Entertainment, Movies - Navy Times

New on DVD

A drama about a team of MIT students who beat the odds in Vegas, a cult-favorite British TV series and an Akira Kurosawa classic arrived on DVD July 22.

21: 2-Disc Deluxe Edition. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

($34.95)

The lowdown: You would think a movie based on a true story of a group of MIT students beating the house at blackjack in Vegas would make for compelling filmmaking. But this venture is all flash and no substance.

The movie cost $35 million to make and earned $81.1 million upon its U.S. release on March 28. Overseas, it took in another $73.1 million.

The film went bust with critics, earning a 35 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Claudia Puig of USA Today called it “repetitive, implausible and overlong.”

The two-disc set features a strong digital transfer, which is one of the few things it has going for it.

Don’t miss: Hints on how to beat — or at least even — the odds at blackjack; a behind-the-scenes of the production designs and costumes; a look at the making of the movie; and a downloadable digital copy of the film are among the extras.

Rated: PG-13, violence, sexual situations, partial nudity, language

Critic’s rating: Two stars (Fair)

Spaced: Collector’s Edition. BBC Video ($59.98)

The lowdown: This British comedy series, created by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, has developed quite a cult following in the United States, with moviemakers such as Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino championing the series.

The three-disc set contains all 14 episodes of this witty and far-out show.

Don’t miss: The set is loaded with extras, including commentary tracks with Pegg, Hynes, other cast members and guests such as Tarantino, Smith, Bill Hader and Matt Stone.

Other bonus offerings include a 2007 question-and-answer reunion, outtakes, deleted scenes and a feature that tracks every pop-culture reference.

Rated: Not rated, language

Critic’s rating: Three stars (Good)

High and Low. The Criterion Collection ($39.95)

The lowdown: Legendary director Akira Kurosawa is usually associated with period costume dramas and samurai films.

But this feature, released in 1963 and based on a novel by Ed McBain, is superb. It’s the story of a kidnapping — but with a twist. And it is that turn that makes the movie a classic.

The two-disc set features a wonderfully new and sharp digital transfer as well as updated subtitles.

Don’t miss: Extras include a documentary on the making of the movie with comments from Kurosawa, an interview with the actor who played the kidnapper and an archival TV interview with star Toshiro Mifune.

Rated: Not rated

Critic’s rating: Three-and-a-half stars (Good-to-Excellent)