New on DVD: Sleuth, Schoolgirl, and Seas

What's new at the DVD store this week? We'll help you break down your choices.

Sherlock Holmes

Mystery

The Gist: Robert Downey Jr. is the legendary sleuth and Jude Law his faithful sidekick Watson. They must stop Lord Blackwood, a practitioner of black magic, from continuing his occultic ritualistic murders.

The Ups: Strong characters and lots of action.

The Downs: The occult storyline adds an unexpected level of spookiness. With Rachel McAdams as a femme fatale, the ethos of the movie feels more 2010 than the 1890s of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Verdict: Depends. It's a solid movie, very entertaining, but doesn't reach the greatness of the beloved books.

Be Aware: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material. IMDB Parent's Guide.

An Education

Indie coming of age

The Gist: A schoolgirl in 1960s England meets an older man, urbane and charming. Despite her parent's concern, she begins a relationship with him. He offers excitement and glamour of the big city. But of course, these things come at a cost.

The Buzz: This film was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award Its star, Carly Mulligan, was nominated for Best Actress and its script for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Ups: Great acting and a good script make this movie sparkle. Its themes make some profound observations: Character and wisdom generally come through pain and mistakes.

The Downs: Just when you'd like the film to highlight consequences and redemption, it falters.

The Verdict: Rent it. This film has interesting things to say about human nature, but is certainly for an adult audience.

Be Aware: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Animated kid's film

The Gist: Something about the pressures of fame weighing heavily on rodent shoulders. But, really, all you need to know is that they're singing chipmunks.

The Ups: Will entertain the kiddos for a few minutes while you catch a shower.

The Downs: May make parents' heads explode due to those squeaky, annoying voices, stupid slapstick humor, flat jokes, and thin plot. Did I mention the squeaky voices?

The Verdict: Skip it, for the love of Elvis, skip it. Run. Hide. If your kids will let you.

Be Aware: Rated PG for some mild rude humor.This film has some of those "adult' jokes designed to go over kids heads. IMDB Parents Guide.

Under the Sea 3D

Documentary

The Gist: This stunningly shot doc, narrated by Jim Carey, explores the world's oceans for awe-inspiring shots of amazing creatures.

The Ups: Yes, there is still awe and magic in the world. It's there under the sea.

The Downs: A heavy handed environmental message boils down to "these beautiful creatures will die if you don't stop polluting, Johnny."

The Verdict: Rent it. It's much better for the kiddos than the spine-jarring Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Be Aware: Rated G.

Afghan Star

Documentary

The Gist: Who knew that "Afghan Star," an American-Idol style TV show, would be such a big hit? As Afghan singers, including a few courageous women, compete for the top spot, the viewer gets a peek at a culture in transition.

The Ups: It's fascinating to see what similarities we have to Afghans, and what differences. Plus, it's the next best thing to a graduate course on Afghanistan.

The Downs: No downs. Except a few pitchy singers, dawg.

The Verdict: Rent it. If you like documentaries at all, if you know some one who has served in Afghanistan, or if you just want to be entertained and educated, this will be worth your time.

Be Aware: Not rated in the US.

At SixSeeds, we talk about the stories that surround modern life.  We love movies -- in fact, we even have a “brick and mortar” called SixSeeds Video in Winchester, Massachusetts! We know that good films have an amazing power to move, inspire, and sometimes even transform life.  Bad ones make you regret plunking down the $10 for the privilege of listening to the guy next to you chew milk duds for two hours.

That’s why we want to keep you informed of the latest offerings on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Listing the new releases below doesn't mean you should rush out and watch them with your pre-schoolers.  In fact, over the course of the next few months, we’ll list many we wouldn’t let our teenagers watch.  (Some, we regret watching!)  But somewhere in America, a teenager is going to come to their parent and say, “Hey, I’m supposed to bring the movie to the slumber party.  May I bring...?”

And right there in the aisle of the video store, a decision will be made. 

Come back next week to read “The RunDown,” America... and choose wisely!