8 Simple Rules - The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
John Ritter's return to network sitcoms; this was the only full season he did before his untimely death and that makes watching these early episodes a different experience that most sitcoms.

Although different is not what I would call the show as it fits perfectly with family sitcom structure. You have the father, played by John Ritter, who's clearly out of his league when it comes to raising kids. Katey Sagal, as the mother, is the mature parent, but works out of the house, leaving the father to do much of the parenting. Then there are the three kids, two eldest daughters, Kaley Cuoco and Amy Davidson, and the one son, Martin Spanjers, who can be described as shallow, sarcastic, and a snitch. If you just dropped competent actors into these roles, the show would have been decent, but wholly forgettable. Fortunately, the actors have great chemistry and very strong comedic timing and this helps the show rise above the formula.

Like most shows, it took a bit for 8 Simple Rules to find its legs, but there are a few first season episodes that stand out, mostly in the last half of the season. "Give it Up" involves a contest for the five Hennessy's to give up their addictions (remote control, coffee, telephone, sarcasm, and snitching), with the winner deciding where the family goes on vacation. This could have been a total cliché, but there is actually some character development here. The pseudo-two-parter, "Kerry's Big Adventure" and "Come and Knock on Our Door" is also good, although I hated Three's Company so I didn't appreciate the parody as much as others, but it was still funny.

As for extras, the 3-disc set only has a set of outtakes. They run just under 10 minutes and have a few laughs, but nothing that makes it stand out.

Overall this is a really good value as the 3-disc set is cheaper than many first-run movie releases. And while I would have paid more to have more extras (perhaps a John Ritter retrospective), it is still worth picking up.

Cory in the House - All Star Edition - Buy from Amazon
A spin-off of the Dinsey channel show, That's So Raven. ... Hey, come back. It's not that bad.

The story is simple, chef Victor Baxter (played by Rondell Sheridan), gets a job at the White House as chef and brings along his son, Cory (played by Kyle Massey), whose schemes for a quick buck. Hijinks ensue. Okay, when I said it was not that bad, I should have pointed out it is not that good either. It is a very predictable kids show that features its share of broad humor and adults watching it will probably be able to predict key plot points within the first few minutes. On the other hand, it should entertain its target audience well.

The four episodes presented here include guest shots by The Rock, George Takei, and Raven, reprising her role as Cory's Big sister. In fact, it is the last episode that I would consider the best episode on the DVD as the two actors clearly has good chemistry, which is shown more on the special features.

Speaking of special features, there are two features on Raven and The Rock. They run 7 minutes, combined, and are about as strong as their short running time suggests. However, even with limited replay value, it's better than nothing.

I don't recommend getting this DVD if you are an adult. In fact, if you have it in your DVD collection you might get some weird looks, but if you have kids who are fans of the show, it is worth checking out. Normally I'd recommend holding off buying till full-season sets come out, but that's not going to happen with Dinsey channel shows.

Crime Story - Buy from Amazon
Jackie Chan stars in this movie as Inspector Eddie Chan in one of his most serious roles. It is also one of his best.

This action flick deals with corrupt cops, kidnapping, and kicks to the head. It is based on a true life story (which is apparently back in the news in Hong Kong), and has realism not seen in most Jackie Chan films as he is hurt and bleeds, there is a lot of emotional development. These set the film apart from the usual Jackie Chan martial arts films. But it is not lacking in action either and it works on that level as well.

As for extras, this DVD keeps up the standards of Dragon Dynasty releases starting with an audio commentary track with director Kirk Wong and, wait for it, Bey Logan. (On a side note, I'm thinking of sending him a Christmas card this year because I've heard so many audio commentary tracks featuring him that I feel like I know him better than members of my own family.) There are also interviews with the director and the writer (total running time as 41 minutes), and three deleted scenes.

Overall an excellent film with extras that add a lot to the value of the DVD. It is certainly worth picking up for fans of Jackie Chan or Hong Kong martial arts movies in general.

Darkwing Duck - Volume 2 - Buy from Amazon
He is the terror that flaps in the night. He is the feathery phantom that haunts your nightmares. He is Darkwing Duck.

