Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • November 5, 2014 DVD releases (continued from Restaurant page) movie takes a cue from Broadway’s “Wicked” in providing a back story and expanding the history of a famous vil- lain, but is not as successful in providing insight into what makes Maleficent tick. Over-dependence on computer-gen- erated effects ultimately becomes repetitious. When Jolie is on screen, viewers are transfixed. At other times, the movie is merely routine. Bonuses on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include five behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a digital copy. “Hercules” (Paramount) is based on the comics by Steve Moore. The title character (Dwayne Johnson) is a sort of con man. He is a sword-for-hire hulk of a guy who uses his outsize reputation as son of Zeus and slayer of the Hydra to draw crowds and inflate his price. He wears a costume: the invincible hide of the Nemean lion. Johnson has always had more than his share of charm, which works well for him here, since Hercules is portrayed more as celebrity than as warrior. Personality counts more than brute strength to make a living. Director Brett Ratner has given the film a light tone, which fits Johnson like a glove. Ratner also delivers on the action, particularly about half-way through as Hercules proves he can deliver when the going gets tough. Many movies about Hercules tend to be less than stellar and even silly, so the choice to present this “Hercules” with a knowing wink pays off. Extras on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include both theatrical and extended versions, 15 deleted/extended scenes, an introduction by Ratner and Johnson, four making-of featurettes, and a digital copy. “The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story” (Lions- gate), timed to the 25th Anniversary of the premiere of the iconic series, is a made-for-TV movie based on Dustin Dia- mond’s (a/k/a “Screech” Powers) book “Behind the Bell.” The film shines light on the on- and off-screen drama of the hit ‘90s television sitcom that changed the face of Ameri- can Saturday morning television. The brand new cast was hand-picked by the original casting director for “Saved by the Bell,” Robin Lippin. The original show aired from 1989 to 1993 and followed a group of friends and their principal at Bayside High School. Focusing on lighthearted comedic situations, it occasion- ally touched on serious social issues such as drug use, driv- ing under the influence, homelessness, divorce, death, and environmental issues. The series starred Mark-Paul Gos- selaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins, and Tiffani-Amber Thies- sen. It originated as “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” on the Disney Channel, but was dropped after 13 episodes. NBC picked up the series and revamped the cast. “The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story” is unfortu- nately characterized by sub-par acting, stiff dialogue, rou- tine plotting, and minimal dramatic tension. Promoted as a tell-all saga of what went on during production, the result is surprisingly scandal-free and family-friendly apart from pervasive cynicism by Diamond, who is credited as an executive producer, about being the slighted cast member, shunned by his co-stars and under-appreciated by the show’s producers. There are no extras on the DVD release.