'Revolutionary Road" (R): The reunion of the two stars that helped make "Titantic" a box office monolith gleamed with promise: but not even Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio can't keep a movie like "Revolutionary Road" from sinking into the vast depths of a missed opportunity. Overrated by the critical mass, director Sam Mendes' complex family drama fails to pick up any real creative steam until its final act, long after you really stop caring about the movie's characters.

DiCaprio and Winslet star as Frank and April Wheeler, a once-ideal couple struggling with their marriage and raising two children in 1950s suburban Connecticut. A hasty decision to move to Europe appears to cure all of their ills, until the couple learns that they're expecting again and Frank is offered a surprise promotion. Some marital infidelity also enters into the equation, which contributes to April's tragic downward spiral.

While Mendes -- Winslet's real-life husband and director of such great films as "American Beauty" and "Road to Perdition" -- manages to effectively capture the idyllic atmosphere of 1950s suburbia with "Revolutionary Road," it unfortunately is the only thing that's consistent about the film.

The script for the most part is run-of-the-mill save a few surprises, and while Winslet's acting is solid, DiCaprio just appears to be trying too hard. In the end, both are outdone by Michael Shannon as the mentally ill son of the couple's real-estate agent (the always wonderful Kathy Bates) who is in desperate need of a friendship.

Shannon brings spark to "Revolutionary Road" in his brief, yet eye-catching Oscar-nominated turn, but the unexpected energy surge is not nearly enough to save an otherwise dreary movie.

DVD Features: Commentary with director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe, deleted scenes with optional commentary, a production featurette and more. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

'Defiance' (R): While didn't quite get the attention it deserved in its short theatrical run, "Defiance" is a must-see on DVD.

Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell play the Bielskis, a trio of Russian Jewish brothers who flee to the woods and join a band of resistance fighters while they try to rebuild a community to protect themselves and their fellow men, women and children from further danger.

Directed by Edward Zwick ("Glory," "Legends of the Fall"), "Defiance is much like "Schindler's List" in that it brings to light a seldom-heard yet amazing true story of survival during the Nazis' persecution of the Jews during World War II.

The result of the Bielski's heroic actions, as we come to discover, is quite profound. While it's heart-wrenching to watch at times, "Defiance" is a defiant triumph and ultimately an uplifting film. (Paramount Home Entertainment)

Also New

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' (PG): "King of Queens" star Kevin James is riding high on the blockbuster of success that "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," had in theaters -- and if you allow yourself to realize that the movie wasn't meant to be Shakespeare, you'll enjoy hopping about James' comic vehicle on DVD.

James stars as Blart, a humble, compassionate mall security guard and state trooper wannabe who takes his duties protecting shoppers very seriously. But as a single father of a young girl, he also is seriously bummed out about not finding the right woman to spend his life with.

But when Blart finally meets the girl of his dreams in a mall make-up counter owner (the cute and engaging Jayma Mays), he's soon put to the test to not only win her love, but save her life, since she's among a group of people taken hostage in an elaborate mall heist.

James is wonderful in "Paul Blart Mall Cop," even though the film itself is weighed down by predictable action and forced comedy. It's good, clean humor for the whole family, though, and most young viewers will get a kick out of James' willingness to take a tumble for the sake of getting a few laughs.

DVD Features: Commentary by James and producer Todd Garner, deleted scenes, production featurettes, outtakes and more. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)