"27 Dresses" -- The romantic comedy that's also a major mystery -- as in just how is it that a woman who looks like Katherine Heigl cannot find a husband? Heigl stars as the ultimate always-a-bridesmaid pal, a woman who has stood up as a member of the wedding 27 times without getting any closer to her own nuptials. She's finally jolted into action after her secret, unrequited love (Edward Burns) ends up falling for her sister.

"The Golden Compass" -- This fantasy adventure proved a critical and commercial lightweight compared with its studio stablemate, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Featuring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, this movie follows the otherworldly travels of a 12-year-old orphan (Dakota Blue Richards), who becomes the keeper of the last "golden compass" -- a mechanism whose magic powers include revealing the truth and offering glimpses into the future.

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- One of last year's most-acclaimed films was an unlikely literary adaptation, given its source material -- the memoir of French Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby. Bauby was immobilized in the prime of life by a stroke that left him with locked-in syndrome, able to communicate only by blinking an eye. Mathieu Amalric stars as Bauby, who painstakingly dictates his memoir through blinks, one letter at a time.

"The Fall of the Roman Empire" -- Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott's Roman adventure, "Gladiator," borrowed liberally from the story line of this 1964 epic with an all-star cast including Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren, James Mason, Christopher Plummer and Omar Sharif. Director Anthony Mann's tale traces the power struggle and political decline that emerge after Rome's emperor, Marcus Aurelius, picks his adopted son to succeed him rather than his unstable biological son.

TV on DVD:

• "The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume Three -- The Years of Change"

• "Cheers: The Ninth Season"

• "The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season"

• "Beverly Hills 90210: The Fourth Season"

• "Dark Shadows: The Beginning Collection 4"

• "Arizona Diamondbacks 2001 World Series Collector's Edition"

-- The Associated Press