Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are back in director Tim Hill's computer-animation/live-action hybrid following the further adventures of the world's most adorable singing trio. Songwriter Dave Seville (Jason Lee) has been struggling to gain recognition in the music industry for some time, and despite the fact that his former college roommate (David Cross) is now a high-profile powerbroker at Jett Records, Dave still can't manage to get a break. Things soon start to look up, however, when Dave discovers three singing chipmunks hiding out in the branches of a Christmas tree in Jett Records' world headquarters. Realizing that these woodland crooners cold prove to be his ticket to the big time, Dave does his best to transform Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler), and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) into the next great pop sensation. As adorable and talented as they may be, though, these bouncy little critters aren't quite domesticated just yet; they still have a wild streak in them a mile wide, and it isn't long before Dave's life, home, and career are in utter chaos. But staying mad at such lovable little creatures is next to impossible, no matter what kind of mischief they might get into.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King makes its way to DVD in this two-disc edition of the theatrical cut of the film thanks to New Line Cinema. Just as both of its two-disc predecessors, this initial release presents the movie along with a small amount of extras to tide fans over until the archives are opened for the Special Extended Edition, coming later in 2004. As usual, the picture and sound presentation is astounding, with a crisp 2.35:1 widescreen image (also available in a full-screen version) and both a Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround track and a 2.0 Surround Sound audio option ready to bowl you over with their layers of clarity -- for proof, skip right to Chapter 37 and the Battle of Pelennor Fields to really understand the time and effort that was put into this transfer. As far as extras go, this edition carries on the trend of including all of the two- to four-minute lordoftherings.net featurettes (five in total), along with other material that is mostly exclusive to this release. First off, there's "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision" and "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making Return of the King" featurettes, both of which seem to include many of the same interview segments and stories as not only each other, but also as all of the releases leading up to this one. Needless to say, thanks to the cheesy voice-over work by the narrator and the overlapping content, these two seem disappointing, but end up in the same ballpark as the two-disc Two Towers' Starz/Encore specials or the WB making-of. Those who have purchased the National Geographic special on the third film will be equally saddened by its inclusion here, just one year after it was initially released to DVD in 2003. One place where this edition does stand out is in its inclusion of both original theatrical trailers and a whopping 13 TV spots! Exclusive to this disc is the brand new six-and-a-half-minute Lord of the Rings Trilogy super-trailer documenting the story in a recap fashion that is almost more exhausting than any of the actual films, though neat nonetheless. Also included is a trailer for Electronic Arts' The Lord of the Rings video games, including the latest one, The Battle for Middle Earth. It's strange that New Line didn't include a trailer for the Extended Edition, since such trailers were on both of the last two-disc releases (for their corresponding extended versions). In fact, that was reason enough to buy the initial disc for many fans, so this really was a misstep on New Line's part for not including it. Still, for the stellar presentation of the theatrical film alone, this release is worth it for those looking to own a piece of history -- others might want to bide their time until the mammoth set hits the shelves.

Everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man swoops to DVD in this widescreen special edition of the highly energized sequel from 20th Century Fox. With exquisite extras and spectacular picture and sound, this two-disc is a worthy buy for just about everyone. First off is the technical angle, in which this disc truly shines. Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the image is full of brilliant hues and fine details that are sure to bring your superhero dreams to life as you watch it. Additionally, the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is an absorbing home-theater experience that's been meticulously created for this disc, and it does not disappoint. On the extras front, the fun starts with two different commentaries that are packed with anecdotes and stories from the production. The first track includes two separate recording sessions -- one from director Sam Raimi and Spidey himself, Tobey Maguire, and the other with Marvel producer-extraordinaire Avi Arad and co-producer Grant Curtis. This track is full of fun banter between the director and star, while the other two give good detail on the hows and whys of the moviemaking process. For more in-depth tech-talk, check out the technical commentary, headed by a few other sliced-together sessions that include effects-maestros John Dykstra and Steve Johnson, among others. The track is especially insightful when you begin to realize just how many of the effects were split between practical mechanical effects and CGI. Also included on the first disc is a blooper reel, a music video by Train, movie previews, web featurettes from the film's website, and a "Spidey Sense 2" trivia track that is stuffed with enough facts on the comic and the movie that it's almost overwhelming. Disc two contains the bulk of the extras, starting with the "Making the Amazing" 12-part documentary. This whopping two-hour making-of is one of the best in-depth and entertaining looks at a film that has graced the DVD world. After a bit of your usual PR-type talk in the beginning about the first film, this feature then dives head first into all of the separate departments as they pieced the movie together; this is highly recommended viewing for anyone who enjoys this type of stuff. Three featurettes can also be found on this second disc, all of which hold up the same quality as well. The highlight of the three would have to be the "Ock-Umentary" 20-minute special, which takes the viewer step-by-step through how the filmmakers were able to bring Doc Ock to life, from the pre-production process through the on-set puppeteering that set the stage for all of the CGI polishes later on. Other bonus features on the disc include a multi-angle feature that delves into a few effects-heavy sequences in the film, with other areas dedicated to Activision's exceptional Spider-Man 2 video game. Finally, comic artist Alex Ross has been given a gallery all his own that showcases his stunning paintings featured in the opening credit sequence. Also available in fullscreen, Superbit, and a Collector's DVD Gift Set, this release is a fantastic buy and a perfect gift for any fan of the film. In perfect double-dip fashion, Sony has plans to release a Spider-Man 2.5 as well, featuring extended sequences created solely for the DVD under Raimi's supervision. Until that comes out, there's plenty to love on this release, so don't be afraid to wait for the second release -- unless you like to torture yourself and miss out on a whole lot of great stuff.