NEW ON BLU: A Look at the Latest Blu-Ray Releases (Dec. 11, 2012)

You're a busy person. You don't have time to check the newspaper ads for the latest blu-ray releases. Well, you're in luck, since Popculturology is doing the heavy lifting for you with New on Blu. Check out this column every week for a breakdown of the latest blu-ray releases. To help you impulse buy any of these blu-rays, all you have to do is click on the photo of a case, and you'll be taken to Amazon.

This week's featured blu-rays: Ted, The Bourne Legacy, Ice Age: Continental Drift.

Ted
Directed by: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 69 percent

Ted remains one of 2012's biggest surprises at the movie theaters. Seth MacFarlane has always been known for his TV shows, but Ted was his first try at directing a real movie. Universal Pictures wisely moved Ted up a few weeks to give it space before The Dark Knight Rises hit theaters, and, boy, did that move pay off. Did anyone out there not see Ted? MacFarlane managed to hit just the right balance between crass and cautious (something he'll have to do while hosting the 2013 Oscars), Mark Wahlberg continued to prove that he has some serious comedic chops, and Mila Kunis once against showed up to play the straight woman opposite a man-child.

The Bourne Legacy
Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Joan Allen, Albert Finney
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 56 percent

While I can't agree with the blu-ray case's endorsement that The Bourne Legacy is "The Best Bourne Yet!," I can say that latest installment in the Bourne franchise succeeds at pulling off the difficult challenge of keeping the series going while expanding its world with a new star. Jeremy Renner fits right into the Bourne universe, continuing the actor's rise to stardom.

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Directed by: Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier
Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Keke Palmer, Jennifer Lopez
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 38 percent

If you love tons of celebrity voice cameos and cheap bathroom humor, Ice Age: Continental Drift is the movie you've been waiting for. I know that Pixar's been going through a rough period with Cars 2 and Brave, but please don't resort to showing your children any Ice Age movie. They deserve better than that.