Day-Lewis has his day in 'There Will Be Blood'

"There Will Be Blood" (two-disc collector's edition) -- A couple of years remain in this first decade of the 21st century, but I'm calling the race anyway: Daniel Day-Lewis delivers the Performance of the Decade in "There Will Be Blood."

Day-Lewis, who won this year's Best Actor prize, plays Daniel Plainview, a ruthless oilman on an obsessive quest for wealth and dominance during the oil boom of the early 20th century. It's breathtaking to watch how fully Day-Lewis inhabits this monstrous character. His eyes glitter with contempt and guile. Veins pop in his forehead. Even his mustache is menacing. Then there's the voice. Day-Lewis imbues Plainview with a musical, almost courtly cadence that is both charming and scary. (Think of late filmmaker John Huston's voice in "Chinatown.") It's an acting tour de force that reminded me of Robert De Niro's similarly awe-inspiring work in "Raging Bull."

Of course, Day-Lewis' performance would be little more than a curiosity if it weren't surrounded by a good movie. And "There Will Be Blood" is good, though not quite the masterpiece some have proclaimed it to be. The film, which spans more than 30 years, documents Plainview's attempts to drill for oil in a small California town. There he becomes locked in a battle with local preacher Eli Sunday, whose cynical ambition for wealth rivals Plainveiw's own. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson expertly brings the dry California landscape to life, and I loved his strange dialogue and pacing. Anderson's cause is helped by the beautiful images from Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit and the offbeat, haunting score from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. Where the movie falters is in the battle between Sunday and Plainview. Plainview needs a worthy adversary, and Sunday, played by Paul Dano, never rises to the occasion. The movie wants to indict both capitalism and institutional religion, but Sunday is too weak a character to give that case any weight.

Flaws aside, "There Will Be Blood" is a mesmerizing, strange film that features one of the movies' great characters. It's a must-see. The two-disc DVD includes a pristine presentation of the film and a surprisingly light selection of extras, the highlight of which is a vintage silent film called "The Story of Petroleum." (R; Paramount, $39.99)

"The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" (two-disc special edition) -- Here is an above-average family film that doesn't break any new ground, but tells its familiar story very well. A lonely young Scottish boy in 1942 discovers a strange egg on the banks of Loch Ness. The egg breaks to reveal a small, dinosaurlike creature that appears to be a "Water Horse," a mythic beast talked about in old Celtic legends. The boy and the creature, whom he names Crusoe, develop a friendship as the realities of World War II barge in on his coastal town.

The relationship between a child and an animal or other misunderstood outsider is, of course, a staple of children's fantasy stories ("E.T." comes to mind), and "The Water Horse" follows every step of the formula. But it's a pleasure to watch this tale unfold against the solemn beauty of the Scottish countryside, and the cast, which includes Emily Watson and Brian Cox, delivers. The two-disc set comes with some nice bonus features, including a thoughtful look at the real "Water Horse" myth. (PG; Sony, $28.96)

"Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (two-disc unrated edition) -- Judd Apatow wrote and directed "Knocked Up," the best comedy of last year, and he produced "Superbad," the second-best comedy. "Walk Hard," which he co-wrote with director Jake Kasdan, completed his 2007 cinematic hat trick. Unfortunately, "Walk Hard" isn't nearly as good as the other two movies, despite a no-holds-barred lead performance from John C. Reilly, one of my favorite actors. "Walk Hard" spoofs an obvious target -- pop-music biopics like "Ray" and "Walk the Line." The stellar cast, which includes Jenna Fischer and Tim Meadows in addition to Reilly, provides a few laughs, but there are far more misses here than hits. The two-disc DVD set, though, is fantastic. Like the sets for "Knocked Up" and "Superbad," this one offers tons of hilarious extras, including an extended cut of the film. If you're a fan of "Walk Hard," cancel your weekend plans. (R and NR; Sony, $29.96)