New on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

“Andre Techine: 4-Film Collector’s Edition”
From Lionsgate, a collection of some of the influential French director’s major films, including 1981’s “Hotel America” with Catherine Deneuve; 1991’s “I Don’t Kiss” with Emmanuelle Beart; 1993’s “My Favorite Season,” also with Deneuve; and 1994’s “Wild Reeds.” The latter is worth the cost of the set alone. It’s a movie about four teenagers set against the backdrop of the Algerian war, and what it says about war--not to mention sexuality and the pressures to conform--remains powerful, troubling and, in so many unnecessary ways, timely. Grade: A-

“Robin Hood: Season One” Blu-ray
“Robin Hood: Season Two” DVD
A lively retelling of the tale that once again makes it hip to steal from the rich and give to the poor. These first two seasons of this popular BBC show stars Jonas Armstrong in the lead, with Hungary posing as 12th-century England and taxes against the poor an unacceptable proposition. Humor, romance and swordplay commingle amid the fireworks, with the script connecting more often than not. While the first season looks terrific in its new high-definition transfer, the second season is especially strong thematically, with Robin pitted against Keith Allen’s Sheriff of Nottingham and Richard Armitage’s Sir Guy of Gisborne, while Marian (Lucy Griffiths) smolders along the sidelines, as Marian is wont to do. Grade: B+

“Saving Grace: Season One”
For now, forget about Grace--it’s the show that needs saving. This uneven yet promising series stars Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko, an unlikable, self-destructive Oklahoma detective who has her share of issues, not the least of which is her messy bout with booze, her obnoxious mouth and her penchant for sleeping with any man who will share her bed, among other vices. In a show that employs an angel (Leon Rippy) to help guide Grace to her salvation, it’s Hunter’s scrappy performance that gives “Grace” its steamrolling jolt--and which saves it from some pretty sloppy writing. Grade: C+

“Starship Troopers” Blu-ray
“Starship Troopers 3: Marauder” Blu-ray
It would be unfair to say that these two editions in the “Starship Troopers” franchise are bad films; some of the computerized imagery, particularly in the 1997 original, are well done. But if a good, compelling story still matters, the story behind each is disappointingly weak. Based on Robert Heinlein’s 1959 sci-fi novel, each movie is about mankind’s anemic efforts to battle the Bugs, a ferocious band of insects taking over the galaxy, which isn’t a bad thing considering that mankind has been dumbed down to people like Casper Van Dien, who stars in both movies with his great big photogenic jaw and not a trace of talent. Paul Verhoeven (“Showgirls”) directed the original; Ed Neumeier helmed “Marauder.” What you sense in each are movies trying for irony, particularly in the broad propaganda sequences, but reaching toward parody isn’t enough. You need to nail it, and these movies don’t. Rated R. Grade: C-

“Star Trek--The Original Series: Complete Second Season (Remastered)”
It never gets old. That’s the thing about the original episodes of “Star Trek,” which Paramount has just released in a fully remastered second season, the likes of which are so bright and clear, Trekkies likely will faint at the quality of the crisp print. Also enhanced are the special effects, which have been updated, though not at the cost of the show’s tongue-in-cheek charm. The 1967-68 season was memorable, featuring such iconic episodes as “The Trouble with Tribbles,” surely one of the series’ funniest, as well as everything from “The Doomsday Machine” and “Mirror, Mirror” to “The Immunity Syndrome” and “Amok Time.” Set your phasers to stun, because that’s pretty much the effect these remastered episodes will have on its legions of fans. Grade: A

“The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection”
From Fox, 10 films featuring that brooding, camera-ready idol, some of them solid, a few of them good, and others only barely up to par. In it are 1936’s throwaway melodrama “Girls’ Dormitory,” with Powers appearing only fleetingly opposite Simone Simon; two energetic comedies in 1937’s “Love is News” and “Café Metropole,” with Powers waxing cute with Loretta Young. It’s Young again in 1937’s “Second Honeymoon,” but third time wasn’t exactly a charm--the movie is second rate. The same also is true for 1939’s disappointing “Daytime Wife,” but not so for 1940’s “Johnny Apollo,” by far the best in the collection, with Powers cast as a gangster in one of his best-regarded films. Look for Joan Fontaine in 1942’s very good “This Above All,” Gene Tierney in 1948’s so-so comedy “That Wonderful Urge,” Jayne Meadows and Cecil Kellaway in the unstoppable “The Luck of the Irish” and Any Blyth in 1951’s “I’ll Never Forget You,” a movie that neatly sums up how many feel about Power himself. Grade: B-

Also new on DVD and Blu-ray disc:
The fourth season of “Girlfriends” is just out from Paramount, and it’s a fine option for those seeking an alternative to “Sex and the City.” While the show isn’t as daring or as baring (it didn’t, after all, appear on HBO), at least its humor is cheeky and it does tackle similar issues, with its four female leads fighting to make it in Los Angeles. The Blu-ray release of the 1986 Tom Cruise movie “Top Gun” is available on high-def, with Cruise taking to the skies and reaching heights the embattled star likely wishes he could achieve today. Twenty-two years after its release, the movie, I’m afraid, hasn’t held up so well. The pseudotough dialogue and testosterone-charged glances make it more cartoonish than ever, though Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan still resonate amid the swaggering tomfoolery. Closing the week are two recommended titles from Acorn Media. First up is “Robin of Sherwood: The Complete Collection,” with Michael Praed cast as Robin of Loxley in a smart, entertaining twist on the “Robin Hood” tale. Second is “Two Fat Ladies: Complete Series,” the unique, infectious and very funny cooking show from Britain that followed Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright across England on their motorcycle as they prepared food for anyone armed with enough cholesterol-fighting drugs to survive it. It isn’t the food that matters here--it’s the wit and the personalities, the heat of which is so hot between these two, they could bake a souffle just by standing near it.