Animated films dominate this week’s home entertainment releases, which include the first release from Ghibli successor Studio Ponoc, an updating of the Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, and new releases from the long-running Naruto and Gundam franchises.

Theatrical Movies

This week’s home entertainment release with the biggest box office is the animated Peter Rabbit (Sony, “PG,” 189 min., $30.99, BD $34.99, 4K $45.99), a typical modern CGI animated film that functions as a bright and brash “update” of Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s book.  Yes, this movie is crass—I don’t remember Mr. McGregor revealing a “plumber’s butt” in the Beatrix Potter version, but the young ones will be amused by this raucous saga even though it lacks the finesse, heart, and panache of a Pixar production.

A far better animated choice for the young ones is Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s Mary and the Witch’s Flower (Universal, “PG,” 103 min., $22.98, BD $29.98).  Yonebayashi was the lead animator on Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, and his Studio Ponoc is attempting to become the next Studio Ghibli.  Yonebayashi may not be on that exalted level yet, but this adaptation of Mary Stewart’s The Little Broomstick is a joy to watch, and Ghibli fans will find many familiar elements including a spunky heroine and superb visuals.

Also due on Tuesday is a true cinematic rarity, a horror movie starring Helen Mirren.  Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built (Lionsgate, “PG-13,” 99 min., $29.95, BD #9.99), a supposedly “true” story about the Winchester Arms heiress and the elaborate house she built near San Francisco.  This old school ghost story is likely too tame for fans of contemporary horror films, but those who enjoy Ms. Mirren’s work should check it out.

Films about the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars have not exactly crushed it at the box office and 12 Strong (Warner Bros., “R,” 120 min., $29.95, BD $35.99) is no exception.  This movie is based on the true story of a small unit of American soldiers and CIA operatives who took the fight to the Taliban in the days immediately after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. 

TV on DVD

There’s nothing of direct interest to geek TV viewers this week, though Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) is great as a Priest in a poor parish in Northern England in the miniseries, Broken (BBC, 360 min., $34.98), and those who enjoy exotic legal dramas should check out Dear Murderer: Series 1 (Acorn Media, 236 min., $39.99), a New Zealand series that recounts the true saga of the country’s most colorful and controversial lawyer, while those who enjoy the wholesome entertainment of the Hallmark Channel should check out one of that cable net’s best shows, the period drama, When Calls the Heart: Hearts and Minds (Shout Factory, 84 min., $14.93), which is set is Western Canada in 1910.

Anime

This week’s two major anime releases are good ones.  First, Naruto Shippuden: Set 34 (Viz Media, “TV-14,” 375 min., $39.99), which contains episodes 431-440 of the anime series based on the hugely popular manga by Masashi Kishimoto.  The episodes in this set are mostly “fillers” (scripted by the anime writers who had caught up with the manga storyline and were waiting on new story arcs), but they are interesting “fillers” with episodes devoted to the dreams and aspirations of each member of the ninja team when they were caught in the genjutsu via the eye of Infinite Tsukuyomi technique.

The other release of great interest is Mobile Suit Gundam AGE TV Series Collection 1 (Right Stuf, 700 min., BD $74.99), which contains the first 28 episodes of the twelfth installment of Sunrise’s long-running Gundam franchise that was originally broadcast in Japan in 2011 and 2012, and is available here in high definition for the first time.