DVD previews: 'Maleficent,' 'A Most Wanted Man'

Here's a look at DVDs coming out Tuesday, Nov. 4:

"Maleficent" (PG, 97 minutes, Disney): One of the imperatives of stardom, and one of the most difficult to navigate, is the management of a screen persona over time, somehow balancing one's own artistic ambitions and audience expectations. Angelina Jolie delivers a savvy example of this in "Maleficent," a feminist-revisionist take on the Sleeping Beauty myth in which she inhabits the story's evil fairy, a once-happy winged sprite who places a curse on a baby princess. Contains violence. Extras include "Aurora: Becoming a Beauty" in which actress Elle Fanning reveals her love of Disney's original animated classic. Also, on Blu-ray: deleted scenes, featurettes and "Classic Couture," examining Maleficent's head wraps and jewelry.

"A Most Wanted Man" (R, 122 minutes, Lionsgate): Gunther Bachmann may pull a lot of strings as the head of a Hamburg-based anti-terrorism unit, but to call this schlubby, chain-smoking, hard-drinking German intelligence operative a spymaster just seems wrong. As beautifully played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, in one of his last and most powerful performances, the "A Most Wanted Man" antihero is too much at the mercy of others to be a master of anything. That doesn't stop him from trying. Hoffman shines in a role that demands the complexity and contradiction rendered through the kind of dull character details that he excelled in. Extras include a making-of featurette and a "Spymaster: John le Carre in Hamburg" short.

"Planes: Fire & Rescue" (PG, 84 minutes, Disney): This comedy-adventure featuring firefighting aircraft appears to be a cartoon designed for kids and for selling toys. But this sequel - which improves slightly on its lazy "Planes" predecessor - also appeals to the middle-aged, particularly those who enjoy watching an animated air show set to the sound of AC/DC. Voice talent includes Dane Cook, Hal Holbrook and Ed Harris. Extras include an animated short, a mockumentary promo reel, a "CHoPs" TV promo satire, a behind-the-scenes look at real smoke jumpers and firefighters, music video, deleted scenes and animated shorts.

"Hercules" (PG-13, 98 minutes, Paramount): Frat-boyish filmmaker Brett Ratner has the distinction of having made the worst "X-Men" film ("X-Men: The Last Stand"), the dumbest Hannibal Lecter tale ("Red Dragon") and the most boring "Rush Hour" sequel. But if future film scholars ever chronicle the Great Hercules Boom of 2014, they are likely to credit him with the best of the bunch. This offers moments of actual entertainment, but it fails to exploit its assets: an amusing, revisionist take on the mythological strongman, and the charisma of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Contains violence, language and brief nudity. Extras include commentary, deleted/extended scenes, "Hercules and his Mercenaries" and featurettes. Available in 3-D.

Also: "Land Ho!," "Frontera," "Premature," "Step Up All In," "A Five Star Life," "The Dog," "Birds of Paradise," "The Doctor and the Devils," "Tru Love," "Worst Friends," "An Evergreen Christmas" and "Film Noir 10-Movie Spotlight Collection."

Television series: "The Sopranos: Complete Series," "Law & Order: The 15th Year," "Quantum Leap: Complete Series," "The Newsroom: Second Season," "White Collar: Season Five," "Sherlock: Seasons 1-3 Gift Set," "The Merv Griffin Show 1962-1986," "Perry Mason - Double Features 7-9," "Reno 911: Complete Series," "Merlin: Complete Series," "The Exes: Seasons 1 & 2," "Hot in Cleveland: Season 5," "Doctor Who: The Complete Matt Smith Years Limited Edition Blu-ray Gift Set," "The Garfield Show: Techno Cat," "The Unauthorized Saved By the Bell Story," "King Family - King Family Christmas: Classic Television Specials Volume 2," "Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 13" and "Agatha Christie's Poirot Complete Cases Collection."