On Demand News

New to DVD and On Demand Releases for December 2 - 8

"Mission Impossible - Fallout": This sixth round is a series-best, thanks to the know-how of Cruise and returning writer-director Christopher McQuarrie. The picture not only offers a jaw-dropping series of action sequences, it does a deep dive into the personhood of IMF agent Ethan Hunt, as those closest to him face threats of very bad things from an enemy. That alternately sways and doesn't sway Hunt from his mission to stop the theft of plutonium, to be used on very specifically chosen targets. Henry Cavill also stars as a CIA "frenemy.'' *** (PG-13: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)
"The Handmaid's Tale: Season Two": The sophomore round finds a pregnant Offred (Elisabeth Moss) continuing her fight to ensure a better world for her forthcoming child. She's determined not to have her offspring inherit the highly oppressive society known as Gilead, which Offred has had to oppose to maintain her own personhood. *** (Not rated: AS, N, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)
"Westworld Season 2: The Door": Guests and others are threatened by the freed "hosts'' at an amusement park where humanoids rebel against their programmed responses and embark on their own, frequently lethal form of liberation. Among guest stars, Sela Ward (currently on "FBI'') turns up in a particularly telling role. *** (Not rated: AS, N, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)
"Operation Finale": Oscar Isaac plays one of the Mossad operatives sent to Argentina to retrieve Eichmann and bring him back to Israel to stand trial for his extreme misdeeds. That's easier said than done, since once he's captured, spiriting him out of the country is complicated (involving a lengthy stint in a safe house). Ben Kingsley does a fine job of depicting Eichmann as someone other than the monster he would be proven to be, and Isaac (also a producer of the film) is a smart match for him. It's also a treat to see veteran talent Peter Strauss here. *** (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)

New to DVD and On Demand Releases for November 25 - December 1

"Sharp Objects": Amy Adams returned to television as a troubled reporter back in her Missouri hometown to probe the murders of two young girls in this limited-series HBO version of the novel by Gillian Flynn. While she typically plays Type A characters, Adams is very effectively rough-around-the-edges here. Also prominent in the cast are Patricia Clarkson as the estranged mother of Adams' Camille Preaker, Eliza Scanlen as Camille's half-sister Amma, and Chris Messina as a detective Camille becomes involved with. *** (Not rated: AS, N, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)
"Searching": John Cho takes the lead in a compelling way in this drama about a man determined to locate his missing daughter with a big assist from high tech. His search takes him through every form of modern communication, including her emails and social-media accounts -- as well as traffic cameras and streaming videos -- to try to figure out her situation and her whereabouts. "Will & Grace's'' Debra Messing also is featured as a detective on the case. *** (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)
"Batman: The Animated Series": Cartoon adventures of the Caped Crusader get a freshly remastered presentation in this new Blu-ray set that encompasses the entire television show, as well as the full-length features "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' and "Mr. Freeze: SubZero.'' The set -- naturally boasting Batman's exploits against colorful villains as he tries to protect Gotham City -- also is packed with "making-of'' documentaries and audio commentaries. *** (Not rated: V)
"Picnic at Hanging Rock": This mystery-drama -- based on Joan Lindsay's novel about a turn-of-the-century outing for the staff and students of an Australian all-girls' school -- gets extended treatment in this limited-series adaptation. Natalie Dormer stars as the facility's founder and headmistress, who's apparently as baffled as anyone when three pupils and their governess disappear during the picnic. The ensuing investigation uncovers secrets a plenty, threatening to leave various lives in shambles. *** (Not rated: AS, V)

New to DVD and On Demand Releases for November 18 - 24

New to DVD and On Demand Releases for November 11 - 17

"The Meg": A prehistoric shark the size of a small island targets an undersea research vessel and its crew in director Jon Turteltaub's thriller, which proved to have real teeth -- sorry, we had to -- at the summer box office. Action veteran Jason Statham plays the chiseled leader of a rescue team, though he remains haunted by a tragedy from his seafaring past. *** (PG-13: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)
"Star Trek Discovery - Season One": Sonequa Martin-Green is a crew member of the starship Discovery who was raised as a Vulcan, giving her unique insight into relationships among cultures both on and off the vessel. Jason Isaacs plays the ship's captain, with Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman and Wilson Cruz also among the regular cast members. Michelle Yeoh, Rainn Wilson and James Frain also appear. *** (Not rated: AS, V) (Also on Blu-ray)
"Mile 22": Mark Wahlberg reteams director Peter Berg for this intense adventure about a covert CIA operative trying to protect an information source (Iko Uwais). Time is of the essence as they head for an airplane 22 miles away, since the contact has the code that will unlock valuable facts -- and the disc containing them will self-destruct within hours. *** (R: P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)
"Alpha": This grueling outdoor drama features Kodi Smit-McPhee as a young man who must fend for himself after an Ice Age hunting expedition leaves him injured and left to his own inventions. A wolf, also left on its own, gives the youth a challenge and then a companion in a struggle for wilderness survival as winter approaches. *** (PG-13: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)

New to DVD and On Demand Releases for November 4 - 10

"Incredibles 2": In this animated Disney-Pixar sequel, the superhero clan suddenly is a family without a cause, since the government bureau they worked for has been shut down ... but all might not be lost, since a technology guru offers to give them a base to continue protecting the world from evil. Elastigirl specifically is called back into action while her husband plays "Mr. Mom'' at home. Keep your eye on the youngest member of the Incredibles' family, Jack-Jack, highly amusing in his own right. *** (PG: P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)
"Christopher Robin": Just because Christopher Robin grew up doesn't mean he forgot about Winnie the Pooh and his other animal friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. The adult Christopher Robin is a family man and business drone who has lost many of the qualities that made him special ... not only to himself, but also to the animated Pooh and company. They reunite with him to try to show him the way back, but they all have to be found first -- and that's where Pooh needs Christopher Robin's help.  *** (PG: AS) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)
"Papillon": Devil's Island convicts Henri Charriere (on whose writings the story is based) and Louis Dega are played by familiar television faces Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek in this retelling of the saga. Though the two men become close friends, Charriere has an unquenchable thirst for freedom, and Dega agrees to help him escape in exchange for protection within prison boundaries. *** (R: AS, N, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray)
"Succession: The Complete First Season": Corporate intrigue within a family fuels this well-cast HBO drama series, with Brian Cox as the patriarch, a media tycoon whose questionable health puts control of the company in play among him and his four children. None of their paths is an easy one, given other alliances and conflicts they have both within and outside their bloodline.  *** (Not rated: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray)