Another week, another set of DVDs to ponder:

• Wall-E

I’ve already reviewed it here and here.  Loved the movie.  The bonus features are strong, particularly the hour and a half PIXAR retrospective documentary.

• Tropic Thunder (Unrated Director’s Cut)

I’ve heard nothing but great things about this Ben Stiller movie.  Am curious to see it.

• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

Er, no.  Thought I do admit that I saw the first one.

• 300 Collector’s Edition

You get the movie, a digital copy of the movie, and the original graphic novel collection.

• Monty Python’s Flying Circus Collector’s Edition: Complete Series

Only $90 or so. Not bad at all.`

My “Wall-E” DVD review is now live at CBR.  I’m still watching more of the bonus materials in the set, so here are further thoughts:

“The PIXAR Story” documentary is really nice.  It’s obviously a few years old.  Looks like it was done after “Cars” came out.  The story ends with the Disney acquisition.  It’s funny to see director Andrew Stanton looking a decade younger, without glasses, and with much shorter hair in the movie, as opposed to the “Wall-E” featurettes. It’s sad to see story man Joe Ranft talking about PIXAR, given that he died in a car accident in 2005. (Wow, three years ago already?!?) Also sad to see the last of Disney’s Nine Old Men, Frank and Ollie, being interviewed.  They’ve since departed from the mortal plane, as well.

The director of the piece has the last name of “Iwerks,” leading me to wonder if it’s any relation to animation pioneer Ub Iwerks.

Wow, animation people love videotaping themselves doing everything — Brad Bird camcorded his drive into PIXAR on his first day of work. Someone videotaped Lasseter’s reaction to the news that “Toy Story” had been greenlighted.  Thankfully, someone recorded Brid’s “Call to Arms” to the troops at the beginning of “The Incredibles.”  Heck, Lasseter was making movies of just his day-to-day job back at the Disney studios in the 1980s.

I had no idea that “Toy Story 2″ was in as much trouble as it was.  They didn’t go too deeply into detail, other than to say that John Lasseter came back from vacation, spent a weekend rescripting the whole movie, and saved it. They probably covered this on the TS2 DVD way back when, but I can’t remember everything anymore.

“A Bug’s Life” came out three years after “Toy Story.”  Can you imagine waiting three years for the next PIXAR movie today?

Also: The “Up” teaser looks interesting, but there’s not much there, besides Ed Asner’s voice and some balloons.  A full trailer is now available at the Apple Movie Trailer site. I watched it on my Apple TV tonight and it’s pretty funny.  It’s playing off that story of the woman who wouldn’t leave her house while new skyscraper-type construction happened around her.  I probably linked to it in a link dump around here somewhere. . .

It’s a fantastic week:

• Kung Fu Panda

The clips I saw certainly looked funny. And it did very well at the box office.  Was that because it was the only family friendly movie out at the time?  Or was it really a fun movie?

• Hellboy II

Missed it in the theaters, as I do the vast majority of movies I’m interested in.  Still, Best Buy is offering this alongside the “Hulk” DVD for $30.  I have a gift card for BB, making that very tempting.

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars

This is a very exciting release for those of you with ten year old boys in the house.  For me, the clips look like video game cinematics.  I’m not interested anymore.

• Firefly (Blu Ray)

The series is back out on a silver disc again. This time, it’s done up in Blu Ray, which means high definition, fewer discs, and some new special content in the form of a lunch reunion for some of the cast.

• Scrubs: The Complete Seventh Season

Can’t go wrong here. . .

Next week: Wall-E.  Look for my review of it in this week’s Pipeline, available at ComicBookResources.com today!

Lots of complete boxed sets this week, oddly enough.  Let’s get to ‘em!

• Batman: The Animated Series: The Complete Collection

The DVDs are all those you might have already bought in the individual boxed sets.  But now you can get them all in one bigger and nicely designed box, complete with a new book.

• Fraggle Rock: The Complete Collection

There was a time I never would have guessed this classic series from my childhood would make it to DVD.  And now you can buy it all in one big gulp.  Beautiful. Like the “Batman” collection above, this one has a nice big box, and will be cheaper than buying all the individual sets, I bet.

• Futurama: Bender’s Game

This new release gets instant bonus credit for naming itself after the classic Orson Scott Card novel, though it looks to be more of a takeoff on Dungeons and Dragons.  Weird.

• Spin City: The Complete First Season

Definitely not the series’ strongest year, but I’m sure it would be fun to go back and watch it evolve.  Note Carla Gugino’s appearance as Michael J. Fox’s girlfriend in the infamous pilot episode’s “shared hockey jersey” sequence.

• Get Smart

This is the recent movie, though there is also a Complete Series boxed set on release this week.  That’s the third such set I’ve mentioned.  Yeesh. Be grateful I’m not mentioning “The Complete Little House on the Prairie” boxed set.

Whoops.

• Journey to the Center of the Earth

Brendon Frasier and some kids have a kid friendly sci-fi adventure.  And now you can see it at home in 3-D — cardboard glasses included, of course!  As if that’s not enough, you can also get “The Polar Express” in 3-D these days.  I just learned that in the Best Buy circular.

• Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition: Limited-Edition Tin Box Set

This time around, you’re getting “First Spaceship on Venus (1960), Laserblast (1978), Werewolf (1996), and Future War (1997).”  Sounds good to me!

• Elton John: The Red Piano

This is the 2-DVD/2-CD set of Elton John’s Las Vegas spectacle show. That includes a making of documentary as well as the full concert in both audio and video.

• Guitar Hero: World Tour

Not a DVD, granted, but check that subject header again.  I never mentioned “DVD.” ;-)  I so want to buy this (even if only the game only edition), just so I can download and play “Jessie’s Girl.”

It’s a pretty cool week. I can’t complain:

• The Incredible Hulk

Ed Norton takes over the green role this time around, fighting the Abomination (from what I’ve read) and doing a better job than the noble failure that was the Ang Lee/Eric Bana version a few years back.  I enjoyed that movie, though I thought it tried a little too hard in places to be an artsy movie.  The Hulk is not high art, folks.

In any case, I hope to see this one someday. The box pictured above is for the three disc release, which contains all sorts of bonus scenes and behind-the-scenes stuff.

• James Bond, Blu-Ray

Six of the original Bond movies are out on Blu-ray this week.  In case you haven’t tired of buying these movies from their three previous DVD releases, here’s your fourth chance!  (I’m guessing at three, but I don’t think I’m far off.)

The boxes pictured above will give you all six Blu-ray movies for $112 at Amazon.

• Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, Volume 6

This is the last release in this format, but there are some choice shorts in here.  We’re all waiting to see what they’re planning on for next year now. . .

Quick hits this week:

• The Magic Garden: Carole & Paula in the Magic Garden

Wow.  Talk about lost childhood favorites. 10 episodes on 2 discs, plus a half dozen songs on CD.

• The Unit, Season 3

Lost track of it during season one, but enjoyed it. I have that first season on DVD.  Anyone still watching? Is the show still going?  I’ve lost touch.

• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Overdone in spots, predictable in others, but I still enjoyed it for what it was.

We are so spoiled today.

I’ve been thinking about the television shows my soon-to-be-born daughter will wind up watching. It’s obviously crucial that she watches only the right things. That’s by responsibility as a parent, after all.

So the question then becomes obvious: What’s the first DVD I plug in for her? Classic Bugs Bunny cartoons? DuckTales episodes? The Muppet Show, Season One?

The more I thought of it, though, the more annoyed I became at the thought of having to eject the DVD player’s tray, put a new disc in, push it back in, wait for it to be recognized by the player, get past the FBI warning screen, and then the annoyingly animated menu to come to a rest.

It made me want to go back and set up a home theater server, and burn all my DVDs to some central storehouse to be called up at a single key click. I don’t have the time and money for that right now, though.

Seriously, it wasn’t more than ten years ago we had to rewind a video tape to get back to the first scene in a movie after watching the whole thing. Now, I’m bothered that it’s not basically instantaneous.

We are so spoiled today.

(I’m definitely thinking “What’s Opera, Doc?” The music should make her happy. Or maybe “Rabbit of Seville,” as it discusses death a little less.)

Another week, more DVDs. . .  Some interesting ones, too, as we close in on the holiday season.

• Sleeping Beauty: 50th Anniversary

I honestly don’t have much love for these classics of Disney animation.  I can appreciate the craft that went into them, but the stories tend to bore me, from what I remember of them.  Nevertheless, the remastering process they did with this movie is very very impressive, and I’m half tempted to buy this (you know, for my daughter in the years to come) just to check out the before and after stuff in the bonus materials section.

• The Happening

For those who forgot, this is the latest bomb by M. Knight Shyamalan.  There’s a director who needs to reinvent himself soon, badly. The box shown in the Best Buy ad this week is subtitled “L’Evenement.” I don’t remember seeing that title in the trailers.

• Zohan

Adam Sandler’s career continues on well past its prime.  When will we get an “Opera Man” movie?

• The Smurfs: Season 1, Volume 2

What self-respecting 30-something doesn’t have fond memories of Saturday mornings with the little blue creatures?

• The Simpsons: Season 11

When the first season came out on DVD, the twice-a-year schedule seemed like it would take forever to get to later seasons. Wow, time flies.

There is only one big release this week:

• Iron Man

Amazing movie. It’s the kind of movie you want to upgrade the home theater system to truly appreciate.  At least, Best Buy seems to be counting on that in their circular this week.  The annoying thing is that they’ve worked out something like six different exclusives to go with this movie. Depending on where you guy, you might be able to buy the movie with a special comic or a special action figure or something.

• Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD

Yes, it’s the David Hasslehoff made-for-TV movie. It’s a Best Buy exclusive.

• Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Unrated

Not for me, but maybe it will appeal to one of you. But does it really need a three disc set?

Speaking of shows starring Kristen Bell, Best Buy is now selling VERONICA MARS Seasons 1 – 3 for $20 now.  Well worth it, even with the third season missteps.

I’ve had enough pink in my life this summer, as we prepare the baby’s room and all its accoutrements.

