Also covered — in metal — is Robert Downey Jr. as high-flying hero Tony Stark in Jon Favreau's surprise blockbuster IRON MAN (DVD, $34.99; ultimate two-disc edition DVD, $39.99; ultimate two-disc edition Blu-ray, $39.99). Mr. Downey Jr. can also be seen continuing his onscreen rehabilitation in Ben Stiller's Vietnam-movie meta-satire, TROPIC THUNDER (DVD, $28.98; two-disc director's-cut DVD, $34.98; two-disc director's-cut Blu-ray, $39.99), reaching for an Academy Award with his acclaimed Al Jolson routine as method actor Kirk Lazarus.
While Downey Jr. was busy setting off Oscar's radar, Edward Norton was dipping well below it, slumming as Bruce Banner in Louis Leterrier's reboot of THE INCREDIBLE HULK (DVD, $29.98; three-disc special-edition DVD, $34.98; Blu-ray, $39.98). Still, as the box-office receipts will attest, some will appreciate the film's kinetic action. Perhaps Granny will appreciate Ang Lee's more cerebral HULK (two-disc special-edition DVD, $14.98; Blu-ray, $29.98) and its precious, mutated poodles.
Then again, maybe Zack Snyder's Watchmen is more Granny's speed. (Little Billy sure seems excited about it!) Alas, Granny won't be able to take Billy to see it until next March. In the meantime, the two of them can re-experience the sweaty stop-n-go-motion of Snyder's biggest hit, 300 (limited collector's-edition DVD, $49.98). If the sword-and-sandals epic is set too far in the past to whip up any excitement, then surely WALL-E (DVD, $29.99; three-disc special-edition DVD, $39.99; two-disc Blu-ray, $35.99; three-disc Blu-ray, $40.99), another Disney/Pixar masterwork of computer animation, set 800 years in the future, should do the trick.
For the rest of the animation lovers out there, Disney has just released a gorgeous 50th-anniversary edition of the classic, cel-animated SLEEPING BEAUTY (two-disc platinum-edition DVD, $29.99; two-disc platinum-edition Blu-ray, $34.99), as well as WALT DISNEY TREASURES: THE CHRONOLOGICAL DONALD, VOLUME FOUR — 1951–1961 ($32.99), featuring Donald Duck in his rarely seen solo-starring shorts. For the first time on DVD, this final volume includes Donald's CinemaScope cartoons in their original widescreen format.
If traditional 2D animation leaves Billy scratching his head, the little moppet will probably enjoy the computer-animated high jinks in DreamWorks Pictures' Jack Black–voiced KUNG FU PANDA (DVD, $29.99; Blue-ray, $39.99), also available in a special two-pack, which includes THE SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE (DVD, $34.98), a follow-up story of the karate-kicking panda's cohort.
Meanwhile, Billy's sister Susie (or perhaps Billy himself; we don't know the kid) might enjoy Disney's straight-to-video TINKERBELL (DVD, $29.99; Blu-ray, $34.99), which finds the fairy flittering out of Neverland and discovering her voice in this feature-length computer-animated tale. Wait — she talks? Does she sing too? Who cares, when Suzie can sing along with MAMMA MIA! — THE MOVIE (DVD, $29.98; two-disc special-edition DVD, $34.98; Blu-ray, $39.98), featuring Meryl Streep belting out the tunes of ABBA? Just make sure she turns down the volume when Pierce Brosnan starts to murder a number.
Shaken, stired, and in triplicate
Brosnan was much better gunning down goons as James Bond, but he's hung up his license to kill. Luckily, all of Brosnan's Bond adventures can be found in the JAMES BOND ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S SET (DVD, $289.98), which collects all 21 official Bond films into one package. (A 22nd, Quantum of Solace, is in theaters now.) Prefer a hi-def view to Bond's kills? You can choose among JAMES BOND BLU-RAY: VOLUME ONE ($89.98), a three-film set containing Dr. No, Live and Let Die, and Die Another Day; and JAMES BOND BLU-RAY: VOLUME TWO ($89.98), a three-film set comprising two Connerys and a Roger Moore — From Russia with Love, Thunderball, and For Your Eyes Only. For the 21st-century Bond enthusiast, a new collector's edition of the Daniel Craig–starring Casino Royale (three-disc DVD, $29.95; two-Disc Blu-ray, $38.96) has also just been released.
