Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • March 14, 2012 DVD releases (continued from Restaurant page) Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. “The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight) stars George Clooney as the wealthy Matt King, whose wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) falls into a coma while he is in the middle of negotiations to sell a large Hawaiian landholding that will bring in millions. He is also faced with a rebellious teenage daughter (Shailene Woodley) and her younger sister Scottie (Amara Miller), who is not aware that her mother’s passing is imminent. Under Alexander Payne’s direction, “The Descendants” is an engaging film with an assortment of interesting characters and dramatic surprises. Most notable are the natural performances throughout. This movie is not geared toward those with short attention spans. There are no car chases, explosions, or aliens aiming to conquer the Earth. It’s a solid drama set in a beautiful location that avoids clichés and portrays people in a traumatic situation who have to bond together, despite past history, to get through a rough period. The movie emphasizes the value of family in a time of crisis, and doesn’t take shortcuts as Matt and his family navigate the unfamiliar waters of loss. Extras on the three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include a digital copy, deleted scenes, profiles of Clooney and Payne, music videos, a silent film about Hawaii, featurettes on the real descendants, casting, and Hawaiian style. The film is also available as a single-disc DVD. “The Three Musketeers” (Summit Entertainment) is yet another version of the Alexandre Dumas adventure that has been adapted into film innumerable times. In a misguided attempt to attract young viewers, D’Artagnan is played by Logan Lerman (“Percy Jackson & the Olympians”), who appears well out of his depth as the dashing, courageous swordsman. The plot is ridiculously ambitious. After they fail in a plan to steal Leonardo da Vinci’s airship designs, the Musketeers are disbanded by Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz), leaving Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), Porthos (Ray Stevenson) and Aramis (Luke Evans) “unemployed.” Meanwhile, reckless D’Artagnan has set off from Gascony with dreams of becoming a musketeer, not knowing the group has been disbanded. In short order, D’Artagnan manages to offend each of the three former musketeers. When they are surrounded by guards trying to arrest them for illegal dueling, they band together to fight off the guards. This is an abysmal retelling of the Dumas classic. There is nothing wrong with remaking a classic if the director is true to the spirit of the original. Here, the story serves as a springboard for anachronistic references, wisecracks, and an inherent mocking of the tale. Lerman is not up to the role of D’Artagnan, either in appearance or acting chops. In his attempt to be brash and impetuous, he comes off as a spoiled kid and is a far cry from the heroic swashbuckler the role demands. Co-starring are Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich. The Blu-ray special edition contains deleted scenes, audio commentary with the filmmakers, and “Access: Three Musketeers,” a gimmicky bonus in which assorted features may be accessed as the movie plays.