Video Reviews: 'Mean Girls,' 'Scooby Doo 2,' More

'Mean Girls' (PG-13): "Freaky Friday" sensation Lindsay Lohan delivers a knockdown, drag-out performance in "Mean Girls," a smart and feisty comedy that -- parents take note -- may very well serve as a good training film for girls and boys facing the cruel realities of high school brought on by teenage cliques.

Lohan stars as Cady, a teen girl home-schooled in Africa and gets her first taste of high school in the states by encountering the mother of all cliques with The Plastics (Rachel McAdams, Lacy Chabert and Amanda Seyfried), a trio of ultra-snobby girls who take great pride in tearing everybody else down.

And even though Cady fits in instantly with school outcasts Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese), her naivete is also an attraction to The Plastics, who invite her to hang out. Going on a covert mission masterminded by Janis and Damian to get the scoop on The Plastics' dirty little world, Cady gets the best of the terrible trio at first -- only to soon discover that she's inadvertently become one of them.

While it's about the volatile relationships between high school girls, "Mean Girls" is movie that most everyone can relate to: whether you are or were a girl who went through it yourself or a boy who witnessed or took part in it.

While Lohan is billed as the lead, "Mean Girls" is truly an ensemble piece -- and a wildly entertaining one at that. McAdams, Chabert and Seyfried's performances are priceless, and Caplan and Franzese are a hoot as the school outcasts. Screenwriter and co-star Tina Fey and "Saturday Night Live" alum Tim Meadows bring a nice balance of calm and poignancy to the proceedings as a math teacher and school principal, respectively.

Director Mark Waters -- who guided Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in a highly entertaining remake of "Freaky Friday" last year -- brings the same sort of spirit and creative filmmaking sensibilities to "Mean Girls."

But also as the guy responsible for the dark and twisted comedy "The House of Yes," Waters cleverly employs some wicked wit in "Mean Girls" -- making the film a lot edgier than "Freaky Friday." With a PG-13 rating for sexual situations, language and some teen partying, parents should be aware that "Mean Girls" isn't nearly as family friendly.

DVD Features: Commentary by Waters, Fey and producer Lorne Michaels; deleted scenes with commentary from Waters and Fey; bloopers; production featurettes and more. (Paramount Home Entertainment)

'Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed' (PG) Don't hesitate to see the "Scooby Doo" sequel, "Monsters Unleashed" -- just "doo" it.

The original Mystery Inc. gang -- Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby (voice of Neil Fanning) -- are all back for the sequel, and this time trying to foil the plans of a masked villain who uses a "monster machine" to reproduce their classic foes to take over their hometown of Coolsville. It would be a par-for-course gig if it weren't for uppity television reporter who is trying to do them in.

Not surprisingly, "Scooby Doo 2" is filled with all the toilet humor and goofball antics you'd expect. But that’s not to say that the movie isn't entertaining -- in fact, it's better than the original, despite fewer box office returns.

Raja Gosnell, who returns from the first film to helm the sequel, makes up for film's thin plot with great visual effects, vibrant costumes and lush sets. Like the first film, Lillard stands-out with his dead-on read of the original, animated Shaggy; and the production's computer wizards nail it once again in creating the CGI Scooby Doo.

While the monsters may spook young viewers time and again (the Pterodactyl Ghost has a "Jurassic Park" creature feel), the rest of the film is relatively harmless.

DVD Features: If you dug Scooby's dancing in the film, you can learn his moves in the bonus feature's "Dancing Dog" segment, an interesting behind-the-scenes look at Scooby and Shaggy's '70s-style disco scene. Other fun features include interactive activities and an "E! True Hollywood Story"-like spoof. Among the bonus features are two music videos, deleted scenes with Gosnell commentary, and more. (Warner Home Video)

'Ringo & His All-Starr Band: Tour 2003' (Not Rated): Whether or not you attended this or any of the previous All-Starr tours, this disc is an essential addition to your concert DVD collection. That's because when Ringo gets his friends together for a concert tour, you're not going to get a couple of sets by some ailing golden oldsters who are only shadow of their former greatness: these musicians are still great and sound better than ever.

For the 2003 tour, Ringo Starr assembled former Paul Carrack (Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics), John Waite (The Babys, Bad English), Colin Hay (Men at Work), singer-percussionist Sheila E. and Billy Joel's multi-instrumentalist Mark Rivera -- who all soulfully perform such hits as "The Living Years" (featuring Carrack); "Missing You" and "When I See You Smile" (Waite); "Who Can it Be Now?" and "Down Under" (Hay); and "The Glamorous Life" (Sheila E.). Ringo is the ringleader, of course, and the joyful performances of The Beatles classics "Yellow Submarine" and "A Little Help from My Friends" are worth the price of the disc alone.

Interspersed between the songs is behind-the-scenes footage of the tour, which gives off nothing but good vibes. They all say they're having the time of their lives doing the tour with Ringo -- and there's no doubt they mean what they say. It's a feel-good concert disc.

DVD Features: A heartfelt acoustic performance by the All-Starrs (minus Ringo) of "Here Comes the Sun" during rehearsal; tour gallery; Ringo's discography and more. (Warner Music Vision)

'The Punisher' (R)Sure it doesn't have soaring action thrills of the "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" movies, but one thing the fellow Marvel comic book-turned-movie "The Punisher" shares with its comic book movie counterparts is emotional complexity.

Tom Jane stars as Frank Castle, an undercover agent for the FBI on the verge of retirement. But instead of relaxation in the sun, much darker days lie ahead for Castle: that's in his last undercover operation, the son of Howard Saint (John Travolta) -- an organized crime figure who is masquerading as a successful and wealthy Florida business mogul -- is killed.

Holding Castle responsible for his son's death, Saint sends out a hit squad to not only kill Castle, but wipe out his whole family. Castle survives, however, and utilizing his experience as Delta Force Operative he devises a plan to exact revenge on Saint and his organization.

While "The Punisher" suffers from the usual trappings of the revenge thriller genre -- it wouldn't be a revenge film is the protagonist didn't get the revenge, thus predictability sinks in -- "The Punisher" still packs enough emotional punch and gritty action to keep you interested throughout.

Both Jane and Travolta give understated performances, and Will Patton delivers as usual -- this time as Saint's right-hand man -- who is leading a double life. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, John Pinette and Ben Foster add a nice emotional wrinkle to the movie as Castle's poor, but selfless neighbors.

DVD Features: Commentary with director Jonathan Hensleigh; an interview with "Punisher" comic book writer Garth Ennis, production featurettes, and more. (Lion's Gate Home Entertainment)

Also New:

• "Felicity: Junior Year -- The Complete Third Season" (five-disc set -- NR): Kerri Russell (Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• "Alias: The Complete Third Season" (six-disc set -- NR): Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Victor Garber (Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• "Mad TV: The Complete First Season" (three-disc set -- NR): Orlando Jones, Nicole Sullivan (Warner Home Video)