b>”Dances with Wolves — Special Edition”

Movie**** — Extras***

The expanded four-hour version of this multiple Oscar-winning film has finally been released onto a two-disc package featuring two audio commentaries, one by director Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson (previously on the initial DVD release), and the other by cinematographer Dean Semler. The commentaries are both informative, though the other features, including a photo gallery and retrospective documentary, are both quite standard features to an amazingly good film.

“The Pianist”

Movie*** — Extras***

Roman Polanski’s ode to his haunting childhood is eloquently captured in this compelling Holocaust drama starring Oscar-winner Adrien Brody. As Wladyslaw Szpilman, a talented pianist and composer, Brody is moving as his eyes show the horrors of war. Unfortunately, he is only sporadically brilliant, and the Oscar-winning screenplay falters in a few areas. The documentary “Story of Survival,” an involving mixture of the making of the film and Polanski’s own experiences, is nearly better than the film.

“Sex and the City – the Complete Fourth Season”

Series***1/2 — Extras**

Season four of “Sex and the City” was a bittersweet effort. It lacked the edge the previous seasons had displayed, though some of the most humorous and thoughtful episodes belong to this season. This includes the first two episodes, where Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) turns 35, and the second, where she is chosen to model at an upscale fashion show only to trip on the stage. The 3-disc set doesn’t offer much more than a few audio commentaries by writer-director Michael Patrick King, though the 18-episode package is a finely-rendered treat.

*Rating system is out of four stars.