‘Blades of Glory,’ ‘Heroes’ to be released

Although Will Ferrell has tried to break out of his wild-and-crazy persona in such films as “Melinda and Melinda” and “Stranger Than Fiction,” audiences would rather see him go for the big, broad laughs like in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and “Elf.”

And the former “Saturday Night Live” regular gets a lot of laughs in his most recent comedy, “Blades of Glory,” which arrives Tuesday on DVD. Ferrell is in his element as Chazz Michael Michaels, an alcoholic sex addict who happens to be one of the giants in the world of amateur ice skating.

And he’s ably matched with “Napoleon Dynamite” himself, Jon Heder, as Jimmy MacElroy, a sweet, innocent orphan who is adopted and raised by his new father (William Finchter) to become the über skater. After these competitors are involved in a brawl when they tie for a gold medal at an Olympics-style game, they are banned from competition for life. But an obscure clause in the rules allows them to compete yet again as the first male-male pairs skating team.

Their outfits and their outlandish skating routines are a hoot, but unfortunately there just isn’t enough of it to sustain the film, even one that clocked in at less than 90 minutes.

Nevertheless, “Blades” became the third-biggest-grossing Ferrell vehicle. Will Speck and Josh Gordon, who made the Geico cavemen commercials and are responsible for the upcoming ABC series “Cavemen,” directed.

Sci-fi ‘Heroes,’ gridiron ‘Lights’TV series that premiered last fall keep coming on DVD. Tuesday marks the arrival of NBC critics’ darlings “Heroes” and “Friday Night Lights.”

Of course, the sci-fi fantasy thriller “Heroes” was the water-cooler show of this past season, though it didn’t receive a lot of advanced press before it debuted.

But armed with great reviews, a clever premise -- ordinary people who develop superpowers -- and a talented cast including Masi Oka, who steals the show as the delightful Hiro, Adrian Pasdar and Hayden Panettiere, the series quickly became a hit. It won the Golden Globe for best dramatic series and is nominated for eight Emmys, including drama series and supporting actor for Oka.

When the Emmy nominations were announced last month, though, fans of “Friday Night Lights” were dismayed that the dramatic show picked up only two nods, including one for direction.

Unlike “Heroes,” the series based on the hit movie has had a hard time finding an audience despite a small but loyal following. Thankfully, it was picked up for a second season in which it moves to Friday evenings. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton star in the series set in a small Texas community where high school football is almost as big as old-time religion.

Altman’s ‘Dr. T’ makes house callRELEASED in 2000, Robert Altman’s freewheeling comedy-drama “Dr. T and the Women” met with mixed reviews from the critics and a tepid response from movie- goers. But Lionsgate is hop- ing the faithful Altmanites will want to check out a special two-disc DVD, which arrives Tuesday.

Richard Gere is perfectly cast as the charming, wealthy Dr. T, considered the most popular gynecologist in Texas. But his wife (Farrah Fawcett) is losing her sanity and his daughters (Kate Hudson, Tara Reid) are constantly squabbling. Adding to the mixture is his boozy sister-in-law (Laura Dern), who suddenly arrives with her three kids for a visit, and his country club’s attractive new assistant golf pro (Helen Hunt).

susan.king@latimes.com