New on DVD: Restored (and B&W) version of 'Wonderful Life'

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Ultimate Edition" -- After his breakthrough triumph in "Jaws," Steven Spielberg put his filmmaking gifts to work on what was clearly a labor of love, 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." He wrote as well as directed the movie, which tells the story of contact between human beings and aliens from another planet. Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, an Everyman from small-town Indiana who sees a UFO one night and becomes obsessed with aliens. Melinda Dillon plays Jillian, a single mom whose young son is abducted by the unseen visitors. And French director Francois Truffaut plays Claude Lancombe, a scientist investigating reports of "close encounters" with UFOs all over the globe. Spielberg weaves these three characters and their stories together effortlessly, building to a climax that's still stunning. Like his pal George Lucas, though, Spielberg finds it hard to leave his films alone. He tinkered with "Encounters" twice, once for a 1980 "special edition" and again for a 1998 director's cut. In honor of the film's 30th anniversary, Sony has produced a lovely DVD package that includes all three versions, even the 1977 theatrical cut, which has never before appeared on home video. (The only version to avoid is the 1980 special edition, which includes scenes inside the alien mothership, scenes Spielberg regrets shooting.) All three versions of the film look and sound great, and the set includes a nice array of new and vintage bonus features. The package also offers a collector's book about the film and a poster that details exactly how the three versions differ. It's a fantastic DVD set for a film that contains some of Spielberg's most beautiful images and most accomplished storytelling. (PG; Sony, $39.95)

"Ocean's Thirteen" -- Danny Ocean and his gang of charismatic thieves are back, and this time, it's personal. The crew wants to knock over a luxurious new Las Vegas casino owned by the sleazy Willy Bank, who recently double-crossed Ocean crony Reuben Tishkoff. Of course, getting even won't be easy, as Bank's casino boasts the most advanced security system in the world. But as we've already seen in "Ocean's Eleven" and "Ocean's Twelve," no job is impossible for these guys. This third "Ocean's" flick is absurd, but also terrifically entertaining. Director Steven Soderbergh gives Las Vegas a glittery, golden, sparkly sheen. And he clearly has a ball filming his matinee-idol cast, which includes George Clooney (Danny Ocean), Brad Pitt (Rusty Ryan) and Matt Damon (Linus Caldwell). Al Pacino, sporting an orange tan, is hilarious as Willy Bank. The DVD comes with a pristine transfer of the film and a short list of supplements, including a brief history of Las Vegas. (PG-13; Warner Bros., $28.98)

"It's a Wonderful Life" -- I can't think of an invention quite as silly as "colorization," the process that adds color to black-and-white films. Do people who enjoy this also take colored markers to black-and-white family photos? I ask because the new two-disc DVD of the 1946 holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life" comes with a colorized version. You Philistines out there who want to see Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed look like they just popped out of an old comic book, have at it. Thankfully, this set also includes the restored black-and-white version for the rest of us, and the picture looks fantastic: crisp and free of dust or grain. The movie, of course, is an absolute joy, one that unfairly gets tagged as saccharine. Sure, the angel-getting-his-wings stuff might be a bit hokey, but aside from that, director Frank Capra populates his film with flawed, human characters and real drama. This DVD set includes a making-of featurette and a tribute to Capra. (NR; Paramount, $24.99)

"The Princess Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition" -- Has it really been 20 years since "The Princess Bride" came out? Time hasn't dimmed the luster of this hilarious, heartwarming and often-quoted love story. Robin Wright Penn (she was just Robin Wright at the time) and Cary Elwes (whatever happened to that guy?) star as Princess Buttercup and Wesley, young lovers who must defeat the evil Prince Humperdink to live in happiness together. The movie looks fantastic on this new DVD, but sadly, the extras are limited to three short featurettes and a DVD game. A previous edition, now apparently out of print, included commentaries from director Rob Reiner and writer William Goldman. I wish those had been included here. Still, if you don't own "The Princess Bride" already, consider this disc a must-buy. (PG; MGM, $19.98)

Also out today: The blockbuster animated film "Shrek the Third" arrives in a two-disc set that's packed with bonus features. (PG; Paramount, $29.99)