NEW ON DVD TODAY:

THE NEW WORLD (Grade: B-)

Like other Terrence Malick films, this historical drama features gorgeous cinematography and poetic voice-over narration. But unlike his 1970s masterpieces, Badlands and Days of Heaven, his latest effort has a preachy tone that’s hard to stomach, and much of the dialogue is flat-out corny. In keeping with his recent clump of crappy performances, Colin Farrell lacks charisma as John Smith, the Brit who woos Pocahontas amidst warfare between English settlers and Native Americans in 1607 Virginia. For all its beauty and epic grandeur, the picture never fully engages. And to the dismay of Disney lovers everywhere, Pocahontas doesn’t belt out “Colors of the Wind” in this version of the story.

MUNICH (Grade: B-)

Based on true events, Steven Spielberg’s ambitious film follows a group of men who track down and kill the Palestinian terrorists who masterminded the murders of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Flashes of cinematic genius punctuate the film, most notably the bombing and shooting scenes that are disturbingly artful in the vein of The Godfather. But the characters are not particularly engaging, and the emotionally manipulative climax all but cancels out the reflective mood that anchors the rest of the movie. For a more convincing lesson on this subject, rent the Academy Award-winning documentary One Day in September.

TRANSAMERICA (Grade: A-)

No offense Reese, but Felicity Huffman deserved to win the Best Actress Oscar for her poignant portrayal of a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual named Bree. In a funny and subversive twist on the road movie genre, she discovers she has a son (who happens to be a gay hustler) and drives him cross-country without telling him the truth about their relationship or her gender identity. Huffman is the main attraction, but writer/director Duncan Tucker draws terrific performances from the entire cast, especially Fionnula Flanagan as Bree’s flamboyant and stifling mother.

*Don't get too excited about renting Transamerica right away, because I just found out that doesn't come out on video until May 23.