New movies to be released tomorrow on DVD

Defiance (2008) **½ It’s an inspiring story, if one that doesn’t need quite as much poetic inspiration as Ed Zwick’s movie insists on giving it, with dialogue that’s too often ornate and parable-inflected. It is somewhat diminished by second-hand storytelling: entirely admirable, largely entertaining, and yet curiously hollow.

He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) ** I think the movie intends to empower all of its female characters, but it ends up chaining them to stale, timeworn ideas. Pretty routine, pretty forgettable. Don’t know how else to say this, so best to be frank: I’m just not that into He’s Just Not That Into You.

Revolutionary Road (2008) *** This isn’t a great movie — it lacks the full, soul-crushing force of the novel — but what works in it works so well, and is so tricky to pull off, that you can’t help but admire it.