In just its first week of release Summit Entertainment’s Twilight has sold 5.6 million units making it the bestselling DVD of 2009 so far.  Even before Twilight was released DVD sales had been holding up well in 2009, with overall packaged media sales down just 1.37% for the year.  While regular DVD sales have slipped over 5%, much of that deficit has been picked up by the growth in the sales of hi-def Blu-ray discs.  Given the strong box office numbers in 2009 and a substantial boost in DVD rentals, it appears that Hollywood is weathering the recession quite well, at least so far.

 

Since the DVD market is hit-driven, the impact of Twilight and a number of other strong titles that are releasing over the next few weeks could actually push sales above those in 2008.  Twilight’s reign as the #1 DVD on weekly lists was in immediate jeopardy from the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, which nearly matched Twilight’s domestic box office numbers (if not its fanatical teenage following).  Quantum is the second Bond film to feature Daniel Craig and it picks up just minutes after the end of Casino Royale.  The tone in Quantum is somber, it is the least happy-go-lucky Bond film ever, but director Marc Forester handles the chase scenes with aplomb and the action never flags. 

 

Quantum easily topped the Blu-ray charts, though Twilight hung on to top the standard DVD list for a second week.  Only 3% of Twilight’s first week's sales were on Blu-ray, and the Bond audience is older, more tech savvy, and more likely to buy Quantum on Blu-ray.  Those who purchase the Blu-ray certainly won’t be disappointed by Quantum—the European locations are breathtaking in hi-def and the chase through the streets of Siena alone is worth the extra price of the BD disc.  The extras included on the Blu-ray disc include two excellent featurettes on the film’s location spectacular locations and two on the film’s music, but it’s the film itself with its relentless pace, its twists and turns, and its all-too human Bond that provides the real reason to buy this disc.

 

Marley & Me, which debuted this week later poses another stiff challenge for Twilight.  With its mix of slapstick humor in the beginning and unabashed sentimentality at the end, Marley & Me is perfectly calculated to appeal to millions of dog lovers and the growing audience for family films—a combination that, along with a major TV advertising campaign, spells success on DVD.  With strong performances from the extremely likable Owen Wilson, Jennifer Anniston, and a succession of yellow labs Marley & Me is superbly calculated entertainment.

 

The Blu-ray version of Marley & Me is especially useful.  In addition to a superb transfer of the film, the Blu-ray comes with a digital copy and a standard DVD copy, which is an excellent idea for families who will be able to use the regular DVD disc on car and plane trips where Blu-ray players are not available.  The Blu-ray also includes a host of hilarious extras (“When Not to Pee,”), a gag reel, deleted scenes, and a special featurette on “Animal Adoption.”  Taken altogether the Marley & Me Blu-ray is a superb package.

 

There’s another recently-released canine-centric family-friendly film that also comes packaged on Blu-ray along with a regular DVD and a digital copy.  Disney’s Bolt had the misfortune to debut the same week as Twilight, so it came in second in the weekly DVD sales derby, but just as it did in theaters, this film should have “legs” on DVD (and its second week performance was very strong indeed).  Although neither the DVD nor the Blu-ray version can include the 3-D effects that made the action scenes in Bolt so spectacular in the theaters where it was shown in 3-D, it remains an excellent film, perhaps the best Disney animated feature since The Little Mermaid.  It is the first Disney feature since the merger with Pixar to display the “Pixar touch” throughout.  Bolt has an excellent story and superb action scenes, but even more importantly, it has the heart and solid characterizations characteristic of Pixar movies.

 

Bonus features on the Bolt Blu-ray include a great new short cartoon featuring Rhino the hamster, deleted scenes, musical features, two documentaries on the celebrity voices (John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, etc.), and a game that kids should really like.  Families should also find the regular DVD copy and the digital copy included with the Bolt Blu-ray very useful.