3rd 'Pirates' film is released to DVD

The year's biggest box-office hit was released on DVD this week — Johnny Depp's third go-round as the clever, duplicitous, effete Capt. Jack Sparrow.

Recent films

• "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Disney, 2007, PG-13, two discs, $34.99). Depp is the primary reason to see this second sequel, which is too long, overblown, bombastic and over the top. And yet the enthusiastic fun the cast members seem to be having is somewhat contagious. Your fast-forward button can help you get past the boring bits.

Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes, featurettes, bloopers (also available in a single-disc version, $29.99)

• "Return With Honor" (Excel, 2007, PG, $29.99). This LDS film takes a page from all those '70s LDS stage productions where someone dies and then gets one last chance at redemption ... only without the songs. (There are plenty of built-in music videos.) In this case a returning missionary plans to convert his mother and marry his girlfriend, but then he's in a car crash, "dies," and returns to Earth with only 60 days to complete his "mission." More humor would have helped, and the self-righteous central character is so obnoxious that his third-act change of attitude is unconvincing.

Extras: widescreen, audio commentary trailers

Foreign films

• "Live-in Maid" (Koch Lorber, 2004, $26.98). This is essentially a two-character exploration of class structure in Buenos Aires. When the economy takes a nosedive, a formerly wealthy woman (Norma Aleandro) can no longer pay her longtime maid (Norma Argentina). Should the maid hang on out of loyalty? Will her employer come off her high horse and confess her personal needs? Very nicely played by a pair of first-rate actors.

Extras: widescreen, in Spanish with English subtitles, featurette, trailer

• "Exiled" (Magnolia, 2007; R for violence, sex; $26.98). Gunfight-filled thriller has a pair of hitmen contracted to kill a former gangster trying to go straight, and another pair of hitmen are hired to protect him. Not much to think about but lots of fun for fans of Asian action.

Extras: widescreen, in Chinese with English subtitles, featurettes

Documentary

• "Arctic Tale" (Paramount, 2007, G, $29.99). Obvious "March of the Penguins"-style approach doesn't work as well with walruses and polar bears, but is still basically interesting. A bit too much scatological humor, however, despite the G rating.