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The Venture Bros.: The Fifth Season

The latest season of the [adult swim] fan favorite sees the rebirth and fall of SPHINX, The Monarch gain his revenge on Doctor Venture (or so he says), and the recently graduated Venture Bros. clumsily finding their way in the world, even as family secrets come to light.

Adventure Time: The Complete Third Season

The third season of the hit show keeps the strange stuff, while developing relationships a little further. Above all, it stays entertaining and creative in a way that can captivate both kids and adults.

Justice League: War

A younger version of the Justice League comes together as it battles Darkseid, not to mention a stale script and unappealing characterization. There are kernels of goodness here, though, as well as a nice set of bonus features.

The Puppetoon Movie

George Pal’s amazing “replacement animation” shorts are now in HD. This two-disc set has three features, loads of bonus shorts, and a bevy of bonuses. This just could be the release of 2013!

The Smurfs 2

The sequel is much like the first, but this time the focus is on Smurfette and her families. This is a primo example of kids films in the modern age, with lots of CGI as well as old-fashioned slapstick.

Scooby-Doo: Stage Fright

After more than twenty direct-to-video movies, Scooby still has what it takes to entertain and maybe even surprise, as seen in this updating of The Phantom Of The Opera that uses elements of today’s televised talent shows.

From Up On Poppy Hill

Goro Miyazaki lives up to the family name this time, with a wonderful piece of filmmaking. This nostalgic look at Japan in the 1960s features the conflict of progressives vs. traditionalists, and a love story you haven’t seen before.

Peter Pan: Return To Never-Land

Pan flies again in Disney’s direct-to-video turned theatrically-released sequel, breaking the curse of the DTVs but not really providing anything we haven’t seen before.

Oliver & Company: 25th Anniversary Edition

Disney does Dickens as the story of Oliver gets a new twist in a modern-day New York setting populated by celebrity-voiced canines. An HD transfer is top dog, but the (same old) extras are kitty litter.

Robin Hood: 40th Anniversary Edition

This fast and furry-ous animal take on the Robin Hood legend is Disney at its most economical artistically, but that doesn’t hamper a good tale being told with fun characters and music; the Studio’s new disc is a winner too.

The Sword In The Stone: 50th Anniversary Edition

Walt’s side-swiping comedy take on the King Arthur legend isn’t what you’ll be expecting, though it is a lot of fun and cooks up some great characters, even if Disney’s HD disc has its own severe problems…

The Regular Show: The Complete First & Second Seasons

Two slackers get into bizarre mischief as they try to avoid work. Despite strange plots and characters, the show remains oddly down to earth, thanks to the light touch of its creator, who also voices the main character.

Lilo And Stitch: 2-Movie Collection

Disney’s zero-extras policy on its June 11 titles continues here, leaving the included DVD to mop up the embarrassing lack of anything on the Blu-ray except for the feature’s pristine picture and sound.

Adventure Time: The Complete First And Second Seasons

Finn The Human and Jake The Dog travel through and beyond the Land of Ooo, befriending princesses and vanquishing evildoers, in two oddly enchanting seasons of the Cartoon Network smash hit.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire – 2 Movie Collection

Could Disney’s BD set of its epic adventure be among the last to offer decent extras? It’s the only of the Studio’s June titles to do so, also bolstered by exceptional audio and video, even if a “sequel” is predictably dire.

The Emperor’s New Groove: 2-Movie Collection

Disney’s raucous comedy is still a laughfest, but this barren Blu-ray set only provides a decent picture upgrade: a video sequel is here but limited extras are only on DVD.

Oz, The Great And Powerful (regular and 3D editions)

Sam Raimi’s return to Oz is more lame and disappointing, truth be told, with surprisingly bad effects only countered by Danny Elfman’s score. Disney’s two conflicting disc options offer great extras or 3D, not both.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit: 25th Anniversary Edition

Roger is back in the limelight for a 25th anniversary revisit of the groundbreaking contemporary classic that put animation back on the map. The Disney renaissance started here, the set celebrates the film well.

Howl’s Moving Castle

A young old woman, a bird-man, and an animated house all figure in this brilliant but confounding film from Miyazaki. It may be our most negative positive review ever.

My Neighbor Totoro

Miyazaki’s most beloved film makes the jump to hi-def, while carrying over all the best feaures of the previous DVD. This gentle but great family film has never looked better.

Superman Unbound

Superman has to save the Earth from the alien cyborg known as Brainiac, while learning how to cope with the two women in his life: cousin Supergirl and girlfriend Lois.

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: 2-Movie Collection

Proving musical Hugo doesn’t just mean Les Mis, Disney’s bold take on Gothic literature looks gorgeous here, even if an almost total lack of extras and a truly risible sequel somewhat spoil the original’s legacy.

Mulan: 15th Anniversary 2-Movie Collection

Mulan returns in a gorgeous digital transfer that retains the beauty of the movie, and a very decent package includes a sequel and (mostly) all previous DVD extras!

Brother Bear: 2-Movie Collection

Disney’s quality animated animal adventure and its better than average video follow-up make for a strong Blu-ray package, especially with all their previous DVD extras also included!

Wreck-It Ralph: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Either the most unique movie in Disney’s recent history or the one that doesn’t feel like a Disney movie at all, Ralph is entertaining even if it’s game over for the very basic extras package.

Monsters, Inc.: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Pixar’s terrific entertainment returns and, a fumbled theatrical reissue aside, looks spectacular in 3D and flat versions. Disney’s package even adds more than the previous BD set, for a truly Ultimate Edition!

Peter Pan: Diamond Edition

One of Walt’s best is again given what Hook himself might describe as a “poor show” treatment on Blu-ray, and even the one new substantial extra may not appeal to all fans; it’s the least sparkly of the Diamonds so far…

Batman – The Dark Knight Returns: Parts 1 And 2

With Gotham City being overtaken by lawlessness, Bruce Wayne decides that it is time for Batman to come out of retirement, in the most epic Batman tale ever told.

Frankenweenie

Tim Burton’s latest doesn’t have the warmth and heart of his previous stop-motion outings, and Disney’s lackluster disc package doesn’t really make up for things.

Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2

A second helping of Pixar’s shorts doesn’t have the wow factor of the earlier films but Disney’s package finds room for something even cooler in John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter’s Cal-Arts student films!