‘Spy Kids 2’ has more fun on disc

“Spy Kids 2: The Island

of Lost Dreams”

Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino

Dimension, $29 for DVD;

$23 for VHS

The sequel to the 2001 family adventure-comedy hit may not be a great movie, but thanks to its engaging writer-director-producer-composer-editor-production designer Robert Rodriguez, the DVD is breezy fun.

Talking at breakneck speed, Rodriguez offers enjoyable insights into how he made a special-effects-laden film on a relatively low budget and why he decided to wear so many hats on this film. Rodriguez not only does the commentary track, he also comments on the amusing deleted scenes and is host of the “Ten-Minute Film School,” in which he divulges his filmmaking secrets.

In this outing, spy kids Carmen and Juni (Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara) find their lives being made miserable by a rival brother-and-sister spy team.

*

“One Hour Photo”

Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen

Fox, $28

Funny man Williams goes dramatic with very creepy results in this psychological thriller about a lonely one-hour photo technician working at a huge discount store who is obsessed with a picture-perfect family. But when he realizes that the family isn’t as perfect as he thought, Williams’ photo man begins to become unhinged.

The serviceable DVD includes a “making of” featurette that premiered on Cinemax, a decent “Anatomy of a Scene” episode that aired on the Sundance Channel and an installment of “The Charlie Rose Show” with Williams and writer-director Mark Romanek, who made a name for himself in the music video world. The soft-spoken Romanek and a too-serious-for-his-own-good Williams also team up for the commentary.

*

“The Four Feathers”

Heath Ledger, Kate Hudson

Paramount, $30

This is the seventh version of A.E. Mason’s 1902 story of a young man’s redemption after being labeled a coward. It’s certainly not as good as the 1939 adaptation with Ralph Richardson, but far more entertaining than a TV movie version from the ‘70s.

Directed by Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”), the film features a strong performance from Ledger as a young British soldier, circa 1880s, who resigns from the army on the eve of a battle in the Sudan. Hudson, though, is miscast as his fiancee. Djimon Hounsou steals the movie as the mysterious man who becomes Ledger’s guardian in the desert. The “collector’s edition” DVD features seven by-the-numbers featurettes, and informative commentary from the Indian-born director.

-- Susan King