Short circuits 5/15: 'The Grey' is new on DVD

VIDEO: Thrown to the wolves

Within its first several minutes, Joe Carnahan's man-against-nature thriller "The Grey" takes on contours and shadings far more sophisticated than the usual pulp programmer. Liam Neeson plays John Ottway, a sharpshooter who works for an oil company in Alaska keeping gray wolves and other predators at bay. Soon Ottway and his fellow he-men are on a plane bound for civilization. The plane won't make it, leaving Ottway and others stranded in an icy wasteland with hungry wolves. The DVD and Blu-ray (Universal, $30-$35) include commentary by Carnahan and deleted scenes. -WASHINGTON POST

Colin Covert's take: "The Grey" is a harrowing adventure, but it is more, an exploration of character as revealed in action. Neeson proves that a comfortably successful actor well on in his career can still be excitingly capable of further growth. Read the full review.

Also out on DVD Tuesday

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Blu-ray debuts

It's about time PlayStation Vita owners got a fighting game like "Mortal Kombat" ($40; rated Mature). The controls are smooth, and the button for combos is simplified for better on-the-go gaming. The game features a traditional 2-D visual style, with 3-D touches thrown in to make your eyes dance as you pummel opponents' skulls. This edition comes with all the downloadable content built in, which means many gaming options and characters are waiting at your fingertips. Also, the story mode is deeper and more satisfying. You might creep out your seatmate on the bus as you disembowel someone, but it's par for the course -- and a lot of gory fun. -SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

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