'Taken'

1 1/2 stars = Bad
Ratings explained

Former CIA operative Bryan Mills is a divorced father trying to rebuild a relationship with his teen daughter after years of clandestine absences. His daddy talents may be fledgling but not his more lethal skill set. So pity the Albanian fools that rouse them when they kidnap 17-year-old Kim, a virgin, for the underground sex trade.

Directed by Pierre Morel, this thriller has none of the hyperactive charms of his rousing "District B13." Instead, thanks to the handiwork of writers Luc Besson and Mark Kamen, "Taken" is an exploitation thriller. It seizes the worst the world has to offer to bolster its utterly rote rhythms and payback conclusions.

As Mills, Liam Neeson cuts a fine determined figure in a black leather jacket, but he's decidedly glum. And one gets the sense it isn't merely because his daughter has been snatched.

Bonus features include audio commentaries by the director, writer and cinematographers, exclusive behind-the-scenes "making of" featurette and action packed side-by-side comparisons.

-- Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post

"Taking Chance"

3 1/2 stars = Very good
Ratings explained

HBO's "Taking Chance" is simple, elegant telling of a sad yet beautiful story that many of us outside the military know little or nothing about.

Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, a young soldier killed in action, is on his final journey from the battlefield of Iraq to his hometown in Wyoming. Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, a veteran of Desert Storm working a desk as a strategic analyst at Quantico, volunteers to be Chance's military escort from the mortuary in Delaware and witness on his last passage home.

Based upon Strobl's chronicling of his escort duty, the film follows a process that has its roots in ritual, dignity and honor. Starting with the sounds of an attack in Iraq and the late-night knock on a mother's door, the film carries you along this path of sadness while revealing the great respect of ordinary people for those who give their lives in service to their country.

The bonus features give you the opportunity to learn how the story went from action report to film, meet Chance's family and learn more about a young man whose bravery saved the lives of others in a faraway land.

-- Lizabeth Gray, Post-Gazette staff writer

'Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'

2 stars = Mediocre
Ratings explained

Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy star in this action thriller pitting aristocratic vampires against barbaric werewolves.

Paramount bypasses the ill-regarded first effort, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," and cuts to the remastered trilogy of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock," and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." Each movie comes with all-new special features like "Collecting Star Trek's Movie Relics," "Starfleet Academy: The Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI," "Spock: The Early Years," "Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments" and "Star Trek for a Cause."

First feature from Mt. Lebanon native David Hollander, shot in Vancouver and starring Kathy Bates, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ashton Kutcher. It was inspired by the Rick Moody short story "The Mansion on the Hill."

Matthew Knight and Shawnee Smith star in the direct-to-DVD sequel.

Special: 'Galaxy Quest: Deluxe Edition.'

TV on DVD: "The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation"; "The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series"; "Penn & Teller: Bull ... ," season 6; "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 7," Parts 1-4; "Two and a Half Men," season 5.