(Enlarge) Last winter’s fantasy-adventure sequel "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is now available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Author C.S. Lewis' brand of Christian mysticism is all but missing-in-action from the much-anticipated sequel to his book "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." While remaining a fairly decent movie fantasy, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG, $29.99) emerges a poorer vehicle for the loss -- no matter where you sense you'll be spending eternity.

Instead of myths and emblems inviting us to ponder spiritual paths and virtues, this 2008 theatrical spin-off falls back on a cozy old scenario from English history: A young prince, dethroned and almost done in by his power-crazed uncle, sets out to muster an army and reclaim his earthly kingdom. What could be less inspirational than that?

Of course, this episode being taken from one of English literature's great fantasy series, the young prince's coalition is a bit odd. It consists of displaced fantasy creatures, inner-forest minorities, talking critters and -- oh, yes, those four lovable Pevensie kids who once saved the residents of Narnia from the spell of the dreaded White Witch.

They're all playing for a pot of good and evil that's a lot smaller here, so viewers who missed the 2005 original may find the kids' willingness to slay the defenders of Narnia a bit unsettling. Without the moral authority of Aslan established, the movie comes off as just another teen empowerment fantasy.

Speaking of coalitions, director Andrew Adamson summons up enough pixel whizzes from the digital realm to hammer out some mighty impressive battle scenes. I imagine the film looks gorgeous in high-definition on the new Blu-ray Disc ($35.99).

The standard DVD also has lots of extras, though none as meaningful as the earlier film's look at C.S. Lewis and the whole field of fantasy literature. Mostly the bonus features give us the filmmakers' perspective and cast comments, along with some outtakes and bloopers. I would have liked a more critical look at the decisions made in shaping the script. Did they set out to tone down the magic and beef up the action, a la "Lord of the Rings?"

Both new three-DVD editions come with a Disney File Digital Copy for downloading to portable devices -- although that seems to stretch the definition of movie escapism, no?

'Quo Vadis' and 'Becket'

Two other films making big DVD bows this month deal more thoughtfully with both their historical and Christian themes. Leading the way in sweep and excitement is Warner Home Video's remastered "Quo Vadis" (not rated, $20.97). Even the Latin title of this 1951 MGM epic poses the essential spiritual question: "Where are you going?"

Robert Taylor stars as a Roman commander whose love for Christian slave girl Deborah Kerr leads him to question his basic allegiance to that imperial mad man, Nero (Peter Ustinov). The two-disc special edition boasts an "ultra-resolution" digital transfer and restored picture and sound that includes the roadshow overture and exit music by Miklos Rozsa. There's also a critical commentary track and a winning documentary on the big-screen legacy of all such Biblical epics.

On a more intimate human scale is the 1964 drama "Becket," an acting showcase for the dynamic duo of Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole. They play longtime friends in medieval England whose affinity turns to deadly rivalry as they more keenly focus on the competitive demands of church and state.

The film was nominated for 12 Oscars, and has been available before on DVD with something less than ideal picture and sound. Now they have both been restored by the Academy Film Archive and remastered in high-definition that makes watching the movie a more sensual, involving experience.

"Becket" (MPI Home Video, rated PG-13, Blu-ray Disc $34.98) also features a commentary by Peter O'Toole recounting working with his late Welsh co-star, plus interviews with the film's editor and composer, a still gallery and trailers.

'Casablanca' also turns Blu

"Becket" is not the only welcome addition to the growing Blu-ray library of titles. On Dec. 2 it was joined by perhaps the most beloved film of all time -- "Casablanca" -- and by one of the silliest comedy franchises ever -- the "Austin Powers Collection."

The "Casablanca" Blu-ray Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner Home Video, not rated, $64.99) is a wonderful gift set, smartly combining souvenir cards, a branded luggage tag and passport holder, facsimiles of studio memos and movie memorabilia, plus some seven hours of filmed supplements, documentaries and bonus shorts.

All of the material from the earlier two-disc DVD special edition is here, such as the TV series pilot episode, a full-length biography of Humphrey Bogart hosted by Lauren Bacall and various commentaries and retrospectives. The third disc contains a thorough new documentary on studio mogul Jack L. Warner.

The centerpiece to it all, of course, is the wonderful 1942 movie, which seems to unfold new surprises upon each viewing. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman make for the perfect grown-up screen couple, getting a second chance at romance in an arid backwater dive on the outskirts of a war-torn world.

Wait until you get a look at how velvety smooth and speckle-free the picture here is after 66 years. It's one of the rare black-and-white films now available on Blu-ray Disc and in that format the images positively shimmer with depth and immediacy. The complete gift set is also available on standard DVD for $59.98.

As for that new Austin Powers trilogy: All we can say about the "Austin Powers Collection": Shagadelic Edition, Loaded With Extra Mojo (Warner Home Video, mostly PG-13, $74.98) is "Yeah, baby!" We are talking serious comedy-making here -- you now, the kind with real gags that are part of a coherent script that has actually been written down as the blueprint for a funny movie?

In case you've forgotten such things exist, here's a three-course yuks-feast that only occasionally descends to a yuck-fest. Mike Myers makes a strong bid as the next Mel Brooks with this outlandish string of lowbrow burlesques about a 1960s-style superspy (Myers) caught in a time-hopping tussle with master criminal Dr. Evil (also Myers).

In "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," still the best of the three and explosively ticklish, the agent is thawed from a 30-year snooze to thwart Dr. Evil's plan for world domination. The "fish-out-of-water" comedy builds on his culture shock and the conventions of the genre. "The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "Goldmember" provide more fodder for Myers' brand of eccentric comic caricatures.

A hallmark of the series -- besides the Burt Bacharach homages -- is its flamboyant art and costume design, which takes '60s psychedelia, '70s discomania and timeless corporate kitsch to candy-colored extremes. That cartoon element is well-served on Blu-ray by the format's enhanced ability to lock-in deep, smooth color and fine detail.

All three discs include commentaries by Myers and director Jay Roach, plus numerous cut scenes, music videos, faux biographies and other comical shorts, featurettes and trailers. You might call the set as a whole "whacked and loaded."

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