If you've invested in all the bells and whistles of a complete home theater system; the widescreen high-definition television, surround sound speakers and the latest in DVD technology, the last thing you want to do is watch movies that don't give your system the workout it deserves. Here are some of the best DVD movies to give you the ultimate home theater experience.

Without questions, action and adventure films were made for the home theater screen as well as the “big screen”. There is nothing that gives a home theater owner a better experience than a film where the action is intricate, graphic, and frequent. Unfortunately, a lot of action films made today are seriously lacking when it comes to being worth the time to watch on home theater. There are a few gems, however.

At the top of the list is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The three movies blew audiences away in the theaters with their stunning graphics and uncompromising sound, and the experience is not lost on the special edition DVDs. Programmed with the gold standard in surround sound (Dolby) the shriek of the Nazgul will have you looking towards your ceiling in fear. No one can bring an epic adventure to the screen like Peter Jackson; and his King Kong is true to the original screenplay as well as the incredible scenery, special effects and sound quality of his Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Batman Begins is a must-have in the collection of the true home theater junkie. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, this enhanced-for-widescreen transfer is mighty impressive, to say the least. Colors were refined – slightly subdued and somewhat cool looking no doubt due to use of various filters. Saturation levels are never an issue. Flesh tones also looked real and spot on. Black levels were as deep as imaginable allowing shadow detail to be shown off nicely and never becoming murky or ill-defined – especially considering how dark some of the film can be. On top of the dark appearance, there's plenty of smoke and fog throughout the film's entirety. Sky Captain, World of Tomorrow is another highly stylized visual treat with amazing sound throughout.

Another genre that is great on the home theater system is the computer animated movie. You don't want to make your little one's ears bleed every time they watch A Bug's Life, but the visual qualities of these films when viewed close up on the home theater screen is amazing in its detail and quality. A high water mark is the incredible underwater animation of Finding Nemo. Dazzling colors and realistic water tones will have you thinking you are on the Great Barrier Reef yourself.

A good rule of thumb when looking for a DVD addition that will be great for your home theater system is that if it wowed you in the theater, it will probably blow you away at home. DVD programmers are well aware that in today's market, quality of sound is just as important (and sometimes trumps) the quality of the actual film. Many films that would never be sold for personal collections ten years ago become best sellers, simply because of the technology invested in them.