May 15, 2007 By Lou Gaul, Calkins Media Film Critic 4 min read

A children’s story (“Arthur and the Invisibles”), a romantic fantasy (“The Fountain”), an Oscar nominee (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) and a dance picture (“Stomp the Yard”) are the top titles arriving for this Armed Forces Day weekend. The top DVD rental and sales titles are:

Best Renters

1. “Pan’s Labyrinth” (R); Grade: A-; with Ivana Banquero in Mexican director Guillermo del Toro’s dark, violent and chilling gothic fairy tale.

2. “Stomp the Yard” (PG-13); Grade: B-; with Columbus Short in a music-driven picture about a Los Angeles student who introduces students in a university in Atlanta to a dynamic dance style.

3. “Dreamgirls” (PG-13); Grade: A-; with Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson in an adaptation of Michael Bennett’s musical about a Supremes-like Motown group.

4. “Music and Lyrics” (PG-13); Grade: B-; with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant in a romantic comedy about a fading singing star who asks an eccentric young woman to help him write a pop song.

5. “Night at the Museum” (PG); Grade: B-; with Ben Stiller and Robin Williams in the comedy smash about a night guard who discovers that the displays at the Museum of Natural History come to life each night.

6. “Epic Movie” (Unrated and PG-13); Grade: C; with Kal Penn and Fred Willard in a broad and gross comedy that spoofs big-budget hits.

7. “Because I Said So” (PG-13); Grade: C; with Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore in a forced comedy about a driven mother obsessed with finding an eligible bachelor for her youngest daughter.

8. “Deja Vu” (PG-13); Grade: B; with Denzel Washington in a fun-to-watch thriller about a DEA agent who may be able to prevent a deadly incident by using cutting-edge technology to travel back in time and stop a bomb from detonating.

9. “Catch and Release” (PG-13); Grade: C; with Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant and Kevin Smith in a dull romantic comedy about a woman who must rebuild her life after her husband-to-be dies the day before their wedding.

10. “Smokin’ Aces” (R); Grade: B; with Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds in a stylish thriller about a Las Vegas magician who becomes the target of hired killers after he agrees to testify against the mob.

11. “Arthur and the Invisibles” (PG); Grade: C; with Freddie Hightower in a children’s tale that blends live action and animation in a story about a boy seeking a hidden treasure in a land populated by little people living in harmony with nature.

12. “The Queen” (PG-13); Grade: A-; with Helen Mirren delivering her Oscar-winning performance as Elizabeth II in a compelling drama about the royal family member and her seemingly indifferent reaction to the death of Princess Diana.

13. “The Painted Veil” (PG-13); Grade: B; with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton in a drama, based on W. Somerset Maugham’s novel, about an unfaithful wife forced to accompany her stern British doctor-husband on a seemingly suicidal trip to China to treat victims of a cholera epidemic.

14. “Little Children” (R); Grade: B+; with Patrick Wilson and Oscar-nominee Kate Winslet in a melodramatic satire of desperate housewives and househusbands in suburbia.

15. “The Last King of Scotland” (R); Grade: B+; with Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker delivering a powerful performance as the equally charismatic and chilling Idi Amin.

16. “The Hitcher” (R); Grade: C; with Sean Bean in a remake about a madman who terrorizes two on-the-road college students.

17. “Happily N’Ever After” (PG); Grade: C+; with the voices of Sigourney Weaver and Sarah Michelle Gellar in a computer-animated tale about a battle that threatens to alter all of the feel-good endings of fairy tales.

18. “The Fountain” (PG-13); Grade: C; with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in director Darren Aronofsky’s romantic fantasy about a man traveling to three different time periods to find a substance capable of saving his dying wife.

19. “Alpha Dog” (R); Grade: B; with Justin Timberlake in a chilling, fact-based picture about some gang members who consider murdering a young rival after kidnapping him.

20. “The Pursuit of Happyness” (PG-13); Grade: B+; with Will Smith in an uplifting, fact-based story about a homeless single father struggling to earn an internship at a prestigious stock-brokerage firm.

Best Sellers

1. “Pan’s Labyrinth” (R); Grade: A-; $28.99, DVD; $34.99, special-edition DVD

2. “Stomp the Yard” (PG-13); Grade: B-; $28.99, DVD; $38.99, Blu-ray Disc

3. “Dreamgirls” (PG-13); Grade: A-; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, special-edition DVD; $39.99, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD

4. “Music and Lyrics” (PG-13); Grade: B-; $28.99, DVD

5. “Night at the Museum” (PG); Grade: B-; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, two-disc DVD; $39.99, Blu-ray Disc

6. “The Queen” (PG-13); Grade: A-; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc

7. “Happily N’Ever After” (PG); Grade: C+; $28.99, DVD; $39.99, Blu-ray Disc

8. “Deja Vu” (PG-13); Grade: B; $29.99, DVD

9. “M*A*S*H Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” (Unrated); Grade: A; $29.99, DVD)

10. “Happy Feet” (PG); Grade: A-; $28.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc; $39.99, HD DVD

Partial source: Video Business, wire-service and Web reports