) for those who bought Part 1. 

 

Nerd comedy is almost as popular as vampire romance and no one does it better than the team behind The Big Bang Theory.  Jim Parsons, who plays the stonefaced, comic book-loving scientist Sheldon Cooper, just picked up a well-deserved Emmy, and this series is already a ratings winner for CBS.  The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Third Season (Disney, 539 min., $44.98, BD $54.97) is simply more proof that this is the most intelligent, best-written comedy series on network television.

 

There are also several low cost animated "TV on DVD" releases of interest out this week including Dungeons & Dragons: Into the Magical Realm (Mill Creek, 234 min., $9.98), which includes nine episodes from the 1980s series co-produced by Marvel and TSR, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Battle for Eternia (Mill Creek, 234 min., $9.98), with ten episodes of the 2002 revival of the 1980s Saturday morning cartoon series, and The Legend of White Fang (Mill Creek, 746 min., $14.98), which contains all 26 episodes of the 1990s Jack London-based Canadian/French co-production—18 of which have never been released in the U.S. before.

 

New series debuting include the Emmy-nominated The Good Wife (Paramount, $62.99), which has scored solid ratings for CBS, and the fantasy football-themed The League (Fox, 209 min., $29.98), which appeared on the FX cable network and has been renewed for a second season.

 

Continuing series include The Commish: Season 2 (Mill Creek, 1426, $14.98), Designing Women: The Complete 4th Season (Shout Factory, 600 min., $44.98), Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete 6th Season (Disney, 1032, $59.99), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fox, $39.98, BD $49.98), Leave It To Beaver: Season 4 (Shout Factory, 930 min., $39.97), Private Practice: The Complete Third Season (Disney, 989 min., $45.99), Renegade: Season 2 (Mill Creek, 958 min., $14.98), and Rules of Engagement: The Complete Third Season (Sony, 277 min., $29.95).

 

The U.K. TV offerings this week are all from the BBC.  The major release is Robin Hood: The Complete Series (BBC, 1811 min., $99.98), which includes all 39 forty-five minute episodes of the stylish series that debuted in 2006 and dared to draw political parallels to current day events. 

 

Fans of Conan Doyle’s super sleuth will want to have Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Series (BBC, 650 min., $19.98), which contains all 13 episodes of the 1964 series starring Douglas Wilmer as Holmes and Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson.  The third BBC series is Dalziel and Pascoe: Season 2 (BBC, 377 min., $34.98), an enjoyable crime series featuring the exploits of an “Odd Couple” team of detectives, the idiosyncratic Andy Dalziel and his cultured partner Peter Pascoe, whose sociology degree and caring attitude don't prevent him from being an effective policeman.

 

Theatrical Movies

 

Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is widely considered a failure here in the U.S. where the $200 million tentpole earned just $90.1 million, but it did much better overseas where it brought in $244.4 million and this star-crossed epic might eventually earn its cost back on DVD.  Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Director Mike Newell have been criticized for choosing Jake Gyllenhaal to topline such a major production, but it must be said that other than a dicey attempt at a British accent he is perfectly adequate for the action-heavy role.  The production is beautifully mounted and photographed and the narrative, which is based on the video game by Jordan Mechner, is a surprisingly good mixture of fantasy time-traveling tropes and good old fashioned court intrigue.  The movie manages to include the parkour elements of the video game as Prince Dastan leaps across the rooftops and palace walls with considerable grace and aplomb.  Gyllenhaal actually makes an excellent Douglas Fairbanks-type athletic hero and his sly smiles add a genre-appropriate lighthearted tone to the proceedings. 

 

Yes the action scenes, particularly at the end of the film are overblown in the style of modern summer blockbusters, and the CGI effects, while impressive at times, get tiresome, but Prince of Persia has loads of pace and energy as well as a first rate supporting cast that includes Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, and Gemma Arterton.  The movie with its Arabian Nights cityscapes and palaces looks especially good in Blu-ray and the Blu-ray Combo packs includes a regular DVD as well as the far less useful digital copy.

 

It hasn’t been a particularly great year for romantic comedies, but two of the better efforts in these category are out this week including Just Wright (Fox, “PG,” $29.99, BD $39.99), a charming romcom set in the world of the NBA, which features a strong performance from Queen Latifah, and Letters to Juliet (Summit, “PG,”  $26.99, BD $40.99), a better than average romantic comedy saga that benefits from gorgeous Italian locations and a superlative turn from Vanessa Redgrave.

 

Classic Movies

 

While Sherlock Holmes purists generally don’t admire the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes films, there is no denying the entertainment value of these less-than-reverential adaptations.  MPI is releasing a third Sherlock Holmes Double Feature-- Sherlock Holmes in Washington, Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (MPI, $19.98) and the two 1940s films look great in newly restored versions.  Sherlock Holmes in Washington is an anachronistic saga set during World War II, but it does feature an excellent supporting cast including the always ominous Henry Daniell.  In contrast Sherlock Homes Faces Death is an adaptation of Conan Doyle’s “The Musgrave Ritual” and features a star turn from 40s noir queen Hillary Brooke.

 

Documentaries

 

Director Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Man in the Room) just keeps getting better at his craft.  His latest effort Casino Jack and the United States of Money (Magnolia Home Entertainment, “R,” $26.98) examines the career of K Street impresario Jack Abramoff, the Republican political operative who was implicated in a series of sordid scandals involving casinos, sweatshops, spies, and mob-style killings.  Gibney manages to capture some of the swagger and dark charisma of the sleazy power broker at the center of his story and makes this real life documentary more interesting and compelling than any of the fictional films made about the Bush-era scandals or the political machinations behind the Iraq War.