Will 'Into the Woods,' 'Hobbit' make magic on DVD?

Here's a look at DVDs coming out Tuesday, March 24:

"Into the Woods" (PG, 126 minutes, Disney): Some of the Broadway musical's fans will feel shortchanged by the movie no matter what, but you have to give credit where it's due. Director Rob Marshall's adaptation is pretty faithful to the original, an intricate fable that thumbed its nose at "happily ever after" and embraced the grimmest of Grimm's fairy tales. Despite some streamlining, the sprawling array of characters and plot points from playwrights Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine are still here, the concept is clever, the performances are strong, and the music is brilliant. Oscar-nominee Meryl Streep is marvelous, bringing a degree of poignancy to her conniving witch character. But there's something conspicuously missing amid all the chaos: a heart. Contains fantasy action and some suggestive material. Extras include "Deeper Into the Woods: Magic of the Woods" featurette. Also, on Blu-ray: commentary with Marshall and producer John DeLuca; Sondheim original song: "She'll Be Back" performed by Streep; behind-the-scenes and cast featurettes; a four-segment making-of featurette; access to the musical song segments, with optional singalong lyrics; and Easter eggs.

"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (PG-13, 144 minutes, New Line): Despite the title, Bilbo Baggins, played charmingly by Martin Freeman, is almost entirely absent. Despite two critical plot turns in which he provides invaluable service, the title character is relegated to second- or third-class status, swept away by scenes that alternate between grandiose mayhem and a protracted death match on an icy mountaintop between the dwarf-king Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the orc leader Azog (Manu Bennett). You may, however, find yourself looking at your watch. At times, it feels as if "The Battle of the Five Armies" was filmed in real time. Contains violence. Extras include the featurettes "Recruiting the Five Armies," "Completing Middle-earth," "The Last Goodbye: Behind the Scenes" and "New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth, Part 3" and a music video. The release also includes "The Hobbit" trilogy and 3-D versions.

"Unbroken" (PG-13, 137 minutes, Universal): The most surprising thing about the sturdy, if slightly starchy, storytelling of "Unbroken" is that it comes courtesy of director Angelina Jolie, an artist never known for constraint in front of the camera. The film is impeccably acted, handsomely filmed and written, with a lean muscularity, by a quartet of heavyweights including Joel and Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravanese and William Nicholson. Based on Laura Hillenbrand's 2010 best-seller about Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, who was held prisoner by the Japanese during World War II, the film is stirring when it needs to be. The scenes of aerial combat that open the film and, later, those set at sea, where Louis, a bombardier, spent more than six weeks on a raft after his B-24 crashed, are particularly gripping. The main body of the tale, which concerns Louis' torture at the hands of a sadistic prison commander, is even more harrowing. As Louis, the English-Irish actor Jack O'Connell is pretty great, both at evoking the character's suffering and at rendering Louis' will to survive. Contains violence, language and brief nudity. Extras include behind-the-scenes interviews with the late Zamperini and cast and crew. Also, on Blu-ray: deleted scenes; a three-part making-of; a cast and crew concert featuring Japanese rock star Miyavi (who played the villainous prison guard); "Prison Camp Theater" in which the Omori prisoners perform their version of "Cinderella"; and a featurette on Zamperini's life after the war.

Also: "Lonesome Dove Church," "Confessions of a Prodigal Son," "The Thin Blue Line" (1988 documentary), "Diamond Heist," "The Gates of Heaven/Vernon, Florida" (1978 and 1981 documentaries), "Memory Lane," "Sebastian Bergman: Dark Secrets" (2010, Sweden), "Digging Up the Marrow," "Blind Woman's Curse" (1970, Japan), "The Beyond" and "Gone With the Pope" (1981 grindhouse films).

Television series: "Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean: 25th Anniversary Collection," "Don Matteo: Sets 9 & 10" (Italian series) and "Bukow and Konig: Sets 1 & 2" (1971, German police series).