Volume 2 presents 27 more episodes of this Dinsey super hero, which was made during what was arguably the peak of Disney's after school reign. In the episodes, Darkwing Duck, with the help of his sidekick Launchpad, fights the likes of Bushroot, Tuskerninni, Megavolt, and of course Negaduck. (On a side note, why don't the bad guys figure out Drake Mallard is Darkwing Duck? Sure he's got a secret identity, but Launchpad doesn't and he hangs out with both of them. You would think they would make the connection.) The show spoofs not only Batman but also The Shadow, and is a good mix of humor and action, as well as cartoon violence and crazy super villains. (There's also a lot of gunplay in the show, which I don't think you could get away with today.)

There are quite a few film parodies including Die Hard, It's a Wonderful Life, etc. But my favorite parody was of Twin Peaks called Twin Beaks. (This is also the episode with the most overt reference to Gary Larson, but there are other nods to the cartoonist in other episodes.)

On the downside, the show is repetitive at times and the animation is not as polished as I remember it. Furthermore, the 3-disc set is devoid of special features and that's a shame.

I'm not sure if kids of today will connect with the show, but as someone who can remember the show when it first aired, I enjoyed the hit of nostalgia. However, without any extras, I can't really recommend picking it up, as a rental would do for most people.

Disturbia - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-Ray, HD-DVD
A thriller that was compared to one of Hitchcock's best films, but that is not necessarily a compliment.

Before the film came out, a lot of people were writing it off as a shameless rip-off of Rear Window, and I will admit there are more than a few similarities. Both films have a housebound protagonist that start to suffer from cabin fever. In both films the protagonists turn to voyeurism to pass the time. Both films are murder mysteries where you don't know if there has even been a murder. I don't think in 50 years we will be talking about Disturbia the same way we talk about Rear Window now, but it is still a taut thriller that is worth checking out, even if you've seen it in the theaters. And that's impressive for a genre is not known for its replay value.

Whether or not it is worth picking up depends heavily on the extras, and in this case they deliver. Up first is an audio commentary track with the director, D.J. Caruso, and the two stars, Shia LaBeouf and Sarah Roemer (they are later joined by Aaron Yoo on the phone). The track is engaging with a decent mix of information and entertainment, as well as a couple of cell phone calls. (I wonder if he got the duct tape and the fax paper?) Those looking for an in-depth discussion of filmmaking will want to look elsewhere, but it is still worth checking out. Next up is a pop-up serial killer trivia track, which takes the place of the normal subtitles. There's a making-of featurette that clocks in at almost 15 minutes that is you typical mix of talking heads, behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the movie. Finally there are some deleted scenes and outtakes.

This is a good package that hits all of the major points in both the movie and the extras. Easily worth checking out and I would recommend purchasing over renting.

(On a side note, I love how the ads are playing up Shia LaBeouf role in The Transformers. I wonder by what degree the success of that movie will boost the sales for this DVD?)

Home Improvement - The Complete Seventh Season - Buy from Amazon
The penultimate season for this long-running family sitcom.

Home Improvement lasted 8 season on the air, many of which provided quite a bit of entertainment. Unfortunately, those were the early years. Based on the stand up routines of Tim Allen, the show started out well showing the lives of Tim Taylor, a host of a Do-It-Yourself show who was obsessed with getting more power out of his tools and who could be relied on to injury himself of break something at least once during his show. When it first aired, the show was fun to watch. Fast-forward seven seasons and the show never broke its formula.

For instance, there is an episode in season seven where Tim screws up so he goes to his neighbor, Wilson, who give him some sage advice, but when Tim tries to repeat it later in the episode, he messes it up. ... I'm kidding of course; this happens in practically every episode. This repetitive nature is okay if you watch the show once a week, but on DVD it become really apparent and hurts the value dramatically.

As for the extras, like the other releases, this 3-disc set only has a set of outtakes to tide fans over. They run roughly 7 minutes and provide the usual laughs but it is not particularly memorable.

