This week’s DVDs are all about action. But do they make your heart skip a beat or leave with you flat lined? Check out which will get the blood pumping and which leave you cold.

Skip it: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This is the third film in the Underworld franchise, and it finally explains the origins of the feud between the vampires and werewolves (lycans). The head vamp, Viktor (Bill Nighy) has kept the lycans as slaves for many years, and one fell in love with his daughter. As a way to keep the two apart, he decides to kill his own daughter. Naturally, the lycans attack in the name of revenge. It is usually hard to carry on a franchise past a sequel, and this movie shows us why. The leads from the first two flicks, Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, declined to reprise their roles for the third film, and a new director, Patrick Tatopoulos, took over for Len Wiseman. The movie has a few entertaining action scenes, but there is nothing new here; we have seen it all before. Next!

Skip it: Passengers. We love Anne Hathaway, but we are surprised at her choice to star in this film. In particular, since this film comes after her role in Rachel Getting Married, which was outstanding. Here, she plays a young therapist assigned to counsel five plane crash survivors. She becomes romantically involved with one, (Patrick Wilson), who is very mysterious. As the survivors start disappearing one-by-one, she realizes that her new boyfriend might have all the answers, and she must figure out the truth before it’s too late. This movie is supposed to be a thriller, but it lacks any thrills. Again, the repetition of other films, like M. Night Shyamalan’s (Sixth Sense, Signs) is too close for us.

Rent it: Taken. Liam Neelson is not someone you want on your bad side. This action flick is a fun ride from beginning to end. Neelson stars as a father named Bryan who has taken early retirement from the CIA to better his relationship with his estranged daughter, Kim. (Maggie Grace) She takes a trip to Paris with her friend and is kidnapped by an Albanian crime ring known for selling girls into the slave trade. He uses his “particular set of skills” to hunt down the criminals and find his daughter. If you’re looking for a sentimental script, this is not for you. But if you are looking for some good old fashion adrenaline and action, this is it. You can’t help but cheer him on as he makes good on all of his threats and since he's motivated by a good cause; to find his little girl.

—Jessica Delli Santi