Epic action adventure movies are fairly common nowadays, so to be worth watching, a new one has to be exceptional in some way. In the case of "Beowulf," director Robert Zemeckis has used motion-capture technology to give the legendary hero a 21st-century look. Jack Snyder watched the recently released DVD and came away impressed, though with a few reservations.

"Hard Problems" is a documentary that focuses on six American high school students, including Uni's Alex Zhai, who make it to the highest level of math competition: the International Mathematical Olympiad. Check inside for Gordon Ruan's review to see what the documentary has to offer, even for those who don't consider themselves math aficionados.

Frank Lucas is a man doing everything he can to get by in a competitive world — which just happens to be the world of heroin dealing. Richie Roberts wants to bring him down. "American Gangster," now available on DVD, is the story of this conflict between two men determined to get what they want. Jack Snyder thinks the crime epic is a classic for years to come, worthy of a watch by anyone.