Blu-ray: Arctic Tale (2007)

The Spirit (2008)

The Priests: In Concert at Armagh Cathedral (2009)

Longtime readers may know my enthusiasm for the various nature documentary series and films cited in the accompanying review of Earth: the BBC miniseries “Blue Planet” and “Planet Earth,” both narrated by David Attenborough; the nearly wordless French documentary features — Atlantis (1991), about Earth’s seas; Microcosmos (1996), about insect life; and Winged Migration (2001), about migratory birds.

All are available on DVD and are highly recommended for family audiences (with the usual caveat about scenes of predation).

New this week on Blu-ray and available on DVD, Arctic Tale isn’t in the same league as these others, though it too offers a few unique images the likes of which aren’t matched even in “Blue Planet” or “Planet Earth.”

While its tale of a polar bear mother with two cubs and a lone male offers some striking parallels to the corresponding story in Earth, only Arctic Tale captures images inside the polar bears’ birthing den. Other startling images include ice floes violently heaving back and forth against one another along a jagged fault line and an enormous iceberg that abruptly rolls completely over in the water.

Unfortunately, Queen Latifah’s narration is overly anthropomorphic and cutesy, with lines like “Auntie must be wondering what she signed up for” and “Seelah’s not like some females she knows. … She has standards.” (The original French version of Luc Jacquet’s “March of the Penguins” went even further, with actors reading lines for the animals; wisely, the American version replaced this with Morgan Freeman’s traditional narration.)

Worse, the increasingly tendentious environmental message is trying, even for committed global warming believers, ultimately instructing kids to tell their parents to buy a fuel-efficient car and go around turning off lights. Still, I’m glad I saw Arctic Tale once — for the spectacular photography.

Alas, I can’t say that about The Spirit, also new on DVD and Blu-ray — one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Cartooning legend Will Eisner, who created The Spirit, was an artistic mentor of mine, but his genius is buried under the stereotyped, sadistic, sleazy stylings of first-time director Frank Miller, creator of Sin City and 300.

There are no characters or relationships, only placeholders where characters ought to be. There’s no drama or conflict, only dueling line readings and cartoony brutality. There’s nothing at stake and nothing to care about, only a pointless, shapeless exercise in wildly veering moods and styles. At no time does anything resembling a point threaten to emerge.

Also new on DVD: The Priests: In Concert at Armagh Cathedral, the Irish clerical trio’s first concert DVD featuring a selection of sacred and traditional Irish music. Selections include “Domine Fili Unigenite,” “Danny Boy” and “Irish Blessing.”

CONTENT ADVISORY: Arctic Tale: Some predatory menace and grisly scenes of predation; some flatulence humor. Okay family viewing. The Spirit: Intense comic-book violence; some profane and crass language; brief nudity and some suggestive content. Intended for teens and up; not recommended.