New on DVD 7/10/08

"Batman Begins"

As if Heath Ledger's death and the inherent interest from rabid fans weren't enough to fan Batman mania for "The Dark Knight," the studio feeds the flames with a new DVD release and the Blu-ray high-definition debut of the 2005 hit film. Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne, the rich guy who moonlights as a masked vigilante with a tortured soul, in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed superhero tale. With the "Dark Knight" sequel hitting theaters July 18, the first flick returns in two-disc DVD and single-disc Blu-ray gift sets.

"Superhero Movie"

Of course someone eventually was going to merge Hollywood's craze for superhero flicks and movie spoofs. This standard-issue spoof features Drake Bell, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Nielsen, Jeffrey Tambor and Pamela Anderson in the comic tale of a teen who's bitten by a mutant dragonfly (Spidey already laid claim to arachnids, you see) and gains superpowers, dons goofy tights and heads out to save the world. The movie is available in the theatrical version or an extended cut.

"Stop-Loss"

After a turn in Clint Eastwood's ensemble World War II tale "Flags of Our Fathers," Ryan Phillippe stars in a drama about contemporary combat, playing an Iraq war veteran who gets a "stop-loss" order — the U.S. military's policy of pressing troops back into service after their original stint is up.

"The Ruins"

Rather than going to the beach for spring break like everyone else, a group of hapless young tourists decide to visit the jungles of Central America, where an ancient terror awaits them among the Mayan ruins. The cast of this fright flick includes Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore and Laura Ramsey.