Five Must-Have Fall DVDs

You know you want 'em—here are our picks for the best movies coming soon to a couch near you

Can't wait for that latest straight-to-DVD opus from some 1980s TV star? Of course you can. We know you have much more discerning tastes when it comes to your home movie viewing. And as the studios begin to pump out the big releases in the coming weeks, we want to help make sure you have some quality viewing this fall.

So nuke some popcorn, crack open the Goobers and fire up the LCD, here are our picks for the five top discs of the fall (in order of release):

5. Get Him to the Greek (out Tuesday): British headbanger Aldous Snow's (Russell Brand) life takes a bad turn after the flop of his unfortunately titled single, "African Child." But his subsequent misadventures with a lowly record executive/babysitter (Jonah Hill) provide plenty of belly laughs that summer bummers like Date Night and Sex and the City 2 failed to deliver. Don't miss a hilarious Diddy as the record label boss who fights with Aldous while both get high on "Geoffrey." You'll have to watch the movie to find out what that is, but a bad trip this is not.

4. The Karate Kid (Oct. 5): Ralph Macchio who? This reimagining of the 1983 original was surprisingly good despite groans from fans who figured Will Smith just wanted to make his kid famous. As it turned out, Jaden Smith proved to have the chops, er, kung fu to power this vehicle to box office victory, grossing an astonishing $300 million worldwide. An awesome Jackie Chan steps into the Mr. Miyagi role (renamed Mr. Han here), waxing philosophically in the art of self-defense and guiding our hero to tournament glory. Added bonus: Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" theme song.

3. How To Train Your Dragon (Oct. 15): Vikings, dragons and DreamWorks, oh my! With Shrek sucking wind, the studio struck gold ($500 million worldwide and a sequel on the drawing board) with the story of would-be dragonslayer Hiccup who'd rather be pals with the serpents than kill 'em. His touching relationship with the beast Toothless burgeons into a lesson of bravery and sacrifice that becomes an example for his fellow Norseman.

Fantasy fans and lovers of animation should also check out The Secret of Kells (Oct. 5). The Oscar-nominated Irish import features stunning artwork and an imaginative story of barbarians and magical creatures.

2. Iron Man 2 (Tuesday): Most franchise follow-ups drop like a thud with critics and audiences. Not Iron Man 2. With an Oscar-caliber cast led by Robert Downey Jr. as the man in the iron mask with support from Don Cheadle as Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine, scene-chomping villains Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell, and acrobatic ass-kicking Scarlett Johansson, the superhero sequel features an action-heavy, jokes-aplenty plot with enough F/X to keep the fanboys happy until The Avengers. All that, and Sam Jackson, too. Crank up the surround sound.

1. Toy Story 3 (Nov. 2): The highest-grossing film of 2010 and a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination, Toy Story 3 reunites our old pals Woody and Buzz Lightyear along with Jessie, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm for one last adventure. This time the toys, facing the sad reality of Andy going off to college, find themselves bequeathed to Sunnyside Daycare, lorded over by Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear (voiced by Ned Beatty). At turns thrilling, hysterical and bittersweet, this Disney/Pixar treasure is a perfect farewell to some of our favorite playthings.