The Corner Penthouse

Looking for a last minute holiday gift for your video-loving family or friends? Well, let me run down a few items that have come out in the past few months that would be perfect for the person who loves Action/Adventure movies. This is in addition to all of the items I've reviewed recently that would also make for great gifts. Let's take a quick look at these recently-released titles...

All of the items below have already been released and are available for purchase from Amazon at the links provided. The Corner Penthouse will earn a very tiny commission from your purchase using these links.


Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021)
• BUY IT: 4K UHD, Blu-ray
• VIDEOS: Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: Our team of heroes are besieged by the enemy forces of Shao Kahn, forcing Raiden and his group of warriors into a deal to compete in a final Mortal Kombat that will determine the fate of the realms. Now our heroes must travel to Outworld in order to defend Earthrealm and, simultaneously, Scorpion must find the ancient Kamidogu before it's used to resurrect the One Being - which would mean certain destruction of all things in the universe. Time is short and the stakes are high in this action-packed continuation of the Mortal Kombat journey.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentary with producer Rick Morales and screenwriter Jeremy Adams. The God and the Dragon: Battling for Earthrealm (7:05) - Go behind the scenes and inside the creative process of bringing the film to action-packed life on screen. Voices of Kombat (8:34) - Join Joel McHale, Jennifer Carpenter, and the cast as they detail the process of creating unique and compelling voices for the larger than life characters in the film. Kombat Gags: Gag Reel (4:06) - Step inside the VO booth with the cast of the film for all of the flubbed lines and outrageously improvised lines from the cutting room floor.
• NOTES: Although animated, this is not for children. I want to make it clear that this is an R-RATED FILM with lots of gore and violence. Includes a slipsleeve and digital copy code voucher. The previous animated Mortal Kombat Legends film, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020), is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, and individual DVD. As for the other Mortal Kombat home video releases... Mortal Kombat (1995), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), and Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011) are available in a Triple Feature Blu-ray set. Legacy is Season 1 of the two-season series. The second season was released as Mortal Kombat: Legacy II (2013), and is available on Blu-ray and DVD. Mortal Kombat (2021) (reviewed here) is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack, individual Blu-ray, and individual DVD. Finally, there were two Mortal Kombat television shows in the late 1990s. The Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1995-1996) animated series is no longer available on Amazon, so the link has been removed. You'll have to look elsewhere for that Import DVD, for which you'll probably need a region-free player in order to play it. The Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998-1999) live-action series is available as a Complete Series DVD set.
• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.


Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021)
• BUY IT: 4K UHD Steelbook, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD
• VIDEOS: Trailer, Deleted Scene: Akiko Trains, "Deadly Ensemble" Clip, "Arashikage" Clip, "Hexagram 63" Clip.
• SYNOPSIS: Discover the origins of the iconic G.I. JOE hero, Snake Eyes (Henry Golding), in this action-packed, edge-of-your-seat adventure. Welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage after saving the life of their heir-apparent, Storm Shadow (Andrew Koji), Snake Eyes joins the battle against the terrorist group Cobra. Pushing him to the limits, Snake Eyes will become the ultimate ninja warrior. But, when past secrets are revealed, his honor and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing everything he has been fighting for.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Morning Light: A Weapon with Stories to Tell (3:11) - Discover the secrets of Snake Eyes' legendary sword, Morning Light, in this all-new short film. Deleted Scenes (2:07 total) - Included are "Akiko Trains", "Snake Eyes' Sword Play", "Blind Master's Kunai Throw", "House Attack", and "Tommy Unleashed". Enter Snake Eyes (9:31) - Find out what it took to bring the iconic hero's origin story to life. A Deadly Ensemble (6:22) - Meet fan-favorite heroes, villains, and new characters in the G.I. JOE franchise. Arashikage (6:59) - Dive into the elite ninja warrior world of the Arashikage clan.
• NOTES: I remember seeing this movie promoted at Hasbro's Toy Fair event back in February 2020. That was when it was originally slated for an October 23. 2020 release date. It's nice to finally see the film. It was worth the wait. This release includes a slipsleeve and digital copy code voucher. There is also a 3-Movie Giftset that includes G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, which is available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.
• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Paramount for review on this site.


The Suicide Squad (2021)
• BUY IT: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD
• VIDEOS: "Rain" Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: Welcome to hell, a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out-even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today's do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone's favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller's government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they're dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone's laying down bets, the smart money is against them-all of them.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentary with director/writer James Gunn. Deleted and Extended Scenes (17:27) - Eight scenes in total. Gag Reel (10:23). Bringing King Shark to Life (5:40) - An overview of the techniques used to bring Nanaue to life. Gotta Love the Squad (11:37) - A brief history of the title team as told by original comics writer John Ostrander and others. The Way of the Gunn (7:50) - Key cast and crew members fawn over the directorial efforts of James Gunn. Scene Breakdowns - Four featurettes highlighting specific scenes from the main feature: "It's a Suicide Mission" (6:37), "My Gun's Bigger Than Yours" (5:44), "Harley's Great Escape" (7:16), and "The Fall of Jotunheim" (5:38). Starro: It's a Freakin' Kaiju! (6:17) - A tribute to the final boss. Retro Trailers - A few fake trailers presented in the style of a different genre: "War Movie" (3:24), "Horror Movie" (1:23), and "Buddy Cop Movie" (1:17). Do note that only the commentary and the "Harley's Great Escape" Scene Breakdown are on the 4K disc.
• NOTES: This film is not to be confused with Suicide Squad (2016) (on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD), though both star Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and both are about the same group of characters. Otherwise, they are completely different films with unconnected stories. The release includes a slipsleeve and digital copy code voucher.
• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.


