The werewolf vs. vampire actionfest Underworld roars to DVD in a packed release from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment that's sure to please any fan of the gothic, bullet-ridden tale. This Widescreen Special Edition comes with a superb 2.35:1 picture, maintaining the deep blacks and blue hues that worked so well in theaters (a full-screen edition is also available). Sound options are solely relegated to a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, whose layers of atmosphere, music, and sound effects create a fine mix for this extremely loud film. Additionally, two commentary tracks are supplied, the first with director Len Wiseman and writers Danny McBride and Kevin Grevioux, and the second featuring creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos, executive producer/visual effects supervisor James McQuaide, and sound designer Claude Letessier. Both commentaries provide an insane amount of behind-the-scenes information, though each one is about as self-gratifying and pompous as you can get -- especially for a film that is such widely considered as un-groundbreaking as Underworld (though extra points do go to Grevioux for showcasing more of his unearthly deep vocal range for the audience). Filled to the brim with special features, the Featurettes section takes up the most space, as cast and crew alike spew gluttonous amounts of adoration for the film's "originality" and vision through each given clip. This area alone holds almost 45 minutes of footage split between various sections and beginning with the overall making-of documentary (directed by Danny McBride himself), as well as featurettes dedicated to "Creature Effects," "Stunts," along with "Sights and Sounds." The second page of Special Features provides a music video by Finch, storyboard comparisons, two separate TV spots, and a trailers section featuring the original theatrical trailer along with some other bonus horror previews. While the disc is quite stacked in its coverage of the film, the end result tends to leave the viewer rather cold, depending on his or her reaction to the film. If you loved it as much as the filmmakers obviously do, there's no way you could come out happier -- for everyone else, it might seem like a bit of overkill. Gripes aside, though, the disc has a stellar presentation, with flashy animated menus and a fantastic audio/visual transfer that will make your home theater system work for its money.

The Rock hits DVD once again in Columbia Pictures' release of the underappreciated, amped-up actioner The Rundown. Presented in an anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen image (it's also available in a separate full-screen version), the picture quality is pristine, as is the sound, which comes in both a 5.1 and a 2.0 Dolby Digital track. Apart from the stellar packaging and presentation (check out that shiny cover), The Rundown has been given one wild treatment as far as bonus materials go. Things start off with director Peter Berg and The Rock's audio commentary track, which is truly a blast from beginning to end. The duo prove their uncanny chemistry as the banter moves from Tom Arnold in a wrestling match to Berg egging on his lead star to grow his hair out for his next role -- a bold and hilarious idea if there ever was one! For this track alone, the DVD is worth it! Of course, there's more fun to be had, with another commentary from the producers as well as a heap-load of featurettes for the viewer to dive into. For a good look at the over-the-top action of the film, check out "Rumble in the Jungle" -- a ten-minute glimpse at the stunts that features great behind-the-scenes footage of fight choreographer Andy Cheng and his crew. Additionally, "The Amazon, Hawaii-Style" shows how the production transformed the Hawaiian Islands into a jungle landscape, while "Appetite for Destruction" dives into the pyrotechnics and visual effects that litter the film's more explosive moments. "The Rundown Uncensored" is a goofy bit that highlights the controversial love affair between one of the monkeys and the headlining star, while "Running Down the Town" is yet another featurette on the location shoot and how the crew transformed a national park into a red-earthed Brazilian town. The "Walken's World" documentary is exactly what it is -- a candid look at what it's like working with the legendary Christopher Walken and such juicy bits as which actor was scared to death of the acting legend (hint: his initials are S.W.S.!). Add on to all of that 14 minutes of deleted scenes (including a few extra major action sequences), and you basically have the disc right there. If you managed to catch the flick on the big screen, you should know how much of a good time it is, so it's a pleasure to say that the same humor has been translated to all of the extras here. Sadly, no theatrical trailer was included, though that seems to be the norm for big Hollywood DVDs these days.