New on DVD: ‘Invictus,’ ‘The Messenger’ and more

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

Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon plays rugby captain Francois Pienaar in director Clint Eastwood’s moving, well-observed “Invictus,” based on the true story of how the 1995 World Cup helped alleviate some of South Africa’s racial strife in the wake of apartheid. The movie doesn’t make any bold new stands with its “sport unites us”/”racism is bad” message, but neither does Eastwood overwork the material, and Anthony Peckham’s script smartly emphasizes the formal gestures that lead to reconciliation, showing how going through the motions can help achieve a desired outcome. So it goes in politics; so it goes in sports. The “Invictus” DVD and Blu-ray add some helpful context-setting featurettes.

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The Messenger Oscilloscope, $29.99; Blu-ray, $34.99

Oren Moverman’s directorial debut “The Messenger” (written by Moverman with Alessandro Camon) stars Ben Foster as a decorated Army officer finishing out his service working in the Casualty Notification division alongside a cynical CN vet played by Woody Harrelson. “The Messenger” wavers too much between “low-key character sketch about Stateside soldiers” and “hard-hitting antiwar statement,” but Harrelson is terrific as an old salt with a sweet center, and Foster matches him as a man struggling with post-combat fatigue. “The Messenger” is partly about the new wrinkles in an old mission but also about how some aspects of military life never really change. Interviews and documentaries on the DVD and Blu-ray dig deeper into what this project meant for all concerned.

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Valentine’s Day New Line, $28.98; Blu-ray, $35.99

Why watch a romantic comedy with one contrived plot when you can watch one with dozens?!! Director Garry Marshall and screenwriter Katherine Fugate assemble a cast so mega for their “Valentine’s Day” that there’s not enough room to list them all (though some of the bigger names include Julia Roberts, Queen Latifah, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Alba and Ashton Kutcher). But while it’s undeniably a kick to see so much star-wattage, “Valentine’s Day” is so stuffed with plots and sub-plots that no one really gets their due. The DVD gives the stars more chances to shine in the deleted scenes; the Blu-ray throws in a commentary and lots of breezy interviews.

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Extraordinary Measures Sony, $28.95; Blu-ray, $34.95

“Extraordinary Measures,” the debut release for CBS’ film division CBS Films, stars Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell as distraught parents who hire a brilliant scientist played by Harrison Ford to head up a team searching for a cure for a rare disease afflicting their children. High-powered cast aside, the movie doesn’t differ that much from standard TV disease-of-the-week fare, either in its tearjerker moments or its fighting-the-system moments. But it’s a touching story told competently. The DVD and Blu-ray add deleted scenes and a pair of featurettes that cover the process of turning real life into docudrama.

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The Spy Next Door Lionsgate, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.99

Jackie Chan isn’t as spry as he used to be, which is just one of the many sad realities that make the family comedy “The Spy Next Door” such a bummer. Chan plays a retired secret agent dealing with an attack from an old enemy at the same time that he’s babysitting his girlfriend’s kids. Slapstick sitcom mayhem ensues, with none of the personality or invention of Chan’s classic action movies. The DVD and Blu-ray contain a pair of featurettes and a blooper reel, all of which are more entertaining than the main feature.

And …

“The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela” (E1, $19.98); “American Bandits: Frank & Jesse James” (E1, $24.98; Blu-ray, $24.98); “Carlito’s Way” (Universal Blu-ray, $26.98); “The Disappeared” (MPI, $24.98); “Eclipse Series 21: Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties” (Criterion, $69.95); “Gamera: The Giant Monster” (Shout! Factory, $19.93); “The Girl on the Train” (Strand, $27.99); “The Jeff Dunham Show” ( Comedy Central, $16.99); “Outlander” (Vivendi Blu-ray, $19.97); “30 Days: The Complete Series” (Virgil, $29.99); “Waiting for Armageddon” (First Run, $24.95); “Walkabout” (Criterion, $39.95; Blu-ray, $39.95).

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