Also in stores this week ...

"Adoration" (R, 2008, Sony Pictures Classics): To delve too much into an explanation of where "Adoration" is headed would be to ruin some of the fun that comes from actually watching it. So let's not do that, shall we? "Adoration" kicks off with a high school boy (Devon Bostick as Simon) delivering an essay to his class about what it means to be the son of the man who nearly committed the greatest act of terrorism of his time. From there, it splits not only into two chronologies - one featuring Simon's parents (Rachel Blanchard, Noam Jenkins) on the eve of the events detailed in the essay, and one following Simon's current-day fallout as the essay morphs from classroom exercise to chat-room and virtual town-hall discussion fodder - but almost two films as well. There's a persistent current of dialogue in which "Adoration's" characters weigh the means, methods and justifications not only of the parents' actions, but Simon's ability to accept them and even embrace them. But none of that would be worth much without a story to tell, and it's in this department where the film really shines.

Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes feature, writer/director interview.

"Aussie & Ted's Great Adventure" (G, 2009, Screen Media Films): Aussie is one very adorable dog, but he has some seriously ugly jealously issues. Those issues prompted him to hide his best friend's (Alyssa Shafer as Laney) new teddy bear, which had partially nudged him out of the spotlight almost the instant Laney's dad (Dean Cain) brought him home. Naturally, this being a family film and all, Aussie thinks better of his pettiness, only to discover that getting Ted (that's the bear) back won't be as simple as going back to the spot where he left him. The level of saccharine silliness in "Aussie & Ted's Great Adventure" is enough to give cynics and realists a complex: Aussie narrates his own adventure in a potentially gratingly-amateurish Australian accent, his fellow dogs match his hokey dialogue with some choice words of their own, and even Ted gets in on the act with some mystical powers that allow him to communicate with certain dogs and children.

"The Objective" (NR, 2008, IFC Films): It's pretty gutsy, as "The Objective" does, to take complete creative liberty with a conflict (the war in Afghanistan) that not only is currently in progress, but also coincidentally happens to be back in the forefront of the news as the film arrives on DVD. Problem is, that's as far as the risk-taking really goes. "The Objective" sets up a pretty interesting story about not-of-this-world activity taking place amid an already unconventional war, and it does a nice job of funneling that anticipation of the unknown through some interesting (if somewhat formulaic) characters. But once we arrive at that point, the film seems unable to push past neutral, constantly dangling the promise of a big thrill without ever really delivering on that promise.

Extras: Interviews, behind-the-scenes feature.

"The Killing Room" (R, 2008, Genius Entertainment): Welcome to the party, "The Killing Room." You're only six years late. "Room" finds four ordinary people (Timothy Hutton, Nick Cannon, Clea DuVall and Shea Whigham) convening in a room for what they think is a government study, only to find out

they're part of a whole other under-the-books study that necessitates killing them off one by one. If that sounds like a variant of the game "Saw" plays every year, it's because, despite the new angle, it is. "Room" shows some early promise with a really sharp turn of events during the early going, but it fails to capitalize on it and appears helplessly unable to kick-start the story once it slows to a dead stop.

- McClatchy-Tribune News Service