Deseret News' DVD gift guide: Popular movies, TV shows for under the tree

So, you've decided to give DVDs as Christmas gifts this year. And everyone on your list wants something that came out this year. They just can't think of the titles right off.

Kids/teens want the hottest new movies, of course — but can they really wait until Christmas? Can parents really keep "Up" and the new "Star Trek" on ice until Dec. 25?

Well, if you should you weaken, there are plenty of other titles to choose from for under-the-tree packages or hanging-from-the-mantel stocking-stuffers. Would you believe more than 14,000 DVD titles have been released during 2009?

Of course, that includes everything from cardio kickboxing to yoga programs to no less than four versions of the "Transformers" sequel to new entries in the "Girls Gone Wild" franchise to multiple reissues of familiar older films to children's specialty discs to ancient material that has fallen into public domain to the most sought-after movies and TV shows.

The year's biggest sellers for family viewing were primarily animated features, led by "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" (Dreamworks), "Up" (Disney/Pixar), "Bolt" (Disney), "Monsters vs. Aliens" (Paramount), "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (Fox) and Disney's re-issue of its 1940 classic, "Pinocchio."

Among the best-selling live-action movies this year were "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (Paramount), "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (Fox), "Taken" (Fox), "The Proposal" (Touchstone) "Gran Torino" (Warner), "Star Trek" (Paramount), "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" (Disney), "Marley and Me" (Fox) and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (Paramount).

But all of those were outshone by the No. 1 best-seller of 2009, "Twilight," which was far ahead of the rest with 9.5 million copies sold for $172.5 million.

True, "Transformers 2" earned more money — $184.6 million — but it sold only 8.2 million units. (Did I say "only"?)

Still, you're probably not going to buy any of those because you have no doubt purchased or rented them already. So this is a sampling of everything else.

Obviously, a newspaper DVD gift guide cannot be comprehensive. This is meant to be simply a reminder of some of the best/most popular titles that came out this year, categorized for easy review (with apologies if your fave was overlooked).

POPULAR MOVIES