Suraj Sharma stars as a boy trapped on a life raft with a hungry tiger in “Life of Pi.” (Peter Sorel / Twentieth Century Fox)
New and notable this week on DVD:
"Life of Pi" (Rated PG for emotional thematic content throughout, and some scary action sequences and peril; Fox, $29.98)
Ang Lee won the best director Oscar for this stunning visual feast of a film. A young Indian man (Suraj Sharma) is stranded at sea on a lifeboat with a deadly tiger, and as they search for land and salvation all sorts of wondrous encounters occur. A framing story about the young man grown up dents the magic a bit as does the final resolution, but, man, is this thing amazing at its best. Worth upgrading to Blu-ray, see it on the biggest screen possible. GRADE: B
"Rise of the Guardians" (Rated PG for thematic elements and some mildly scary action; Dreamworks, $29.99)
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Sandman team up with young Jack Frost to battle an evil spirit attacking earth's children in this beautifully made and well-conceived piece of holiday animation that inexplicably never caught fire at the box office. Watching the silent Sandman's elaborate displays of color is reason enough to sit down with the kids. GRADE: B
"Smashed" (Rated R for alcohol abuse, language, some sexual content and brief drug use; Sony, $30.99)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead delivers an amazing performance as an elementary school teacher whose alcohol intake is out of control. Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") co-stars as her equally boozy husband; but the film avoids all the tear-jerking clichés of most alcoholic tales, focusing on their actual loving relationship even as they disintegrate. The drama's still there, but so are actual human beings. GRADE: A-
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