‘Law Abiding Citizen’ is out for revenge

Law Abiding Citizen

Overture/Anchor Bay, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.98

When a thief and murderer gets a light sentence because of police bungling, the victim’s husband and father (played by Gerard Butler) takes the law into his own hands and then proceeds to exact revenge against the whole criminal justice system, including a prosecutor played by Jamie Foxx. As written by Kurt Wimmer and directed by F. Gary Gray, the thriller is a jacked-up outrage machine, stirring up blind anger at government, outlaws and vigilantes. The movie doesn’t make a lot of sense, but for those who like to feel constantly agitated for no reason, “Law Abiding Citizen” will fill the bill. The DVD and Blu-ray add slightly less nettlesome featurettes, plus a producer commentary.

Black Dynamite

Sony, $24.96; Blu-ray, $34.95

More salute than parody, this blaxploitation comedy began life when a James Brown song left actor Michael Jai White pining to play an old-school, Afro-sporting action hero like Shaft. White and his partners -- director/co-writer Scott Sanders and costar/co-writer Byron Minns -- shot a trailer first to attract investors, and the feature-length version of the film plays a lot like an extended sneak preview. There’s no story here, just a pastiche of re-creations from old grind house. But “Black Dynamite” plays well on home video, where White and his cohorts’ loving spirit can be appreciated in small doses. The DVD and Blu-ray include deleted scenes, a commentary track, interviews from Comic-Con and a pair of featurettes about what it takes to go retro.

Coco Before Chanel

Sony, $28.96; Blu-ray, $34.95

This lush French biopic stars Audrey Tautou as the famous fashion designer in her early years, when she rose from being a can-can dancer to the mistress of a textile magnate. Writer-director Anne Fontaine has an eye for the small details of Chanel’s life that influenced her style. The DVD and Blu-ray have more than an hour of behind-the-scenes material and a commentary track (in French) by Fontaine.

Good Hair

Lionsgate, $27.98

In this Chris Rock-hosted documentary, Rock and director Jeff Stilson embark on a worldwide expedition to understand why African American women obsess over their hair. They cover the economics of hair upkeep, the taboos against touching a black woman’s hairdo and the injustices of the global hair market. Rock cocks an eye at the expense and fuss that go into black hair, but he’s never actively critical. This movie could use a bit more of his bite, though it’s entertaining and informative enough as it is. Rock and Stilson go into more detail on the DVD, which contains a lively commentary track.

All titles available Tuesday.