New DVDs

The latest releases reviewed

MURDERBALL Directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro 15 cert ****

This enthralling, Oscar-nominated documentary follows paraplegic men engaged in fast-paced, fiercely competitive games of wheelchair rugby, and, through their case histories, shows how they dealt with the radical changes in their lives. Michael Dwyer

SERENITY Directed by Joss Whedon. Starring Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Adam Baldwin, Chiwetel Ejiofor 15A cert ****

Terrific space opera, written and directed by the creator of Buffy, in which Fillion's noble outlaw travels the universe fighting mutants. This spin-off from Whedon's late TV series Firefly, never found a big audience on release, but the well-presented DVD is certain to inspire cult devotion. Donald Clarke

BROKEN FLOWERS Directed by Jim Jarmusch. Starring Bill Murray, Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Tilda Swinton, Julie Delpy, Jeffrey Wright, Chloë Sevigny, Mark Webber 15 cert ****

Jarmusch applies his trademark sensitivity, humanity and idiosyncratic humour to a touching road movie in which a confirmed bachelor (Murray at his most impassive) revisits former lovers when he learns he has a 19-year-old son. It becomes a melancholy journey through his past as he seeks out the son and discovers a great deal about himself. Michael Dwyer

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE/ INOSENSU: KÔ KAKU KIDÔTAI Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Voices of Akio Ôtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Kôuichi Yamadera 15 cert ****

This hugely complex Japanese anime following the trials of a cyborg detective as he seeks to investigate the explosions of erotically intended robots is as beautiful as it is confusing. The lengthy fiesta at the film's centre took a year to animate alone and, rich in grand sweeps and attention to detail, the end result justifies every second of that labour. Better than its predecessor. Donald Clarke