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DVD previews: 'Boxtrolls,' 'The Drop' released Tuesday

Here's a look at DVDs coming out Tuesday, Jan. 20:

"The Boxtrolls" (PG, 96 minutes, Universal): Laika's animators, who used 3-D printing technology to generate roughly a million facial expressions for the character of Eggs in "The Boxtrolls," have outdone their previous work on "Coraline" and "ParaNorman," creating a feast for fans of old-school animation art. The story of "The Boxtrolls," in lesser hands, might have turned out only so-so. Under Laika's loving, labor-intensive touch, it takes on a kind of magic. Extras include a five-part behind-the-scenes documentary, commentary, featurettes and preliminary animatic sequences.

"Lucy" (R, 89 minutes, Universal): Scarlett Johansson stars as a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic. Johansson hop-scotches between vulnerability and a robotic commitment to execute whatever her sophisticated, internal data processor tells her to do. Her performance is just grounded enough to keep French director Luc Besson's occasionally inventive, sometimes silly visual flourishes from turning the movie into self-parody. The less time spent thinking about the film's largely nonsensical plot, the better. Contains violence and sexual situations. Extras include a "Cerebral Capacity: The True Science of Lucy" featurette. Also, on Blu-ray: a making-of featurette.

"The Drop" (R, 106 minutes, Fox): This taut, atmospheric, exceedingly well-written thriller, adapted by Dennis Lehane from one of his short stories, commits one of the most egregious sins in fiction: introducing an adorable puppy early in the proceedings, only to trot it out at regular intervals to stoke a growing sense of doom. "That's a good-looking dog," goes a running line in the film. It's a credit to Lehane's screenplay, director Michael R. Roskam's restraint and a superb cast led by the masterful Tom Hardy that "The Drop" earns every sad-eyed glance and heart-tugging whimper. Hardy plays a bartender in a "drop bar" tavern owned by his cousin (James Gandolfini in a fitting final role) and used by the local crime syndicate to transfer cash in a seemingly endless loop of ill-gotten gains. Contains violence and language. Extras include commentary, deleted scenes, a making-of, a Gandolfini character profile and other featurettes.

"Annabelle" (R, 95 minutes, Warner): Despite its deficiencies, this prequel to the horror film "The Conjuring" is not without a modicum of verve. It has its unnerving moments, but they're outweighed by the sheer stupidity and predictability of the story. It's not a movie for connoisseurs of horror, but for more susceptible sorts, those content with a fast-food approach to fear-mongering. With Annabelle Wallis, Tony Amendola and Alfre Woodard. Contains violence. Extras include "The Curse of Annabelle" featurette. Also, on Blu-ray: deleted scenes and three featurettes.

Also: "The Zero Theorem," "A Bet's a Bet" (also released as "The Opposite Sex"), "Rudderless," "A Little Game," "Life's a Breeze" (Ireland), "White Bird in a Blizzard," "The Mule" (Australia), "Tyler Perry's Madea's Tough Love," "The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power," "Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon" (1998), "May in the Summer" (Jordan), "The Pirates" (South Korea), "My Winnipeg" (Canada), "The Palm Beach Story" (1942), "The Atticus Institute," "Lost Legion" and "Gnome Alone."

Television series: "Swamp People: Season 5" and "Little House on the Prairie - Season Four Deluxe Remastered Edition."

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