This repetitive nature led to the show jumping the shark well before this season and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of fans stopped collecting the series after the fourth season. Even those who have bought all six previous releases will see a bit of a drop-off this year. Whether or not that is enough to reduce the value below the purchase level is up to the individual.

The Muppet Show - Season Two - Buy from Amazon
Finally.

Season 1 of The Muppet Show was released on DVD almost exactly two years ago to the day, which is a long, long time between seasons for TV on DVD. There were some concerns that poor sales might result in the DVD released being canceled, but then it was announced that the delay was to get more extras on the DVDs, and the fans rejoiced. (But not for long.)

Season 2 is where the show really hit is stride. During the first season the cast and crew were trying to find their footing, and the guests were not always top-notch (in fact, many of them were friends of the filmmakers). However, season 2 starts off great with Don Knotts as the guest and rarely slows down. (There are a few times when Kermit announces the guest star and I thought, "Who?" but those were usually singers of the era and that could explain why I didn't recognize their names. Sticking with the highlights, other guests include Milton Berle; Steve Martin (back in his wild and crazy days); George Burns; Rich Little (as a Canadian I feel the need to apologize for him); Madeline Kahn; Dom Deluise; Bernadette Peters; Elton John (who made the Muppets look subdued by comparison); Julie Andrews; Peter Sellers (this episode was not as funny as I was expecting given the guest); Zero Mostel (also not as funny as I was expecting); Bob Hope; Cloris Leachman; and John Cleese. Even most of the guests whom I didn't know were great in the show. There were really only a handful of second tier shows this season.

As for the extras, we were promised more and given less. Gone are the trivia tracks from Season 1, which was a major loss. Taking its place is the TV special, The Muppets Valentine Show, which aired before the TV series started. However, it feels like a sub-par episode and while it is nice to have, it is not a major selling point. Up next are several interviews with the Muppets talking about various topics, including the marital status of Kermit and Miss Piggy. These are great, for the most part, as the puppeteers are masters at remaining in character and the interview clips feel very natural. Finally, there's the music video with Weezer featuring the Muppets; it's fun to watch, but doesn't have as much substance.

The Muppet Show was one of my favorite shows and Season Two is arguably the best. Even with extras that are light it is still worth picking up and the chance to see the amazing guests and hilarious skits makes it a contender for DVD Pick of the Week.

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody - Sweet Suite Victory - Buy from Amazon
A Disney channel show featuring the hijinx of twins living in a hotel. ... No, you can leave. It really is that bad.

Granted, this is a kid's show and has to be judged as such, but even so this was painful to watch. Zack and Cody are absolutely obnoxious, the writing is lazy, the jokes are forced and I swear that laugh-track plays non-stop. The only positive I can think of, there are only three episodes instead of the usual four on these Dinsey channel releases. Those three episodes are:

• Band in Boston: A contest to find the best band has the twins fighting. Practically every main character in the show takes part in the contest and it seems only the main characters are in the contest. (You would think a contest where the grand prize winner gets to record a demo CD would attract a lot more attention.)
• Election: The twins compete to see who would make the best class president. They couldn't even come up with a bad pun for the title, so you know the writing is bad here.
• Not So Suite 16: Maddie and London both have their sweet 16 parties at the same time causing tension between friends. This is as close as it gets to a watchable episode on this DVD as it focuses more on Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song's characters than the twins, which is great cause Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song actually have talent while the twins don't.

Overall this is painfully bad. I can't recommend anyone buying it. In fact, I may end up burying it on consecrated ground to prevent it from haunting my DVD player forever.

The Tick Vs. Season Two - Buy from Amazon
SPOOOOONNNN!

The second season of this cult classic super hero cartoon continues to provide great entertainment just like the first season. Also like the first season, this one is missing an episode and is devoid of special features. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Of the twelve episodes that are presented, there are several that are worthy of repeat viewing and these include:

The hit and miss ratio is still great, but not as strong as first season and even without any extras, The Tick Vs. Season Two is easily worth picking up. Perhaps one day we will get the missing episodes, but until then we will have to settle for every bit of Tick we can get.