That said, the big release of the week is:

• Sex and the City: The Movie

And it’s an extended edition, at that!  Oprah’s fanbase must be going crazy right about now. . .

There’s a full screen edition (read: piece of crap re-edited motion blur edition) that is even pinker.  This blog maintains its anti-full screen position by not linking to it.

The better release of the week is this particular double dip:

• The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration

They just finished restoring the entire trilogy, frame-by-frame. It’s supposed to look fantastic now, like a fresh print all over again.  It’s also available as a boxed set in plain ol’ DVD format, or as individual movie releases, for about $15 a pop.

• Leatherheads

George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, and John Krasinski (“The Office”) star in a movie about the good ol’ days of football.

• Deception

Erotic thriller with Hugh Jackman, Ewan MacGregor, and Michele Williams.

• Run Fatboy Run

Looks stupid to me, but it stars Simon Pegg and Thande Newton (“Mission: Impossible II”), so I’m sure it has its fans.

Wow, that’s an entire week without a TV show on DVD in the list.  That’ll change next week, though, with the “Sports Night: 10th Anniversary Edition” that I know some of you will be wanting to double dip on.

Here we go again:

• The Forbidden Kingdom

Didn’t Jet Li retire from the movies?  (He did.  Then he found enlightenment.) Why is he still in so many of them? And shouldn’t Jackie Chan retire from the movies now, before he becomes an even bigger joke than I’m afraid he’s already become?

The trailer for the movie looked pretty on the Apple TV, though.

• Baby Mama

Sara Palin and Amy Poehler starred in this not-terribly-well received (critically) summer comedy.

• The Big Lebowski: 10th Anniversary Edition

It has some kind of cult following, I understand.

• Smallville: Season Seven

Still going. . . New season begins next week. This one comes with a comic at Best Buy.

• Jon & Kate Plus Eight: Seasons One and Two

Kate can be a screaming shrew at times, but the show is entertaining.  And whenever I wonder if I can handle raising a child, I watch a show about a couple raising eight of them and realize how easy it is, by comparison.

• The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries

This was a fun little show, with great animation via TMS in Japan.

The Labor Day holiday does not impact the DVD world’s release schedule.  Here’s a quick look at three new releases with comics connections:

• The Big Bang Theory: Season One

Has great geek cred.  I’ve never seen it, but have heard really nice things about it.

• Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow

This is the latest Marvel animated direct-to-DVD movie.

• Eli Stone: Complete First Season

Comics scribe Marc Guggenheim co-created the show.

Unrelated: Due to the Labor Day holiday, this week’s Pipeline Commentary and Review column will basically be posted overnight tonight.

Some very cool releases this week:

• Nightmare Before Christmas

It’s bigger and better than ever! Tim Burton and Danny Elfman’s masterpiece is now two discs, including a digital edition you can transfer to your computer.

• The Shield: Complete Sixth Season

The best show on television today.  Come celebrate as we begin the series’ final season starting next week with this set, honoring the previous one.  This is, quite clearly, the pick of the week.

• Redbelt

It’s a close runner-up for pick of the week. This is the latest David Mamet movie, both script and direction.

• The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning

On the bright side, they got Jody Benson back to do Ariel’s voice.  On the other hand, it’s another Disney direct-to-DVD movie.  Bleh.  Your six year old daughter will eat it up, though.

Three out of four ain’t bad for the week.

I’m excited by the thought of more DVDs right now.  That probably has to do with the fact that I have my surround sound system plugged in and operational once again. Now that I’m not living in a one bedroom condo with thin walls, I can blast some volume, fill some space, and watch movies with the kind of environment you’re supposed to enjoy them in.

That all said, I’ll never have the time to watch them.  But the excitement is there, and I enjoyed plugging a few DVDs in to hear them again.  (“The Rock” has the greatest soundtrack ever.)

Onto this week’s releases:

• Street Kings

Keanu Reeves plays an honest cop opposite the cop with political and power aspirations in Forrest Whitaker, who looks to be reprising his star turn from “The Shield.”  How he didn’t win an Emmy for that season is beyond me.  Wait, nevermind.  The Emmys are a joke.

• The Scorpion King 2

Hot on the heels of the failure of the third “Mummy” movie comes this spin-off sequel.  Even The Rock knew better than to reprise his role for this movie. This might be direct-to-DVD.

• Gossip Girl: The Complete First Season

It’s The CW’s last best hope for success.  That, and the 90210 series starting in the fall.

• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season

If you had asked me a year ago, I would have confidently told you what a short-lived dud this series would be. Instead, it seems to be something of a success for FOX.  Go figure. The Terminator franchise is fast turning into one of the most convoluted and deep continuities in major media.  Usually, you need a comic book to last 100 issues to start filling in gaps like this.  Instead, there’s a TV series, three movies, and another new movie or two upcoming.  (Christian Bale stars in one. Perhaps he’ll be out of jail long enough to promote it, when the time comes.)

Next Week: “The Shield”, Season Six! The greatest drama on TV returns to DVD before the final season begins in September.