(Enlarge) Paul Giamatti stars in the seven-art mini-series "John Adams," now out in a fabulous Blu-ray Disc edition.

The intentions of America's Founding Fathers are again front and center in our national dialogue, so this is an excellent time for a fresh look at the seven-part biographical drama "John Adams." The 2008 HBO mini-series garnered 13 Emmys and has won countless hearts on DVD in past months; last week it became available in amazing high-definition on Blu-ray Disc (HBO Home Entertainment, rated TV-14, $79.98).

Granted, Blu-ray brings leading actor Paul Giamatti into sharper focus than anyone could want. But high-def video is a warts-and-all medium, and let's face it: Even a long day in the sun at Colonial Williamsburg isn't always picture-perfect.

Giamatti usually excels at playing ineffectual intellectuals, as in "Sideways" and "American Splendor," so it was hardly intuitive for director Tom Hooper ("Elizabeth I") to cast him as one of America's most resolute early leaders. Still, the actor's intensity as he agonizes over each political call forces us to see beyond the historical record to the inner dynamics of truly histrionics-producing times.

In general, the adaptation of David McCullough's Pulitzer-winning book better accounts for Adams' lawyerly idealism and policy instincts than for his private calling as a father, husband and man of faith (he was a Unitarian who held great respect for Christianity). Laura Linney as Abigail Adams helps ground him -- and us -- in more earthly human struggles, which is probably why she got an Emmy and Giamatti didn't.

The production tests the limits of Blu-ray technology. It opens under a wintry, gunmetal night sky that actually betrays some dim lines of resolution that I haven't seen since the heyday of laser disc. But that's only a fleeting byproduct of high, 1080p technical specs rarin' to cut loose, like a trusty fox hound at the gathering for a hunt.

Most of the time the image is satiny smooth, with colors that glisten like wet paint and textures so well-defined you can imagine how they'd feel to the touch. The fully present DTS-HD audio also amounts to a noticeable upgrade from the DVD.

Besides all the earlier extras, like a behind-the-scenes documentary and a long visit with author McCullough, the Blu-ray brings exclusive pop-up features that include historical tidbits and summaries of previous episodes for viewers who savor the seven-course feast over multiple nights.

More Blu-ray 'Glory'

If your Maryland media room is wired for high-def, here are a few tips on the latest wave of Blu-rays:

*"Glory" (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, rated R, Blu-ray Disc $28.95). With lighting so defined and colors so realistic that some figures gain a 3-D prominence, watching this new Blu-ray is like seeing the 1989 movie for the first time. The story of the first black infantry regiment in the Civil War ends on such a tragic if ennobling note that one tends to discount the contributions made by an amazing cast, including Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher. The 5.1 True-HD audio is the next best thing to standing among re-enactors and feeling the booming of the guns. The Blu-ray is "BD Live" enabled, but even without an Internet connection the disc offers an interactive "tour" of significant Civil War battlegrounds. There's also a commentary by director Edward Zwick, a "making of" documentary and readings of actual letters from eyewitnesses of the 54th Massachusetts and of its rallying charge at Fort Wagner.

*"The Diary of Anne Frank" 50th Anniversary Edition (20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment, not rated, DVD $19.98; Blu-ray Disc $34.99). Its Oscar-winning, wide-screen black-and-white cinematography notwithstanding, the picture is not the primary reason for collecting this 1959 movie, now finally available on digital disc. George Stevens helmed this classic example of fine ensemble acting in the service of one of history's most moving testimonials -- a daily journal kept by a young Jewish girl in hiding from the Nazis. "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are basically good," quotes actress Millie Perkins, somewhere around your third box of Kleenexes. Both discs come with filmmaker commentaries and new featurettes about such things as the director's World War II experiences, Oscar-winning co-star Shelley Winters, and the contribution of Alfred Newman's music to the film's lasting emotional power.

*"Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience" Deluxe Extended Movie in 3-D (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated G, DVD $29.99; and Blu-ray three-disc combo pack $44.99). Once you get past the contrived opening rip-off of "A Hard Day's Night," the three bland but likable teen idols acquit themselves nicely on stage, with guest appearances by Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato. It takes place before a live crowd in a flashy arena much like the one Miley Cyrus used in her own 3-D concert film last year, though the brothers aren't quite so given to long runway jogs out to greet the fans. Technically, the 3-D illusion is better focused and more consistent this time out, even in brief cutaways to Central Park and backstage. Whether you opt for the 3-D or 2-D playback, the 7.1 audio on this live concert is about as good as it gets at home. A two-disc standard DVD edition ($32.99) also includes some of the same extras, such as additional songs, interviews and a Digital Copy. Only on Blu-ray, however, will you find it in 3-D.

Also new on DVD

"Lookin' to Get Out" (Warner Home Video, rated R, DVD $19.97). Look close toward the end of this little-seen 1982 "dramedy" from Hal Ashby ("Being There") and you'll witness the screen debut of Angelina Jolie, about age 4. The daughter of actor Jon Voight stands in as his on-screen daughter here, and she's a cutie. This extended "director's cut" of the film was recently discovered at UCLA, and was restored for DVD with the aid of Voight and the folks at Warner. It's about the deep-in-debt Voight character enlisting best buddy Burt Young for an all-or-nothing last roll of the dice in Las Vegas. Unevenly paced but full of interesting stretches, comedy and surprises, it's a charismatic, you-are-there peek at vintage gambling culture as caught by a master filmmaker of the 1980s. New interviews with both stars and co-star Ann-Margret are among the extras.

"Tunnel Rats" (Vivendi Entertainment, in both an R-rated and unrated version, $26.99). Also known as "1968 Tunnel Rats," this indie production from controversial horror director Uwe Boll is plenty savage though not as effective as it could have been. It follows a fresh unit of American soldiers assigned to clear out the booby-trapped, 260 kilometers of underground tunnels in the Cu Chi district of Vietnam. The choppy editing and unsteady photography fail to evoke the terror of hand-to-hand combat in dark, closed quarters, let alone in explaining the logistics or tactics involved. The cast of newcomers and 'Nam vets deserved better than a simplistic story ineptly told -- though action film fans with a taste for gore may be more inclined to forgive. Deleted scenes and an interview with Boll are among the extras.

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