New on DVD: ‘Legion,’ ‘Daybreakers,’ ‘Edge of Darkness,’ ‘Daria,’ ‘The Karate Kid I & II’

Legion

Sony, $28.95; Blu-ray, $34.95

Angels descend upon the Earth — and not in a “joy to the world” kind of way — in “Legion,” an apocalyptic action-horror movie that imagines what might happen if God were to get fed up with mankind. The story is largely confined to a New Mexico diner where a mix of locals and tourists tries to stave off the end of the world, with the help of one rogue angel (played by Paul Bettany). “Legion” has a strong setup — including one classic scene with a demonic old lady, and another featuring a freakishly spindly ice cream man — but the limited location and relentless grimness become a little wearing by the movie’s second hour. That said, the Legion DVD and Blu-ray are entertaining, thanks to some lively “how they did it” featurettes. The Blu-ray also includes a nifty picture-in-picture commentary track by writer-director Scott Stewart.

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Daybreakers

Lionsgate, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.99

A clever twist on the vampire concept, “Daybreakers” takes place in the near future, when bloodsuckers have overrun the planet and are in danger of completely exhausting their supply of humans. Filmmaking brothers Michael and Peter Spierig could’ve done more with this premise than just falling back on a rote story of human rebels, but a strong cast (including Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill) and a richly detailed fictional world make “Daybreakers” a treat for genre fans. The DVD adds a Spierigs commentary and a featurette; the Blu-ray extends the featurette and adds a short film.

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Edge of Darkness

Warner Bros., $28.98; Blu-ray, $35.99

Mel Gibson makes a surprisingly low-impact return to acting in “Edge of Darkness,” an adaptation of a BBC miniseries about a police detective who gets embroiled in a conspiracy. In condensing a six-hour TV show to a two-hour movie, director Martin Campbell and his team of writers smooth out some of the original’s more interesting wrinkles, leaving a routine thriller anchored by an overly dour Gibson performance. Gibson’s fine, but this movie is far removed from the kind of blockbuster he used to make. The DVD throws in some deleted scenes, and the Blu-ray adds a full slate of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

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Daria: The Complete Animated Series

MTV/Paramount, $72.99

Ostensibly a spinoff of “Beavis and Butt-head,” the animated sitcom “Daria” ran on MTV from 1997 to 2002, producing 65 episodes and two TV movies about how one smart, sarcastic teen survives the misery of high school. The complete series is finally available on DVD — complete with hours of MTV promotional material — and though 99% of the original music has been replaced due to rights issues, the show’s smart take on cliques, dating and dealing with institutional ignorance rings every bit as true as it did a decade ago.

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The Karate Kid I & II

Sony Blu-ray, $39.95

In advance of the upcoming new take on “The Karate Kid,” the 1984 original comes to Blu-ray in a low-priced set that also includes the 1986 sequel, both in editions that add featurettes and pop-up trivia tracks hosted by star Ralph Macchio. As for the movies, both hold up fairly well, though “The Karate Kid’s” story of a Jersey kid moving to Los Angeles and fighting local bullies has a more down-to-earth “Rocky” vibe than the more juiced-up sequel, which sends the boy and his martial arts mentor (played by Pat Morita) to Japan, where they get embroiled in a gang war.

And...

“Deadliest Warrior: Season One” ( Comedy Central, $26.98); “Legend of the Tsunami Warrior” (Magnolia, $26.98; Blu-ray, $29.98); “M” (Criterion Blu-ray, $39.95); “The Magnificent Seven Collection” ( MGM Blu-ray, $69.99); “North Face” (Music Box, $29.95); “Rock ‘N’ Roll High School” (Shout! Factory Blu-ray, $26.97); “Tidal Wave” (Magnolia, $26.98; Blu-ray, $29.98); “ Tom Brokaw Reports: Boomer$! The Epic Story of a Generation” (CNBC, $19.99).

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