Latest DVDs, CDs, books: Jan 24

A look at some of the DVDs, CDs and books hitting stores this week.

DVDS

"Real Steel" (PG-13): In the near future, when giant robots have replaced humans in the boxing ring, a washed-up ex-fighter (Hugh Jackman) and his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) transform a beat-up battle-bot into an unlikely contender.

The opponent's far more insidious in "50/50" (R), as a down-to-earth guy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) confronts a dire cancer diagnosis with a little help from his motormouth best friend (Seth Rogen). Cancer also figures in "Restless" (PG-13), with Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper (Dennis' son) as wise, attractively troubled teenagers -- one of whom is battling the disease. In "Paranormal Activity 3" (R), a wedding videographer (Chris Smith) sets up cameras at home and winds up capturing his daughters' ghostly encounters. The award-winning documentary "Hell and Back Again" (not rated) focuses on a young Marine, seriously wounded in Afghanistan, battling to adjust to life back home. The Tony-winning "Memphis: The Original Broadway Production" (not rated) hits DVD following its high-definition theatrical premiere.

Turning to titles that never made it to local theaters, the indie drama "Another Happy Day" (R) focuses on swirling dynamics at a family gathering; Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Burstyn and George Kennedy lead the cast. And Las Vegas-based filmmaker Albert Pyun returns to "Sword and the Sorcerer" territory with "Tales of an Ancient Empire" (R), starring Kevin Sorbo and Michael Pare.

CDS

Tim McGraw, "Emotional Traffic": The album's first single: "Better Than I Used to Be."

Well, let's hope so, dude.

C'mon, now, we're just kiddin' Tim McGraw.

Sure, the country heartthrob has always been easier on the eyes than the ears, but did you see him in "Flicka"?

McGraw's not horsing around here, although there is a tune called "Touchdown Jesus."

Tim Tebow, you've been served.

Also in stores: Celtic Woman, "Believe"; Joe Cocker, "Hard Knocks"; Craig Finn, "Clear Heart Full Eyes"; Foxy Shazam, "The Church of Rock and Roll"; Graffiti6, "Colours"; Lacuna Coil, "Dark Adrenaline"; Lamb of God, "Resolution"; moe., "What Happened to the La Las"; Nada Surf, "The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy"; Kellie Pickler, "100 Proof"; Primal Fear, "Unbreakable"; Rodrigo y Gabriela, "Area 52"; Scorpions, "Comeblack"; Seal, "Soul 2"; and Skrillex, "Bangarang."

BOOKS

"Taken" by Robert Crais: Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are drawn into the world of human trafficking while investigating a kidnapping, which in turn leads to Cole's own disappearance.

On the nonfiction front , historian Roger Crowley traces Venice's rise and fall as one of the world's greatest sea powers in "City of Fortune."

Also hitting shelves: "All I Did Was Shoot My Man" by Walter Mosley; "All In: The Education of General David Petraeus" by Paula Broadwell; "Angel Fire" by L.A. Weatherly; "Darker After Midnight" by Lara Adrian; "Everneath" by Brodi Ashton; "Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss" by RoseMarie Terenzio; "Fallen in Love" by Lauren Kate; "The Flight of Gemma Hardy" by Margot Livesey; "A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty" by Joshilyn Jackson; "Pineapple Grenade" by Tim Dorsey; and "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain.