Short Circuits

A brief look at new and noteworthy experiences among DVDs, video games, gadgets and the Web.

Hellboy, clones invade Two genre films that didn't exactly light up the summer box office arrive today on DVD with much better prospects. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal, $30-$40), starring Ron Perlman as the titular tough-talking superhero, turned out to be a dandy sequel that strongly appealed to its core audience. Extras include commentary by director Guillermo Del Toro and an exhaustive 2 1/2-hour making-of documentary. On the other hand, the animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (Warner, $29-$36) diminished George Lucas' popular franchise by coming off as a so-so TV production. Still, it will be popular with young boys on DVD -- even if the serious-minded extras are aimed at older fanboys. And don't forget "Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks, $30-$40), which was released Sunday and comes in a version that includes the companion direct-to-video adventure, "Secrets of the Furious Five."

Also out today: "Band of Brothers" (Blu-ray), "The Boys in the Band," "Father Knows Best" (Season 2), "Firefly" (Blu-ray), "The Lone Ranger: 75th Anniversary," "Night Gallery" (Season 2), "Quo Vadis," "Scrubs" (Season 7), "Studio One Anthology," "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union" (Season 1), Walt Disney Treasures: "The Chronological Donald" (Vol. 4), "Dr. Syn" and "The Mickey Mouse Club Presents Annette."

Gearing up for 'Gears' The recent onslaught of big-name video games is mercifully winding down now that "Gears of War 2" ($60; rated Mature) is out. The sequel to the Xbox 360-exclusive shooter picks up six months after the original, with a band of well-armed humans gunning for the invading forces of the Locust Horde. The game boasts more-powerful weapons, bigger enemies and better vehicles, but the killer graphics and innovative tactical play (including a strong online component) remain. There are a few more stragglers among new major games: Today brings the military-combat thriller "Call of Duty: World at War" ($30-$60 for all systems; rated Teen and Mature), and Thursday brings the latest expansion pack for the online sensation "World of Warcraft," "Wrath of the Lich King" ($40 for PC/Mac; rated Teen).

A moving experience The folks at mono (www.mono-1.com) are at it again. The Minneapolis-based branding agency -- which created the Web's popular Monoface time-waster as well as online campaigns for clients such as General Mills and PBS -- has moved to a larger office in Uptown. Of course, it couldn't just send out a change-of-address note; the devious masterminds at mono also created a YouTube video mocking their move. (See it at startribune.com/a/?4594.) The clip shows "protesters" trying to get passers-by in Uptown to sign a petition to keep the agency out of the neighborhood. Why? Because it has done dastardly things such as using children in a "Sesame Street" ad and encouraging people to eat carrots. One protester, wearing a "Say moNO!" T-shirt, warns that the agency also uses "colorful images and words that mean stuff." Brilliant -- and funny.

RANDY A. SALAS