DVD previews: 'Gravity,' 'Thor: The Dark World'

Here's a look at DVDs coming out Tuesday, Feb. 25:

"Gravity" (PG-13, 91 minutes, Warner): Thanks to director Alfonso Cuaron's prodigious gifts, the Oscar-nominated "Gravity" succeeds simultaneously as a simple classic shipwreck narrative (albeit at zero-gravity), and as an utterly breathtaking restoration of size and occasion to the movies themselves. Using an ingenious combination of live action, computer-generated imagery, cutting-edge lighting techniques and 3-D, Cuaron puts viewers into the floating, frighteningly unrooted world of "Gravity," where Sandra Bullock and George Clooney convincingly move with both balletic grace and puffy, moon-man awkwardness. Contains intense perilous sequences and language. DVD extras include "Collision Point: The Race to Clean Up Space" featurette, "Aningaaq" seven-minute sci-fi short and "Play With Introduction." Also, on Blu-ray: shot breakdowns, a nine-part "Mission Control" making-of and "Sandra's Surprise!" featurettes. Available in 3-D.

"Nebraska" (R, 115 minutes, Paramount): In many ways, "Nebraska" is a classic buddy road-picture, with the mismatched Woody (Bruce Dern) and his son Dave (Will Forte) setting forth on a journey of mishaps, chance encounters, hilarious high jinks and - of course - filial bonding. But thanks to Bob Nelson's lean, tone-perfect script and director Alexander Payne's tender execution, "Nebraska" never feels patronizing or facile. At 76, North Shore native Dern finally gets to be the leading man he's long deserved to be, filling "Nebraska's" wide open spaces with a performance of subtlety and emotional courage. Contains language. Extras include six-part making-of featurette focusing on the script, cast and characters, locations, filming in black and white, working with the director, and "A Film Family."

"Thor: The Dark World" (PG-13, 112 minutes, in English and some Elvish, with subtitles, Disney): Thor's villainous brother, Loki, is defeated and in chains; Thor's human girlfriend, Jane, pines for her absent lover; and Thor is preoccupied with stamping out uprisings on various realms. But when Jane (Natalie Portman) stumbles upon something called the Aether - a long-hidden source of destructive energy, which takes over her body like a virus - Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must drop everything and return to Earth to protect her from Malekith. The evil leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith wants to use the Aether to - well, what exactly? Control the nine realms? Destroy them? Plunge them into darkness so he can harvest mushrooms? To be fair, there's stuff to like in "The Dark World." As Loki, Tom Hiddleston steals the show here, making wickedness and treachery look a heck of a lot more fun than virtue. Contains violence. Extras include commentary; extended and deleted scenes; gag reel; an exclusive look at "Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and featurettes "A Brothers' Journey: Thor & Loki" and "Scoring Marvel's Thor: The Dark World With Brian Tyler."

Also: "Muscle Shoals," "Jamesy Boy," "Pulling Strings," "Breathless" (1960), "Tess" (1979), "King of the Hill" (1993 film), "Twice Born" (Italy/Spain), "Ice Soldiers," "Scarecrow," "The Last Elvis" (Argentina), "You Will Be My Son" (France) and "The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale."

Television series: "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo: Season 1," "L.A. Law: Season One," "Above Suspicion: Set 3," "Last Stand of the 300 and Other Famous Greek Battles," "Under Capricorn," "Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie, Set 1" (in French, with English subtitles), "The Middle: Fourth Season," "Mama's Family: Third Season," "The Royal Family Collection" and "Adventure Time: Third Season."