For the first time since Christmas, we have a great new crop of films playing at the box office. But if you’d just rather stay in than trek to the theatre, there are a few good picks on DVD this week, too.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as buddies coping with cancer in ’50/50′ (R), based on writer Will Reiser’s own real-life battle with the disease. When the young Adam learns he has a 50-50 chance of beating his diagnosis, he finds himself pitched into a spiral of despair, anger, and hope as he and his loved ones try to cope with his odds.

His girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) struggles to accept his diagnosis and Adam’s mother (Anjelica Huston) becomes more and more overbearing. His therapist (Anna Kendrick) is new to her job and struggles to help him cope with his battle. Ultimately, it’s his best friend (Seth Rogen, who is friends with Reiser in real life) who helps him the most.

Dark comedy? Definitely, and if a script that mixes cancer with sex and weed jokes is not your thing, you’ll want to skip it. But it’s interesting to see Rogen finally play a character with a little bit of heart, and JGL is inspiring as a patient navigating the ups and downs of a life-threatening illness.

Hugh Jackman stars in the futuristic action flick ‘Real Steel’ (PG-13)–and yes, it really does play out like a live-action version of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Maybe Jackman just signed on because he thought he’d have fun?   The plot line follows a boxing promoter who is no longer at the top of his game; human fighters have been replaced by giant robots in a high-tech twist on the sport, and Charlie is struggling to beat the bigger, better, more technologically advanced contenders. A visit from an estranged son might just offer him a chance at redemption.

Cliches? Check. So-so script? Check. The movie’s worst offense is making Charlie unlikeable; it’s hard to cheer for a hero when you’d probably chew him out in real life. Still, for those who mourned the end of the ‘Transformers’ franchise, here’s a loud, flashy, over-the-top robot encore.

On a slightly less mainstream note, an excellent cast carries ‘The Whistleblower’ (R), based on true events. Kathy (Rachel Weisz) is an American police officer who takes a job as a peacekeeper in Bosnia; her dreams of helping to rebuild the war-torn nation are interrupted by the reality of corruption, cover-ups, and political intrigue that make Bosnia such a dangerous place to operate. Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, and David Strathairn also star in this film from first-time director Larysa Kondracki.