The new year begins with a slew of DVD releases, some of them even welcome.

When two of the greatest actors of our time, Seth Rogen and James Franco — no, wait, that's not right, it's Robert De Niro and Al Pacino — team up in a movie, they make even a less-than-stellar story watchable. That's the case with "Righteous Kill," in which moral ambiguities plague veteran cops De Niro and Pacino.

Unable to convict a murderer because of false testimony, De Niro plants evidence on him and gets him sent away. Surely that's not the right thing to do, even if it accomplished a good thing. Then there's this serial killer who seems to be going the boys one better: He's killing scumbags who got away with their crimes.

The story plods a little, and the editing doesn't help. Christy Lemire of the Associated Press called it "thoroughly mediocre." Hmmm.

Now, about Rogen and Franco: They co-star in "Pineapple Express," which Rogen co-wrote with Judd Apatow. It's a comedy, I guess — it has the sex, drugs and profanity that seem to be requisites — but it also has lots of violence and a bloody finale that's unexpected from Rogen and Apatow. Rogen plays a stoner process-server who witnesses a crime and reports — where else — to his dealer (Franco). They end up on the run from the cops, a drug kingpin and an Asian gang. The film is rated R, and the disc features extended and alternate scenes, a gag reel, commentary and more.

Or how about an action double-header: "Bangkok Dangerous" stars Nicolas Cage as a loner hit man — is there any other kind? — hired to assassinate four enemies of a crime boss. It's rated R. "Babylon A.D." is a futuristic story starring Vin

Diesel as a mercenary in a war-ravaged eastern Europe, hired to deliver a "package" to New York. It's rated PG-13.