It’s been just over a decade since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last major film role, but after dusting off the cobwebs in last year’s “The Expendables 2,” it’s hard to imagine a more perfect comeback vehicle than “The Last Stand.” Directed by Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, the movie not only reintroduces Schwarzenegger as an older, wiser action hero, but it harkens back to earlier films like “Commando,” when you could get away with being silly as long as it was fun. The first half is a pretty slow burn as Kim patiently builds up to the climactic showdown between Arnie’s band of small-town cops and the bad guys, and though there are some entertaining set pieces along the way, the movie would have benefited from a stronger sense of urgency. Once the film arrives at its big standoff, however, “The Last Stand” is given a much-needed adrenaline shot that cranks up the intensity and violence, more than earning its R rating with some cool gunplay. The movie is far from Jee-woon’s best work, but it’s a mostly enjoyable U.S. debut that will hopefully inspire audiences to track down some of his previous films. It also serves as a welcome return for Schwarzenegger, because no matter how you feel about the man, Hollywood just hasn’t been the same without him.

Blu-ray Highlight: None of the extras are particularly memorable on their own, but Lionsgate has provided a solid collection that includes a behind the scenes look at making the movie, a short weapons featurette, and an in-depth breakdown of the cornfield chase sequence.

It’s a little upsetting to think that “Side Effects” could be Steven Soderbergh’s directorial swan song, because he’s proven over the last few years that while not every one of his movies is a success, his ability to jump between genres with ease makes him one of the more exciting filmmakers in Hollywood. In addition to reteaming the director with past stars like Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum, the film reunites Soderbergh with “Contagion” screenwriter Scott Z. Burns for another medical-themed thriller that strikes a similar chord of paranoia and Hitchcockian suspense. Though it’s not nearly as great as it could’ve been due to a slow first act, once the mystery at the center of the story is revealed, the movie eventually hits its stride, even if that means suspending your disbelief at times. Law, who’s always been a surprisingly underrated actor, delivers another solid performance as the hard-done psychiatrist, while Rooney Mara proves that “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” wasn’t a fluke. It’s hardly one of Soderbergh’s more memorable movies, but “Side Effects” is an enjoyably old school thriller that serves as a worthy bookend to an impressive career cut far too short.

Blu-ray Highlight: There’s a faux behind the scenes featurette that’s good for a few laughs and a pair of fictional drug commercials, but unfortunately, that’s it.

With the exception of a few movies on his resume, director Taylor Hackford has generally been a pretty disappointing filmmaker, so it’s not at all surprising to find that his latest effort follows in those footsteps. Though “Parker” marks the first time that author Donald E. Westlake’s famous hard-boiled criminal (whose adventures have been adapted for the big screen several times before) is referred to by his real name, it doesn’t change the fact that the movie fails on numerous levels. Jason Statham is an incredibly likeable action hero, but his brooding presence just doesn’t feel right for the title character, while Jennifer Lopez is terribly miscast in a part that serves little purpose to the overall story. The rest of the cast is comprised of great character actors like Nick Nolte, Michael Chiklis and Clifton Collins Jr., but their talents are wasted in throwaway roles. Having never read any of the books in the Parker series, it’s hard to say whether the film lives up to the source material, but as a fan of Mel Gibson’s turn as the antihero in “Payback,” it pales in comparison.

Blu-ray Highlight: Director Taylor Hackford provides an informative audio commentary about making the movie, including an interesting recount of the on-the-fly creativity required to capture the opening heist sequence at the Ohio State Fair, but the rest of the bonus material is about as generic as it comes.

It may seem lazy to draw such comparisons, but “Beautiful Creatures” is about as close to a “Twilight” clone that Hollywood has produced, trading vampires and werewolves for witches, and although the film shows more promise than its spiritual predecessor in the early stages, its overdependence on the main love story prevents “Beautiful Creatures” from distinguishing itself as anything other than a “Twilight” wannabe. Of course, one thing the movie has that the vampire saga didn’t is a pair of likeable leads, and that’s credit to authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s source material, as well as newcomers Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert for bringing them to life. The film also benefits greatly from the prestige that Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson and Viola Davis bring to the project (particularly Thompson, who’s clearly having a ball hamming it up as the villain), although that doesn’t save the film from its own inadequacies. Characters drop in and out of the story with no explanation and there’s so much babble about destinies, curses and rules that it becomes a jumbled mess of boring exposition. The movie’s unexpectedly goofy sense of humor helps to keep things light, but “Beautiful Creatures” doesn’t feel like it was made by a studio that loved the books, but rather the idea of success that a film adaptation might bring – all business and no soul.

Blu-ray Highlight: The two-disc combo pack includes a collection of mini-featurettes on everything from adapting the book for the big screen, to costumes and special effects, but they’re packed with so much filler that the bonus material feels like an afterthought.

If this past January proved anything, it’s that the movies weren’t nearly as bad as those from previous years. Unfortunately, I highly doubt the same will be true of February’s line-up when all is said and done. Though there are certainly a couple movies to look forward to (including the latest John McClane adventure and only the second rom-zom-com in existence), the pickings are even slimmer and less promising than last month.

Who: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich and Rob Corddry
What: After a zombie named R saves Julie from an attack, they form a relationship that sets in motion a series of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
When: February 1st
Why: If there’s one movie that I’m actually looking forward to this February, it’s the big screen adaptation of Isaac Marion’s clever YA novel. Director Jonathan Levine has already tackled some pretty ballsy material between “The Wackness” and “50/50,” but this is probably his most adventurous and challenging project yet, if only because the subject matter is about as outside-the-box as you can get. Vampires are one thing (and though the “Twilight” comparisons are inevitable, they’re completely unwarranted), but the idea of doing a romantic comedy where a zombie falls in love with a human is ripe for exactly the kind of dark humor that “Warm Bodies” will hopefully deliver in spades.

Who: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Jason Momoa and Christian Slater
What: After watching their respective partners die, a New Orleans hitman and a Washington D.C. detective team up to bring down their common enemy.
When: February 1st
Why: Arnold Schwarzenegger may be back to reclaim his action hero title, but Sylvester Stallone never gave it up, and though his latest movie doesn’t look very good, you have to respect the guy for grinding away all these years. Though director Walter Hill has made his share of fun buddy action films (including “48 Hours” and its sequel), that formula has been run so far into the ground that only a dinosaur like him would think it’s still relevant. It’s always nice to see Sung Kang getting work, because he’s probably one of the best Asian-American actors in the business, but if the cheesy dialogue from the trailer is any indication, “Bullet to the Head” is destined for the Wal-Mart bargain bin.

Who: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Amanda Peet and Morris Chestnut
What: When a mild-mannered businessman learns his identity has been stolen, he hits the road in an attempt to foil the deceptively harmless-looking thief.
When: February 8th
Why: Jason Bateman reteams with “Horrible Bosses” director Seth Gordon for a new film co-starring Hollywood It Girl Melissa McCarthy. On paper, “Identity Thief” sounds like it should be comedy gold, but go watch the trailer again and count how many times you laughed. Did you get zero too? It’s not entirely surprising considering the film was written by the same guy behind a trio of spoof movies and “RocketMan,” but I’ve come to expect better from Bateman. McCarthy, on the other hand, continues to overact the only way she knows how, and though some people seem to find her funny, I’m not one of them. In other words, unless you’re a fan, you can probably wait for it to hit home video.