New On DVD, Blu-Ray: 'The Blind Side'

'The Blind Side' (PG) A blockbuster hit in theaters, "The Blind Side" arrives on DVD and Blu-ray in bittersweet fashion. A few days from star Sandra Bullock's Oscar win for Best Actress for the Best Picture nominee, the glory has been tempered immensely by allegations of Bullock's husband Jesse James' marital infidelity.

If you can separate yourself from Bullock's personal toils, though, you'll likely find inspiration in the true-life tale she helps tell. Bullock stars as Leigh Anne Tuohy: a no-nonsense Southern interior decorator whose passion for sports lies in her allegiance to the University of Mississippi -- the school that produced her star-basketball-player-turned-successful businessman Sean (Tim McGraw). Sean and Leigh Anne are happily married with two kids, and unbeknownst to them, their lives are about to change dramatically with Leigh Anne's random act of kindness.

"The Blind Side" tells how Tuohy rescued Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless African-American teen from the poverty-stricken Memphis, Tenn., projects. With the help of her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw) and kids, Tuohy fostered Oher's abilities in the classroom as well as on the football field.

Trading in her perky, girl-next-door image for a sassy role with a little bit of edge, Bullock gives one of the best performances of her career by bringing Leigh Anne (a dynamo in real life) to the big screen with an incredible amount of spunk and heart. It may not be the best performance of the year, but her Oscar win is well-deserved nonetheless. McGraw amply fits the bill as Sean, and relative-newcomer Aaron shows off some serious screen-presence in his first high-profile role. Jae Head provides some great moments of comic relief as the Tuohy's rambunctious young son who takes Michael under his wing.

Great acting aside, "The Blind Side" earns high marks for not being afraid to tell the whole story of the Tuohys and Oher, including an NCAA ethics investigation launched against the couple that accused them of taking the teen in for the purpose of grooming him to attend their college alma mater. But it's one of the many of the obstacles that they overcome in telling the story, though, which almost seems to be too incredible to be true.

Apart from the dramatic presentation of their story, don't tune out the scenes from the end credits, which continue to tell Oher's story after college. It's adds on many more feel-good moments to an already feel-great movie.

DVD/Blu-ray Features: Interview with the real Michael Oher, one-on-one conversation between Leigh Anne Tuohy and Bullock; production featurettes and more. (Warner Home Video)

'The Lord Of The Rings' Trilogy On Blu-ray (PG-13): For fans of director Peter Jackson's already classic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, there's yet another reason to rejoice with the release of the films on Blu-ray for the first time. But the arrival is no doubt going to be bittersweet for some, especially those who must accept the fact that they're only doling out for the theatrical versions of the film. That's because with the extended edition releases coming on Blu-ray at some point, there's certain to be the same sort of backlash, akin to when fans of the DVD releases were forced to dig deeper in their pockets for another set of movies.

As for this initial release on Blu-ray, get prepared to be dazzled. The films -- 2001's "The Fellowship of the Ring," 2002's "The Two Towers" and 2003's "The Return of the King" – look spectacular in the Blu-ray format. Better yet, the sound is pristine and enveloping, putting you the closest you've been to author J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth since each film played in theaters. The great thing is, in a world of ever-developing visual effects, the films do not feel the least bit dated from a technical standpoint.

No matter what type of home theater system you have, watching the trilogy on Blu-ray feels like you are stepping into Middle Earth. In "Fellowship," for example, when the Cave Troll smashes his hammer on the ground, you can feel the rumble; when the fiery Balrog approaches Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) you can feel everything but the heat as the wizard tries to fend him off; And when the Orcs fire arrows at the Fellowship, it's as if the arrows are whiffing right past you. It's an exhilarating experience.

Following the quest of Hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) to destroy the One Ring of Power that that dark lord Sauron seeks to re-possess to destroy the world, it all brilliantly kicks off with "The Fellowship of the Ring," which elaborately sets up the trilogy's expansive storyline. It also well establishes the loyal friendship between Frodo and his fellow Hobbits, Samwise (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monahan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) and the formation of The Fellowship, including the reluctant heir to the throne of Gondor, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the skeptic Boromir (Sean Bean), the fiery eleven warrior Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and spunky axe-wielding dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies).

Heading them all, and anchoring the film, essentially, is the charismatic Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen, in what should have been an Oscar-winning role), the pivotal character whose seemingly deadly fate at the hands of the Balrog is revisited at the start of "The Two Towers."

The second film is without question, has the briskest pace of the entire trilogy with its intense actions and bloody battles. Only mentioned and briefly seen in "Fellowship," the long-time keeper of the One Ring, Gollum (a digital capture of Andy Serkis) becomes much more pivotal to the action in "The Two Towers," as he joins Frodo and Sam on the quest to destroy the ring in the fires of Mordor on Mount Doom. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas continue their quest, first to find Merry and Pippin, seized in "Fellowship" by the Uruk-Hai warriors by order of Saruman (Christopher Lee); only to take the forces of evil in the climactic battle of Helm's Deep.

Frodo and Sam continue their journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ring in "The Return of the King," while Gandalf the White, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and their allies set their sites on the final battle at Minas Tirith, in the trilogy's most epic scenes to date. Adding more visual flair than before, Jackson breathtakingly brings to life the specters of the Army of the Dead to help defeat the Sauron and his minions of evil. Although he drew criticism for what appeared to be multiple endings to the film before it winded down to its final conclusion, Jackson should be lauded for staying the course and properly wrapping up several individual storylines, in what is arguably one of the greatest movie trilogies -- both visually and in emotional depth -- ever made.

Bonus Features: Although the films are in the Blu-ray format, the bonus discs -- featuring an in-depth seven hours worth of special behind-the-scenes material -- remain in the DVD format. Also included in the nine-disc gift set are downloadable digital copies of the films for portable media devices. (Warner Home Video)

Join WB Insider Rewards for a chance to win the Blu-ray edition of "The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy," a Sony Playstation3 with built-in Blu-ray player and highly prized collectibles. The grand prize includes a chess set by The Noble Collection with an ancient map of Middle-earth mounted beneath the playing surface and a base with actual images of the memorable characters and scenes from the thrilling motion picture trilogy.