Blu-ray

Ignoring the forgettable made-for-DVD sequels, this latest slice of …Pie picks up the story of the original characters as they return to their home town for a high school reunion. Cue a contrived and lacklustre comedy that fails in its goal of recapturing the charm and wit of the original film. This generous hi-def package serves up two cuts of the movie with richly coloured AVC 1.85:1 1080p imagery and front-heavy DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. Extras include an audio commentary from the writers and directors, an on-screen cast commentary and much, much more.

Written and produced by Oren 'Paranormal Activity' Peli, this Hills Have Eyes rip-off follows a group of tourists who visit an abandoned town devastated by the Chernobyl meltdown, only to discover that they're not alone. While the film struggles to live up to its fascinating setting, this Blu-ray's AVC 1.85:1 1080p transfer and DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack at least make sure that it looks and sounds extremely atmospheric throughout. Meagre extras take the form of a deleted scene, an alternate ending, a short 'Chernobyl Conspiracy' video, a fake ad for 'Uri's Extreme Tours' and the trailer

While advertised as a riotous chick flick (which helped it trouser over $100m from a $7m budget), Magic Mike is more a low-fi drama – admittedly about male strippers – with Channing Tatum excelling in the title role and Matthew McConaughey providing beefy support. The Blu-ray's 2.35:1 1080p transfer is sharp, but director Steven Soderbergh's habit of given everything – be it the sky, the sea, someone's face – a yellow tint is distracting, while the TrueHD 5.1 audio pumps out the soundtrack but has little else to do. Extras include a behind-the-scenes doc and extended dance scenes.

Calling anything 'Essential' is just asking for trouble. But in this case, Universal has got it spot-on. In fact, given the quality films on offer - Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941), Phantom of the Opera (1943) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) – and the impact they had on cinema, you could argue that Universal is actually underselling this remarkable collection of movies.

What's not to love about a musical based on '80s hair metal and power ballads? Quite a lot as it turns out – especially when so many of the songs are given over to a pair of charisma-free leads who would look more at home on the Mickey Mouse Club. Only Tom Cruise's electrifying turn as rock star Stacee Jaxx makes this remotely worth bothering with. As you'd expect, it looks wonderfully gaudy in hi-def and the DTS-HD MA 5.1 rocks. A selection of additional featurettes about the bands behind the songs prove far more interesting than the movie itself.

This high-concept action-horror posits a world in which 'Honest Abe' spends his spare time battling the undead. Sounds a bit daft? Of course it is. But thanks to the gusto and creativity director Timur (Wanted) Bekmambetov brings to the film (particularly in its 3D guide) it's also more enjoyable than it has any right to be. The two 2.40:1 1080p Blu-ray presentations are immaculate and aided by thrillingly expansive DTS-HD MA 7.1 sonics. Extras consist of a 75-min Making of…, commentary by the writer, music video and an 8-min animated short.

While it's surprising that the generic plot of this star-studded sequel is apparently the best they could come up with, The Expendables 2 is never less than ridiculously entertaining. Adding genre icons Chuck Norris and Jean Claude van Damme to the mix, giving bigger roles to Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzengger and ramping up the number of one-liners is a smart move by writer/producer Sylvester Stallone – as is drafting in director Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), who shoot's the film's action sequences with real panache.