Here’s a look at a pair of films new to the 4K disc format covering the epic battle to save humanity from evil forces.
Pressure (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 102 minutes, $34.95) — Director Anthony Maras’ historical war drama answers the most important question tied to the massive Normandy invasion of World War II.
Not, how to pull off one of the largest seaborne invasions ever attempted in human history, but when?
Adapted from David Haig’s 2014 stage play, the film covers Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser), supreme commander of the Allied Forces, calling in Group Capt. James Stagg (Andrew Scott), a Scottish meteorologist, to make the call to unleash D-Day on the Nazis off the coast of France.
The majority of the action takes place in the lavish Southwick House, the home of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, with those inside constantly under mental duress.
Capt. Stagg’s rival, USAAF Col. Irving P. Krick (Chris Messina), questions his forecast theories every step of the way. Adding to the “pressure,” Gen. Eisenhower’s friendly rival, British Army Gen. Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis), demands the invasion take place on June 5.
Capt. Stagg proposes June 18 due to deteriorating weather conditions but then sees just enough of a break in the storm fronts to dare suggest the morning of June 6, which, of course, became history.
Meticulous performances from all involved, combined with the combat action scenes, should remind viewers of the situation the world faced when trying to stop Hitler and his maniacal forces back in 1944.
A visually engrossing, screen-filling presentation in ultrahigh definition offers a vintage color palette, plucked from the 1940s, that enhances every textured uniform and embraces England’s natural landscape colors.
Clarity can be found by examining the ornate meeting rooms of Southwick, outdoor terrain, and the sky shifting for worsening weather conditions.
Best extras: First, the disc includes a 9-minute overview of the production, touching on the play (with words from the author), but it often focuses on the cast and the complexity of the real characters, featuring plenty of analysis by the actors and director.
Next, and that’s it, viewers get 10 minutes on building an authentic World War II movie that captures moments in history using location design, iconic uniforms, makeup (altered as the pressure increases on the decision makers); recoloring archival war footage to blend into recreated action scenes; and accurately reproducing Southwick House’s big war map.
A documentary on the period, or a commentary track from a WWII or Eisenhower historian, would have been a welcome addition.
Mortal Kombat II (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 116 minutes, $32.98) — Director Simon McQuoid returns five years later to his blood-soaked fantasy cinematic universe based on the popular side-scrolling, fighting-game franchise and finally delivers an epic tournament promised by his 2021 reboot.
In the story, the Earthrealm has survived nine challenges from Outworld, but one defeat will allow Emperor Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) to conquer humanity. Thunder god Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) begin gathering champions for the decisive battle.
Their newest recruit, a faded and jaded Hollywood action star Johnny Cage (a perfectly cast Karl Urban), offers wisecracks and a questionable grasp of the situation, but some legitimate fighting skills. He joins returning warriors Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), Cole Young (Lewis Tan) and Hanzo Hasashi aka Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) as they face an expanding collection of assassins, monsters and resurrected enemies.
Meanwhile, Edenian princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) pursues her own reckoning with Emperor Kahn, whose brutality destroyed her family and kingdom.
As expected, the thin plot mainly exists to move combatants from one elaborately staged confrontation to the next, highlighted by a battle between the fiery Liu Kang and Kung Lao (Max Huang) in the Blue Portal arena that mixes martial arts, digital effects, those gruesome fatalities and fan-friendly references.
Loud, eye-winking, ridiculous and lacking any restraint, the movie understands viewers came for bone-crunching combat rather than “Citizen Kane.”
On a very positive note, longtime players should find plenty worth cheering about beyond the expanded roster.
The filmmakers recreate familiar arenas (Sky Temple, the Pit, the Dead Pool, Blue Portal to name a few) and even occasionally frame the battles from the games’ classic side-view perspective.
The combatants also unleash recognizable special moves, including Kung Lao’s razor-rimmed hat throws, Emperor Kahn’s shoulder charge and hammer attack, Sonya’s energy rings and scissors takedown, and Johnny Cage’s ridiculous split-and-groin-punch maneuver.
Scorpion still gets to bark “Get over here,” while the tournament supplies the expected “finish him” command amidst spectacularly gruesome fatalities sometimes hard to even look at.
The 4K presentation relishes in highlighting those fatalities, such as a head splattered by Emperor’s Wrath Hammer, while colorful digital finesse can be seen with Raiden bleeding blue waves of energy from his cut throat.
Best extras: A flighty and inconsequential collection of five promotional featurettes (averaging 5 minutes each) greets viewers.
The featurettes cover a precursory overview of the plot and production; the tournament arenas; a look at the new combatants; the actors training for the close-quarters combat; and the cast and crew offering memories from playing the game.
Worth noting, we also get screen time with the original creator of Mortal Kombat, Ed Boon, presenting his thoughts on the project.
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