As high-definition DVDs roll out in the form of Blu-Ray discs and the incompatible HD DVD, some studios show little care in selecting what films are released in this dazzling format. So far, it seems Columbia/Sony is just grabbing the last group of theatrical releases, or films like “50 First Dates” that already did well on standard DVD. “Ultraviolet” is a good example in several ways. It’s a lousy movie, no question of that, even though the usually-appealing Milla Jovovich is the star. Perhaps her career has been derailed by her starring role in the wretched “Resident Evil” series, because now she seems like Action Girl #1. “Ultraviolet” doesn’t require much of the acting abilities she displayed in “The Fifth Element” and “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.” On the other hand, those films also required her to be nimble and graceful, even while wearing a full suit of ...

  In 1993, what a Black Hawk helicopter was and the significance of one being downed was virtually unknown. “Black Hawk Down” depicts the harrowing events of October 1993. During a well-planned seek and capture mission in Somalia, one of the powerful Black Hawk support helicopters is shot down. As groups of soldiers head to the crash site, things proceed to go horribly awry, and the separated group of lost and confused Rangers try to make their way back to base while fighting off vengeful mobs of highly armed native militia. “Black Hawk Down” is a gripping, frequently terrifying illumination of little-known recent history. It frequently plays like an update of "Zulu Dawn" as the scattered soldiers are besieged by thousands of furious, machine gun toting Africans. Moment-to-moment reality is the focus here, and the well-chosen settings and atmosphere of human confusion only amplify the believability of the enacted events. The storytelling and focus ...