With sweet-natured ‘Cars 3,’ an animated franchise motors on
The rare threequel that never seems to run out of gas, the sweet-natured “Cars 3” (2017, Disney, PG, $30) serves up the story of Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) as he struggles with the notion that he might be past his prime as a racer.
At the heart of the saga is a theme of mentorship so even as Lightning remembers the warm bond he shared with his old teacher Doc (Paul Newman) and seeks out advice from Doc’s mentor (Chris Cooper), he winds up passing on knowledge to a trainer (Cristela Alonzo) who longs to race herself.
“Cars 3” is a lovely blend of race scenes, endearing characters and unruly jokes. Buckle up. Extras: deleted scenes, featurettes and new mini-movie.
Also New To DVD
The Journey (2017, IFC, unrated, $25): Back in 2006, when warring factions from Northern Ireland were in the midst of trying to broker a peace treaty, deeply conservative British loyalist Ian Paisley (Timothy Spall) and former IRA leader Martin McGuinness (Colm Meaney) found themselves sharing a ride to the airport together. This drama imagines that their road trip through the Scottish countryside was the occasion for the two men to finally put their differences aside. “The Journey” aims for a The Show (2017, Lionsgate, R, $20): A social satire that aims to do for reality TV what “Network” did for news programs, this uneven entry stars Josh Duhamel as a TV personality who, along with a cutthroat executive (Famke Janssen), invents a television series in which doomed individuals vie to commit suicide live on the air. While it gets a bit preachy, actor-turneddirector Giancarlo Esposito shows a real willingness to push the envelope by allowing Duhamel to become a major sleaze. Esposito also scores in a supporting role as a man spiraling into poverty after losing his job as a salesman. Extras: featurette. The Philadelphia Story (1940, Criterion, unrated, $30): Philip Barry’s hit play was written for his pal Katharine Hepburn so it’s easy to see why she connects so deeply with the role of Tracy Lord, a Main Line socialite who counts Cary Grant as her ex-husband, and James Stewart as a cynical reporter-turned-smitten admirer. Deliciously smart and clever, “Philadelphia Story” is the movie that turned Hepburn from boxoffice poison into boxoffice gold. And more than 65 years after it was first released, it still offers delightful commentary on the rules of romantic engagement. Extras: featurettes including rare “Dick Cavett Show” appearances by Hepburn. Act One (1963, Warner Archive, unrated, $20): Curtain up on an adaptation of one of the best books about theater ever written. George Hamilton stars as Moss Hart, the playwright who spent years receiving rejections before grabbing the brass ring with “Once In a Lifetime.” While the film version can’t match the wit and buoyancy of Hart’s original memoir, it still has plenty of delightful interludes, most of which involve Hart’s collaboration with a very cranky George S. Kaufman (a priceless Jason Robards.) Theater buffs will give this one a big round of applause. Extras: none. Year Of The Comet (1992, Twilight Time, PG-13, $30): It was massacred by critics back in 1992 but this light-hearted yarn, now on Blu-ray, is much better than its reputation suggests. The old-fashioned movie, which follows the efforts of a pair of mismatched lovers (Penelope Ann Miller, Tim Daly) to keep a rare bottle of wine from falling into the hands of thieves, is paced incredibly well by director Peter Yates (“Bullitt.”) The chases are fun, the shots of the Scottish countryside and the South of France are eye-candygorgeous; and Louis Jordan, in his final film role, hams it up winningly as the chief villain. It’s uneven but of the same vintage as “Charade” and “Mirage.” Extras: none. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992, Fox, PG, $20) Just in time for the 25th anniversary comes a newly released Blu-ray and DVD set of the holiday classic. As with almost all of John Hughes movies, “Lost In New York” has aged surprisingly well, with Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) once again separated from his folks and forced to face off against the wet bandits (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) in New York City. While nowhere near as lively or fresh as the original, the sequel is still a sweet way to get into the Christmas spirit. Extras: none. Deconstructing The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper (2017, culturesolar.com, unrated, $10) Musicologist Scott Freiman has been giving lectures for years about the evolution of classic Beatles recordings, including “Pepper,” which many consider the best album of all time. Now, a number of those talks are available on DVD, including this entry, which dissects all of the album’s key tracks, tracing their development from demos to finished pop gems. Freiman also delves into the Fab Four’s influences, songwriting routines and groundbreaking recording techniques. Fascinating stuff. Extras: featurettes. Anne of Green Gables: The Good Stars (2016, PBS, unrated, $20) Of all the many movies and TV series celebrating the plucky orphan Anne Shirley (Ella Ballentine) and her elderly guardians Matthew (Martin Sheen) and Marilla (Sara Botsford), this charmer ranks near the top of the heap. A sequel to a delightful 2015 film, “The Good Stars” tags along with the now-13-year-old Anne as she tries to keep a secret for the ailing Matthew and grows closer to her classmate Gilbert. Extras: none. Take A Good Look: The Definitive Collection (1959-1961, Shout Factory, unrated, $70) Fans of Ernie Kovacs, one of the most inventive comedians of all time, will be mesmerized by his surreal spin on a game show. Running two seasons, this series is jam-packed with craziness as Kovacs turns the genre upside down and inside out by giving “clues” to his panelists about his secret guest’s secret identity. The Dutch Masters commercials are fun too. Extras: none.