What's new on DVD

Film and television author Randy Williams reviews the latest movies, television shows, documentaries and music programs now available for purchase online and at retail stores.

Iron ManUltimate TwoDisc Edition (Paramount)—In this smart update of the old Marvel Comics hero, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is forced to build an armored suit after a lifethreatening incident and ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against the forces of evil. Co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges, the set include almost four hours of special features. In addition to deleted and extended scenes, there are multi-episode features on both the making of the film and history of the hero. Visual effects, a stills gallery and the star's screen test are also part of the double-disc package.

The TransformersTwoDisc Special Edition on Blu-ray (Paramount)—Director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg joined forces to present a tale of an epic struggle between the Autobots and Decepticons. Shia LeBeouf stars in this fight for mankind. Special features include "Our World": stunt training footage and on-set location interviews; "Their War": production design work, military advisers and digital special effects usage; and "More Than Meets the Eye": concept boards and trailers. Exclusive online material is also included.

Michael Palin: New Europe (BBC America)—Awardwinning adventurer Michael Palin ("Around the World in 80 Days," "Pole to Pole") takes us on an expedition into onceforbidden territory. No longer hindered by the Cold War, the gregarious world traveler and former Monty Python star treks nearly 12,000 miles on a fourmonth journey spanning 20 countries. The threedisc set follows the witty and insightful Palin on an expedition from Estonia in the north to Turkey in the south, interacting with some distinctive characters and chronicling memorable events along the way.

HeroesSeason Two (Universal)—Coming off a very successful debut, NBC's sophomore presentation overcomes several character and plot flaws, perhaps caused by the writers' strike. The four-disc set features every episode plus an alternate ending for the season finale where the result is something that doesn't bode well for humanity. Cast and crew commentaries, untold stories, website material and Tim Sale's gallery of screen art are included.

WWII: A Filmed History (Discovery)—From our nation's record keeper, the National Archives, comes the largest collection of Second World War history in one massive box set. The 24DVD package features historical newsreel footage and documentaries narrated by Hollywood legends covering the entire theater of war. Subsets include the "War in Europe," "War on the Homefront," "War in the Pacific" and the Oscarwinning "Why We Fight" series with film luminaries Frank Capra, John Ford and Walter Huston and featuring Edward R. Murrow. Among the writers are twins Julius and Philip Epstein who won an Academy Award for penning "Casablanca." Jimmy Stewart, James Cagney and Clark Gable also contribute to this living milestone of history.

The Office-Season Four (Universal)—Steve Carell returns in his Golden Globewinning role of "The World's Greatest Boss," Michael Scott. Rejoining him are Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski. Story lines from 14 episodes on four discs revolve around a team charity race, a dinner party, a job fair, promotions, vacations and the constant of office politics. "Rabies: The More You Know," episode commentaries, two hours of deleted scenes, a blooper reel and a tabled draft of the "Dinner Party" episode script are some of the bonus features.

The Big Bang Theory-The Complete First Season (Warner Bros.)—From the series creators of "Two and a Half Men" and "Dharma & Greg" comes this successful lab experiment that gives gravitational pull a whole new meaning for two geeky physicists (Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons) when a pretty woman (Kaley Cuoco) enters their universe. Seventeen episodes on three discs include the original pilot. Features include a behind-the-scenes look into "geek chic" and the quantum mechanics of the big-bang theory.

Ugly Betty-The Complete Second Season (Disney)—The surprise hit series featuring the sunny, sweettempered and terminally style-challenged Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) is back for a sophomore season. The Emmy and Golden Globewinning star, who navigates the ego-infested, high-fashion halls of Mode magazine, is joined by an ensemble cast on this fivedisc, 18-episode presentation. Bonus features include "On Set with the Besties," "Wilhelmina Slater: Love to Hate Her" and "Betty Bloops."

Fantastic FourThe Complete First Season (Fox)—Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch and The Thing make up the super hero team as they battle villains around the globe. All 26 episodes from the debut year are included. The cosmically altered superheroes go up against such notorious villains as Doctor Doom and The Puppet Master. Helping to save the universe are Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. "From Origin to Animation," "Rise of the Rogues," "Traveling to New Dimensions" and "The Art of Fantastic Four" are the titles of some of the bonus segments.