DVDs are a great, inexpensive holiday gift. There are a wide range of movies that are recently out on DVD: there's something here for every taste. Some are blockbusters and some are movies or TV shows that may have slipped under your radar.
Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection DVD Box Set: Fans of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective who solves crimes using his little grey cells, will adore this new boxed set of the BBC series which starred the brilliant David Suchet.
The Bank Job: A compelling true story of a bank heist gone wrong. Jason Statham shines in this underrated gem.
Chuck - The Complete First Season: Chuck is one of our favorite tv shows. Catch up on this insanely funny, yet heartwarming series with the new DVD set. The nerd who's forced to become a spy has stolen our hearts.
Cloverfield: J.J. Abram's heart-thumping monster movie is a non-stop thrill ride. Guaranteed to scare – but in a good way – even the most jaded teen. When the giant head of the Statue of Liberty rolls down the street, you know something bad is coming. Be sure to pay close attention to the right of the screen in the last shot for a clue as to what's really going on.
The Dark Knight: Christian Bale is perfectly cast in this very dark entry in the Batman series. This was one of the best films of the year, as well as one of the best best superhero films to date. Heath Ledger gave a brilliant final performance in the film.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: If you love comics, musicals or you were a fan of Buffy then you will absolutely love this original musical starring Neil Patrick Harris. It's funny, brilliant and the music is just fantastic. Dr. Horrible just wants to take over the world and find true love, not necessarily in that order. This one's family friendly.
Enchanted: Released on DVD in March, 2008, this one's an instant classic. It's must-watch for any fan of Disney movies. Everyman Patrick Dempsey is the perfect foil for a Disney princess (Amy Adams) transported out of cartoon land into New York City. This is one of our favorite Disney movies.
The Forbidden Kingdom: The film starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan is a whole lot of fun. It's a good family film with plenty of martial arts action for parents as well. Stars Jet Li and Jackie Chan seemed to enjoy sharing the stage.
Horton Hears a Who: Jim Carrey (Horton) and Steve Carrell (Mayor of Whoville) help bring this lovable Dr. Seuss book to life without losing the magic of the children's classic.
The House Bunny: Plenty of fun to be had here as Anna Faris ends up as the house mother for a struggling sorority. Anna Faris is a scream and the dialogue is snappy and smart.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: We loved seeing Harrison Ford back again as Indiana Jones. Karen Allen is back and Shia LaBeouf does a surprisingly decent turn, as well despite his awful 50s biker hairstyle. Let's hope Indy and crew will ride again, soon.
Iron Man: Robert Downey, Jr. sent his career into the stratosphere with his brilliant portrayal of Tony Stark, the weapons dealer turned superhero. Iron Man was another one of the great films of 2008.
Journey to the Center of the Earth: This movie was a pleasant surprise. There's plenty of action and some of the scenes from the center of the Earth are really unbelievable. This one's family friendly: no steamy love scenes to embarrass everyone as you watch a movie with Grandma and the pre-teens.
Mad Men - Season One: The Award-winning show about advertising executives in the early 1960s is a compelling drama which also shows how much progress we have made since the 1960s. The period clothing, sets and brilliant acting -- especially by Jon Hamm as the tortured Don Draper -- make this one of the best shows on tv now.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: Maria Bello steps in for Rachel Weiss as Evelyn O'Connell, wife to swashbuckling Rick O'Connell. They head off to China where their little boy – who's all grown up – gets in big trouble. Fantastic scenery and CGI bring thousands of terra cotta Chinese warriors to life. Brendan Fraser has a gift for comical adventure films. Be sure to also see Fraser in Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Narnia: Prince Caspian: This second in the filmed versions of the C.S. Lewis Narnia classics takes a few liberties with the plot of the book, but generally stays true to the story. Fantastic scenery, lots of action, the likeable Pevensie children and dashing Ben Barnes as Caspian make this a must-own for Narnia fans. The three disc collector's edition in Blu-ray also offers a digital download so you can burn your own copy on a disc. The DVD has lots of extras, such as deleted scenes, interviews, commentary and lots of fun Easter Eggs.
National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets: Helen Mirren, Nicolas Cage and Mount Rushmore combine to make a lighthearted sequel to the incredibly popular first film. It's over the top, family fun. We look forward to another adventure chasing mysteries from America's past.
Primeval: The Complete Series 1 and 2: This BBC sf adventure series simply cannot be missed. Prehistoric creatures come through breaches in time and enter our world. The acting and writing in Primeval are terrific.
Rambo: It's ultra-violent, so you've been warned. John Rambo is back in the jungle and he's helping rescue American missionaries in war-torn Burma. Julie Benz plays the most attractive of the missionaries; Angel fans will remember her as the vampire Darla. If you have someone on your list who loves this kind of movie, this is just the ticket.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: The adaptation of the book by the same name was a hit. The CGI monsters are much too terrifying for younger children, but older kids and teens will love it.
10,000 B.C.: This one's worth seeing for the scenery and cgi alone. Woolly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers abound, not to mention the giant sloths. Primitive man didn't have it easy, that's for sure.
Tropic Thunder: One of the best comedies of 2008. Robert Downey Jr.'s intense thespian refuses to break character no matter what happens and Tom Cruise is insanely funny as a dancing and swearing studio head. Both Cruise and Downey are up for Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor. Lots of swearing, not family friendly.
Wanted: Wanted should be on your want list if you like action and/or you are stuck in a cubicle all day and hate your job. Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and lots and lots of violence make this perfect for thriller fans.
For more DVD gift ideas check our lists from 2007 and 2006.
DVDs are a great, inexpensive holiday gift. There are a wide range of movies that are recently out on DVD: there's something here for every taste. Some are blockbusters and some are movies or TV shows that may have slipped under your radar.
