Check out the underrated 'Invictus'

New movies on DVD this week are led by Clint Eastwood's underrated "Invictus" and the all-star "Valentine's Day."

"Invictus" (Warner/Blu-ray, 2009, PG-13, two discs, $34.99). Morgan Freeman is a commanding presence as Nelson Mandela in this true story of how the South African leader used the power of the nation's passion for rugby to bring blacks and whites together after apartheid was abolished. And Matt Damon matches him as the captain of the team, who is quite surprised when Mandela asks him to win the World Cup!

Somewhat ignored by audiences and critics late last year, Clint Eastwood's latest directing effort is nonetheless a rousing story of the human spirit, wrapped in the cloak of a cheer-to-win sports yarn. But the cheer in this film goes out for much more than merely winning a title.

Extras: widescreen, picture-in-picture commentary by Eastwood, featurettes, DVD/digital versions, trailers (also available as single-disc DVD with fewer bonus features, $28.98)

"Valentine's Day" (New Line/Blu-ray, 2010, PG-13, two discs, $35.99). This episodic romantic comedy has an amazing cast, led by Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Shirley MacLaine — even Taylor Swift has a role.

There are some amusing sequences and charming characters, but the overall affect is of missed opportunities as so many of the storylines fall flat.

Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes, bloopers, DVD/digital versions, trailers (also available as single-disc DVD with fewer bonus features, $28.98)

"Everyman's War" (Virgil Films, 2009, $24.99). Here's something you don't see very often, a low-budget period piece about World War II. "Saving Private Ryan" it ain't, and there are flaws. But what this picture lacks in slick moviemaking skills it more than makes up for in heart and storytelling.

Filmmaker Thad Smith based this true story on the experiences of his father, as the film shows a variety of disparate characters coming together in uniform, then finding themselves on the beaches of Normandy and deep in a snow-covered German forest as their combat experiences lead them to the Battle of the Bulge.

The screener I received had none of the bonus features, so those listed below are based on press materials.

Extras: widescreen, making-of featurette, trailer