By Peter Covino

Lifestyles Editor

Who could have thought that all those countless hours I wasted playing Battleship as a kid would be put to good use years later watching a movie based on the popular game.

Battleship (the movie, Universal Studios)  cruises onto the home screen Tuesday and for a game turned into a movie, well it isn’t as bad as you might think.

There is a lot of unnecessary story with regard to relationships and Liam Neeson, who wants to be in just about every movie nowadays, also puts in an appearance here for no good reason.

But no one is tuning in Battleship to see Liam Neeson. The only reason to watch  are all those ships taking on alien invaders (with much bigger ships).

In the good/alien bad alien catalogue of films, Battleship is one of those films where the nice people of earth, send out a message to a likely inhabitable planet light years away. The planet responds with a fleet of UFOs that land in the Pacific. They turn out to be Transformers-like ships and are soon taking on the combined naval forces of half the world, who  just happen to be near Hawaii for a training exercise.

Taylor Kitsch (Savages) plays the black sheep brother, who reluctantly follows his older brother’s footsteps (played by Alexander Skarsgard) into the navy and as luck has it, soon finds he is making all the decisions as the allied fleet (or what is left of it) does battle with the aliens.

The CGI effects are above average, and that means good things for home theaters and Blu-ray. On the negative-side, the weak story line makes this two-hour plus movie, seem even longer.

The Blu-ray combo includes a DVD disc in addition to the Blu-ray disc, as well as a digital copy and Ultraviolet (cloud) version.

Bonus features include All-Access with director Peter Berg, a picture-in-picture deal with interviews, behind-the-scenes stuff. A nice touch if you want to know more about the movie. Also included is an alternate ending, a featurette on the visual effects of filming, plus a nice tour of the U.S.S. Missouri, the vintage star of the film.

Chimpanzee

There are some great Disney titles just out on Blu-ray (The Rescuers: 35th Anniversary Edition, Pocahontas Two-Movie Special edition, The Aristocats Two-disc Blu-ray), but not enough room to cover them all this week.

So for now we will just settle on Chimpanzee (combo pack, Blu-ray and DVD), that Disneynature Earth Day release from earlier this year.

The cinematography in this mostly gentle real story about an orphaned chimp  named Oscar is cute beyond words.

You will in love with him, especially on the big screen at home.

Once again, Disney will make a donation through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fun to the Jane Goodall Institute to conserve chimpanzee habitat if you buy the movie through Aug. 27. Disney also made donations to the fund during the theatrical release of the film.

There is so much to like in this movie, that I really don’t like dwelling on the negative, but Tim Allen is the negative. His narration is distracting unless you are a five-year old. It is a dumb-down approach, that just isn’t necessary.

The set boasts lots of extras, including conservation extras to help animals planet-wide.

Blu-ray bonuses include several “making of” features that go behind the scenes on how this remarkable film was made.

Abbott & Costello

The hits keep on coming from Universal as the studio celebrates its 100th anniversary with the release/restoration of lots of titles in is vault in Blu-ray.

The latest (release is Tuesday) is Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. This one is should please Abbott & Costello fans and monster fans of all ages.

Universal was the “monster” studio of the 1930s and 1940s and they cashed in on it big time combing the comedic talents of Abbott & Costello with Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolfman and even a cameo by The Invisible Man.

Costello is at his best (or worst depending on your viewpoint) as the trembling soul who encounters the monsters first in this tale.

The duo wind up at an isolated castle where Dracula (yes, Bela Lugosi himself) has plans to resurrect the Frankenstein monster, using the controllable brain of  Costello. Even Lon Chaney, Jr. returns as The Wolfman.

The Blu-ray combo includes a DVD and a digital copy as well.

Scalene

Here is an unconventional thriller, a tale told from three points of view, each revolving around the rape of female college student by a mentally handicapped man.

Margo Martindale plays one of the worst mom’s in cinema in a while. She seems to be all-caring for her 20-something son (played by Adam Scarimbo), but something is definitely amiss. It is college student caregiver Hanna (Paige Alexander) who uncovers the truth and takes some desperate measures.

This one may surprise you.

Bonuses include a “making of” feature.

Next week’s new releaes include the Blu-ray debut of Best Picture winner Airport, starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin and Helen Hayes, in a Best Supporting acress performance.