‘McFarland’ carries important messages

This week’s new DVD releases range from a story of courage to a tale of thieves.

“McFarland, USA,” • • • 1/2: Coach (Kevin Costner) builds a winning cross-country team of farmworkers.

The real strength comes from the film’s deep look at the beauty of diverse cultures and the importance of family and following a dream. Then “McFarland, USA” becomes a story of the determination, devotion and desire of seven young men to rise above the back-breaking lives of field hands and the man who helps them accomplish what always seemed like a pipe dream.

Director Niki Caro works throughout the filming to make the production as realistic as possible. That includes casting generally unknowns to play the young athletes whose natural athleticism makes all of the competition sequences seem real. Caro manages to get a very natural performance from her novice performers.

“Jupiter Ascending,” zero stars: It’s taken 15 years, but the bloated and pitiful “Battlefield Earth” no longer has to carry the mantle of being the worst big budget science-fiction film of all time. “Jupiter Ascending” is such a steaming pile of cinema, it’s almost beyond the realm of human thought to believe another film could be worse.

Andy and Lana Wachowski have written and directed a space opera that wanders between painfully boring and hopelessly confusing. The siblings try to hide amateurish acting behind big set pieces and distract from the unintelligible plot with big explosions.

None of it works. Even in space it’s easy to smell a stinker.

• “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water,” • • • 1/2: Glenn Berger and Jonathan Aibel faced the challenge of writing a script for “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” that was funny enough to captivate youngsters and their parents (or grandparents). They succeeded by using fun sight gags, corny puns and uninhibited joy.

It starts with keeping the plot simple: Everything falls apart in the sea-dwelling invertebrate’s town of Bikini Bottom when the secret formula for making Krabby Pattys is taken. The only way to restore order is to find the stolen recipe.

Laughs are generated by the endless stream of gags. When SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny) and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) eat way too much cotton candy, they have the energy to run around the world, shown through postcards flipping behind them.

• “Focus,” • • • : Where “Focus” loses focus is in the design of the con.

In great movies with complicated plots of deceit – “The Sting,” “Ocean’s Eleven” – there is one long con that twists and turns throughout the film to the point it’s almost impossible to figure out where the story is going. It’s one, long smooth ride.

The script for “Focus,” by writers/directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, starts and stops for the emotional elements. But that ends up making the con job disjointed.

Also new on DVD

“The Wire: The Complete Series”: The much-heralded cable offering is now available on Blu-ray.

“Justified: The Final Season”: Includes finale and 12 other episodes.

“Asylum”: Hostage negotiator ends up in an overrun insane asylum.

“Rizzoli & Isles: Season 5”: Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander star in the cable crime drama.

“Infected”: Quiet suburb becomes ground zero for the end of the world.

“Hayride 2”: Survivors of first attack face more terror in the hospital.

“Rectify: The Complete Second Season”: Daniel Holden continues to adjust to life after prison.

“Tom and Jerry: The Gene Deitch Collection”: Includes 13 theatrical shorts produced by Gene Deitch.

“Pretty Little Liars: Season 5”: Secrets continue to grow in this series starring Lucy Hale and Ashley Benson.

“With This Ring”: Regina Hill and Eve Cooper star.

“1776”: restored version of the movie musical is being released.

“Bubble Guppies: The Puppy and the Ring”: The Bubble Guppies go on four adventures.

“The Dog Who Saved Summer”: K-9 Zeus is sent to obedience school.

“Once Upon a Sign”: Three DVDs of fairy tales told through sign language are being released.

“Monsters: Dark Continent”: Fierce monsters threaten humanity. Sofia Boutella stars.

“Blindsided”: Blinded journalist is taken hostage. Michael Keaton stars.

“Scarecrows”: Robbers face deadly encounters in a field of scarecrows.

“Bonanza Season Eight: Volumes One and Two”: The adventures of the Cartwright family continue.

“The L Word: The Complete Series”: Every episode of the cable series starring Jennifer Beals and Pam Grier is available in one set.

“The Pope of Greenwich Village/Desperate Hours”: Mickey Rourke double feature.

“Where Was God? Stories of Hope after the Storm”: Look at life after tornado hits Moore, Oklahoma.

“The Taking of Tiger Mountain”: Adaptation of Qu Bo’s adventure novel.

“The Poltergeist of Borley Forest”: Teen unwittingly sets in motion deadly events.

“Falling Skies: Season 4”: Conflicts between humans and aliens continue.

“Eat With Me”: Mother and her gay son must reconnect to save family restaurant. George Takei stars.

“Parks & Recreation: Season 7”: Final season of the NBC comedy is available.

“Touched By An Angel: I Will Walk With You”: An earthbound angel (Roma Downey) continues her work.

“Private Number”: Series of sinister phone calls haunts writer.