New on DVD: ‘The Karate Kid’ and ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’

The Karate Kid (2010)

Sony, $28.96; Blu-ray, $34.95/$38.96

Who could’ve predicted back in 1984 that a corny family movie about the noble art of self-defense would become so popular that its dialogue and story-arc would enter our shared pop-culture mythology? This year’s “Karate Kid” remake updates the characters and the setting, casting Jaden Smith as a 12-year-old Detroiter who moves with his single mom to Beijing and gets kung fu lessons from their apartment’s handyman (played by Jackie Chan). Director Harald Zwart and screenwriter Christopher Murphey repeat the original’s underdog plot — smug bullies included — but the performances, the location and even the martial arts scenes are much richer this time out. Expect the new “Karate Kid” to have just as long of a shelf life as the original. The DVD and Blu-ray add featurettes that double as an intro to Chinese culture.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

New Line, $28.98; Blu-ray, $35.99

Not every ‘80s movie re-do works as well as “The Karate Kid”; this year’s revamp of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” botches what should’ve been can’t-miss. Kudos to New Line Cinema for bringing in a creative team committed to making the iconic dream-haunter Freddy Krueger scary again instead of campy — and kudos to the inherently creepy Jackie Earle Haley for taking on the role — but this “Nightmare on Elm Street” doesn’t have much personality. There’s so much the filmmakers could’ve done with the notion of teenagers being stalked in their dreams by a monster, but the nightmares here are disappointingly generic. The DVD and Blu-ray are equally bland, adding only a featurette and deleted scenes.

The Secret of Kells

New Video, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.95

A surprise nominee for the best animated feature award at this year’s Oscars, “The Secret of Kells” is a gorgeously hand-drawn cartoon designed to recall the look of the illuminated medieval texts worked on by its young hero: a 12-year-old who falls under the sway of a charismatic monk and learns that courage and adventure are more than just the stuff of books. “The Secret of Kells” might be too dry for a lot of children, but animation aficionados, history buffs and young bookworms should find a lot to like. The DVD and Blu-ray include a commentary track and multiple featurettes.

Splice

Warner, $28.98; Blu-ray, $35.99

Writer-director Vincenzo Natali creates a different kind of mad scientist with “Splice,” a wry, disturbing monster movie starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as hipster gene-fiddlers who create new life forms. When they introduce human genes into an experiment, the pair end up with a creature that looks like a cross between a fetus and a kangaroo, and then they argue over whether they should nurture it or rush it straight to autopsy. “Splice” is partly about the struggles of coupledom and parenting, and partly about a freaky beast leaping out of the shadows at the people who created it. The movie could stand to be scarier — and funnier — but it gets heavy bonus points for originality. The DVD includes a featurette.

And...

“The Human Centipede” (IFC, $24.98; Blu-ray, $29.98); “The Oxford Murders” (Magnolia, $26.98; Blu-ray, $29.98); “Troll 2” (MGM, $14.98; Blu-ray, $19.99); “Ugly Americans: Volume One” ( Comedy Central, $19.99)