Zack Snyder's Justice League (2017/2021)
• BUY IT: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD
• VIDEOS: Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: Determined to ensure Superman's (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: The Road to Justice League (24:20) - Director Zack Snder sheds some light on his involvement his DC trilogy, with snippets of candid on-set footage from each. (This is found on Disc 1 of both the 4K and Blu-ray disc sets.)
• NOTES: This four-disc set contains two 4K discs and two Blu-ray discs, each contains one half of the movie; Part 1 runs 2:21:58, and Part 2 runs 1:40:17. Yes, this movie is FOUR HOURS LONG! Mercifully, it's divided into seven parts: "Don't Count On it, Batman", "The Age of Heroes", "Beloved Mother, Beloved Son", "Change Machine", "All the King's Horses", "Something Darker", and the epilogue "A Father Twice Over"; with each segment running roughly 30-45 minutes apiece. It's also worth noting, that unlike the original theatrical cut (completed by Joss Whedon at the studio's request after Synder had to step down from the project), this new "Snyder Cut" is presented in a 1.33:1 (open matte) aspect ratio; just like the old 4:3 televisions. Expect to see blackness added to the left and right sides. This release includes a slipsleeve, but there is no digital copy code voucher, likely due to Warners wanting you to stream it on HBO Max. If you want to know how the Snyder Cut compares to the Theatrical Cut, check out the Movie Censorship comparison. If you don't own the original 2017 Theatrical Cut, you can buy it on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.


Mad Max Anthology (4 Films)
• BUY IT: 4K UHD
• IMPORTANT UPDATE - DISC REPLACEMENT: The original 4K UHD release has incorrect "original" audio for Max Max 2: The Road Warrior. A new set with a corrected disc was released on February 1, 2022. As per The Digital Bits, contact Warner Brothers at WHV@warnerbros.com to get a replacement disc if you bought the original set (or the individual Road Warrior 4K release). HOW TO TELL WHICH DISC YOU HAVE: On the bottom of the yellow disc is some text, at the very left of which is an item number and "95 mins". The original disc is 2000169323, the new disc is 2000175308. Other than this number, both discs are identical. The Digital Bits also reports the following different UPC numbers on the outer packaging: "You can identify the corrected Mad Max Anthology 4K set by looking for a white sticker over the old UPC with the new code of 8-83929-79000-5 (the old one - with the bad disc - was 8-83929-77803-4). Likewise, you can identify the corrected Mad Max: The Road Warrior 4K by the new UPC code 8-83929-78999-3 (the old one - with the bad disc - was 8-83929-68905-7)."
• VIDEOS: Mad Max Trailer, Road Warrior Trailer, Beyond Thunderdome Trailer, Fury Road Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: MAD MAX (1979) - Mel Gibson portrays Max Rockatansky, a fearless cop waging war with kill-crazy bikers who targeted his family. It's a war that must be seen to be believed, a road-scorching, neo-punk, take-no-prisoners combat set in a postapocalyptic Australia. MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981) - Few films compare with this full-throttle epic of speed and carnage that rockets you into a dreamlike landscape where the post-nuclear future meets the mythological past. Gibson returns as heroic loner Max, who drives the roads of outback Australia in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defenders of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by The Humungus. MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985) - Two men enter. One man leaves. That's the law in Bartertown's Thunderdome arena. In his third go-round as the title hero, Gibson takes on the barbarians of the post-nuclear future - and this time becomes the savior of a tribe of lost children. Music superstar Tina Turner steals what's left of the screen as Aunty Entity, a power-mad dominatrix determined to use Max to tighten her stranglehold on Bartertown. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) - Haunted by his turbulent past, Max (Tom Hardy) wanders alone until he's swept up with a group, led by Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), fleeing across the Wasteland. In hot pursuit: a warlord who gathers his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly, leading to a high-octane road war in director George Miller's return to the world of Mad Max.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: For The Road Warrior Only: Audio Commentary with director George Miller and cinematographer Dean Semler. Introduction by Leonard Maltin (3:37). Road War: The Making of Road Warrior (48:55).
• NOTES: The four-disc Blu-ray case is stored inside a side-loading slipbox. Although this set will give you all four films in 4K Ultra High Definition, The Road Warrior is the only film in the set to have special features, even though there is pre-existing material for the other three films. As such, if you're looking for all of the movies in 4K and a healthy set of special features for all of them, DON'T buy this set. This set is really just for people who only want the movies in 4K and nothing else. Based on my research, and personal collection, to get the "whole package" and have all movies in 4K UHD (and Blu-ray) with as many special features as I think is possible, you will want to buy the following four releases: The High-Octane Collection (Blu-ray) is the base set that gives you all of the movies on Blu-ray and the majority of special features, plus a 4K copy of Fury Road. Mad Max (Kino Lorber) (4K UHD) gives you the first movie in 4K and the special features for that movie that are missing from the base set. The Road Warrior (4K UHD) gives you the second movie in 4K (and Blu-ray) and the same special features for it that are in the base set. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (4K UHD) gives you the third movie in 4K (and Blu-ray). As far as Digital Copies are concerned, inside the case are two vouchers: one contains a code to redeem a 4K digital copy of Mad Max on Vudu, the other voucher contains a code to redeem 4K digital copies of the three remaining movies on Movies Anywhere. The Movies Anywhere code is not redeeming all films in 4K at all retailers, though, with iTunes/Apple TV providing Road Warrior and Fury Road in 4K (only the latter has a Dolby Atmos track) and Beyond Thunderdome in HD. Prime Video offers all three films in HD. Movies Anywhere provides all three movies in 4K, but Beyond Thunderdome is missing its Dolby Atmos track.
• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.


Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981)
• BUY IT: Blu-ray
• VIDEOS: Trailer, Film Clip
• SYNOPSIS: Hoshi Izumi is a young innocent forced to grow up quickly when her father dies and she finds herself next in line as the boss of a moribund yakuza clan. Wrenched from the security of her classroom and thrust into the heart of the criminal underworld, she must come to terms with the fact that her actions hold the key to the life or death of the men under her command as they come under fire from rival gangs.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Somai and Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (51:13) - This Japanese language feature (with English subtitles) features actor Akira Emoto, film scholar Chika Kinoshita, Somai biographer Tatsuya Kimura, and assistant director Koji Enomoto discussing the film's legacy. Original Theatrical Trailer (2:39). Complete Version (Kanpeki-Ban) Trailer (3:14). Theatrical Teaser (0:35). TV Spot (2:30). Image Gallery. Original Press Kit.
• NOTES: Includes two versions of the film: Original Theatrical Version (1:51:45) and Extended Director's Cut (2:10:27), and both are in Japanese with optional English subtitles. Contrary to the cover art, it is a live-action film, and not Anime. The insert booklet states that "an instance of optical censorship occurs during the sex scene at the 61 minute mark. This is present in the original materials and is consistent with Japanese censorship practices from the period." I'm assuming this statement refers to a black box overlaid at the bottom right corner of the image, which is actually at the 57:17 mark in the Theatrical Version and around the 1:01:53 mark in the Extended Director's Cut. Included is an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Aaron Gerow and Alex Zahlten, and a discussion between the film's star Hiroko Yakushimaru and acclaimed director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who was an assistant on the film. The reversible case liner features original and newly commissioned artwork by Michael Lomon. Placed over the thick 14mm clear plastic cae is a sturdy slipsleeve, made of better cardstock than most.
• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Arrow Video for review on this site.


Apocalypse Now (Final Cut) (1979)
• BUY IT: 4K UHD Steelbook (Best Buy), 4K UHD/Blu-ray 6-Disc Set
• VIDEOS: Final Cut Trailer #1, Final Cut Trailer #2
• SYNOPSIS: Vietnam, 1969. Burnt out Special Forces officer Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent into the jungle with top-secret orders to find and kill renegade Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who has set up his own army within the jungle. As Willard descends into the jungle, he is slowly over taken by the jungle's mesmerizing powers and battles the insanity which surrounds him. His boat crew succumbs to drugs and is slowly killed off one by one. As Willard continues his journey he becomes more and more like the man he was sent to kill.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Introduction by Francis Ford Coppola (4:23).
• NOTES: The Steelbook features all new artwork from artist Ken Taylor, and includes a digital copy code voucher. This Steelbook release only includes the "Final Cut" of the film, which runs 3:01:58. The Theatrical Cut, the Redux Cut, and all existing substantial bonus features are not to be found here. If you want to know the difference between the different cuts, check out the Theatrical/Redux Comparison and the Redux/Final Cut Comparison. This Steelbook release contains Discs 1 & 3 from the 6-Disc 4k/Blu set (linked in the "Buy It" section above). The two-disc Blu-ray set I bought from Target for $5.00 contains Discs 4 & 5 from the 6-Disc Set. There's also a two-disc "Triple Feature" Blu-ray set that contains Discs 4 and 6 from the 6-Disc Set.
• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Lionsgate for review on this site.

If you're looking for more gift ideas, check out all of the other items I've reviewed recently. I review a variety of items, so I'm sure you'll find something quite suitable for your friends and family, or maybe even yourself. Yeah, why not treat yourself this holiday season.