Good pic, misfire hit DVD shelves

Two major DVD releases have just hit video shelves — a reissue of a very good 2002 action picture, and a 2004 misfire. Along with a mix of old and new titles.

• "The Bourne Identity: Extended Edition" (Universal, 2002, PG-13, $29.98). Selling points for this reissue are an overview of Robert Ludlum's "Bourne" novels, and opening/closing scenes filmed after 9/11, then discarded before the film's release.

But all that is merely frosting. The real selling point is the movie itself, a crackerjack action film, with Matt Damon as an excellent, if unlikely, hero. He's a government assassin on the lam with amnesia who gets help from a tentative civilian (Franka Potente).

As if you didn't know, a sequel, "The Bourne Supremacy," opens this week.

Extras: Separate full frame and widescreen editions, new beginning and ending, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, interviews, trailers, free movie ticket to "The Bourne Supremacy," language and subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.

• "Against the Ropes" (Paramount, 2004, PG-13, $29.95). Meg Ryan stars in this alleged true story of the first woman to become a professional boxing manager. But first she must transform a street tough (Omar Epps) into a fighter.

Tony Shalhoub ("Monk") is a marvelous actor, but he's at sea here as the bad guy. Likewise Charles Dutton, as a retired manager who helps Ryan . . . and he directed the film! Surprisingly, Ryan and Epps work well together, and too-few humorous moments help a bit.

Actually, this might have been better as a flat-out farce.

Extras: Separate full-frame and widescreen editions, making-of featurettes, trailer, language options (English, French), English subtitle option, chapters.

• "The Rosemary Clooney Show: Girl Singer" (Concord, 1957-58, not rated, b/w and color, $19.98). This entertaining PBS show features clips of Rosemary Clooney singing songs on her '50s black-and-white TV variety series, as well as biographical material. Carol Burnett narrates, while photos and testimonials from family members (her five children, including character actor Miguel Ferrer, along with her brother Nick Clooney and nephew George Clooney) and others tell the story. (Can be ordered online at www.concordrecords.com.)

Extras: Full frame, audio commentary (song-specific, by Michael Feinstein), extra song performance, extra interviews (organized by discussion subject), tribute by Jimmy Webb (with photo gallery), record-album gallery, chapters.