New on DVD: Perry, Marmaduke, and TV

What's new on DVD this week?

Why Did I get Married Too?

Comedy/Drama

The Gist: The four couples of "Why Did I Get Married" reunite for a little vacay, and talk over their relationships. Since it's a Tyler Perry movie, there's bound to be some melodrama.

The Ups: Tyler Perry is known for mixing slapstick humor with insightful exploration of faith and family. No one else can make the kinds of films he makes.

The Downs: Well, it's pretty melodramatic.

The Verdict: Depends. Tyler Perry generally is considered a filmmaker for the African-American audience, but some of his films deserve wider viewership, although perhaps "Why Did I Get Married Too?" is not the right place to start. Check out "I Can do Bad All By Myself" for his take on faith and redemption.

Marmaduke

Alleged comedy

The Gist: The Winslow family has a big dog. The dog creates chaos. Hilarity ensues. Maybe.

The Ups: Well, the comic strip on which the movie is based was occasionally funny.

The Downs: Way too many poop jokes and not enough laughs.

The Verdict: Skip it. Show your kids the comic strip instead, and when they start yawning, put in something from Pixar.

Be Aware: Rated PG for some rude humor and language.

TV on DVD: The Middle

The Gist: Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) enjoy what passes for a life in Indiana with their three kids in this family sitcom. Their teen son defines the word "slacker," their daughter isn't good at anything despite dogged attempts, and their younger son is just a little odd. And it's all ok.

The Ups: Harried moms will laugh with recognition as Frankie attempts to hide her ill son in a corner at work or tries to decide between paying off her credit card and ordering cable. Tired of watching posh, dramatic shows set in Beverly Hills or New York? This is real life, baby, but just a little bit crazier.

The Downs: Sometimes uneven in its humor and occasionally dark, but the family love pulls everyone through.

The Verdict: Watch it. This is an enjoyable sitcom. 

TV on DVD: The Vampire Diaries

The Gist: Elena is just a normal high school girl. Well, normalish. She's got boy problems...her boyfriend is a vampire (sound familiar?). His vampire brother is evil, but so cute. Oh, and by the way, her best friend is a witch.

The Ups: These vamps don't sparkle.

The Downs: They're still vampires. Yawn.

The Verdict: We'll be glad when this vampire trend is over. This show is just another teen soap, but with vampires and witches mixed in, which mean that the teen protagonists spend most of their time emoting about tiny details of their relationships between bouts of hunting the undead. Your teens will know all about it. You probably should too.