New to View: Jan. 3

By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Jan. 3, unless otherwise noted:
Black Adam (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2022, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, strong violence, intense action, language
The lowdown: A sullen Dwayne Johnson glowers through this superhero conglomeration of second-string heroes and regurgitated plot devices.
Johnson portrays Teth-Adam, a slave executed in 2600 B.C. by the tyrannical king of Kahndaq.
Five thousand years later, with Kahndaq under the thumb of the mercenary organization, Intergang, Teth-Adam is resurrected by a group of resistance fighters.
But the return of this not-so-good superhero has U.S. government official Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) calling on the Justice Society of America, comprised of Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Cyclone and Atom Smasher, to travel to Kahndaq to deal with Teth-Adam.
This heavily-laden CGI movie is dull and formulaic. Even Johnson’s well-known screen charisma is tamped down.
The wasted cast also includes Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone.
I guess Superman, Wonder Woman and other Justice League members were too busy to deal with this threat. Of course, by the finale, Teth-Adam as reformed a bit and now is called Black Adam. Will he see the light? Only a sequel, which is doubtful since the film received a disappointing 39 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, only took in $167.7 million at the U.S. box office and cost between $190 million and $260 million to produce.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos-TrueHD, English 5.1 Dolby digital descriptive audio, German and Italian Dolby Atmos and English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French, German, Italian and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos-TrueHD, English 5.1 Dolby digital descriptive audio and English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include featurettes on the history of Black Adam, the Justice Society, the special effects, making Black Adam fly, designing Kahndaq, the costumes and the rock of eternity; an examination of the character of Black Adam; a “From Soul to Screen” featurette; and a “Black Adam: a new type of action” featurette.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Details: 1989, The Criterion Collection
Rated: PG
The lowdown: It seems a perfect fit — director Terry Gilliam chronicling the extravagant exploits of the legendary Baron Munchausen.
Gilliam’s movie is inventive, witty, whimsical, fantastic and — most of all — fun.
John Neville plays Munchausen who undertakes an outlandish quest that takes him to various lands, the moon and the belly of a sea monster.
At the same time, he is waging a battle against a vengeful sultan and the tyranny of logic.
The movie is filled with special effects and colorful performances, including a young Sarah Polley as the Baron’s no-nonsense sidekick, as well as Eric Idle, Oliver Reed, Robin Williams, Jonathan Pryce, Uma Thurman, Sting and Valentina Cortese.
The film, which garnered a 91 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, is a triumph of imagination and how make-believe can trump reality.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a commentary track with Gilliam and co-screenwriter Charles McKeown, a documentary on the making of the movie, a video essay about the history of the Baron Munchausen character, behind-the-scenes footage of the special effects, deleted scenes, storyboards for unfilmed scenes, original marketing materials, “Miracle of Flight,” a 1971 short film by Gilliam, a 1991 episode of “The South Bank Show” with Gilliam and an essay about the movie.

Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 1 — Episodes 1-10 (Blu-ray)
Details: 2021-22, CBS Blu-ray-Paramount Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A two-disc set that features the first 10 episodes of this animated “Star Trek” series that airs on Paramount+ as well as Nickelodeon.
The protagonists are six teenagers who are trying to leave behind their cruel past and find redemption, hope and salvation aboard an abandoned Federation starship, the USS Protostar.
These young people, of course, no nothing about the ship they have taken, but over the course of the season — it includes a total of 20 episodes — they are introduced to Starfleet and its ideals.
This young motley crew wants to flee the Delta Quadrant for a safe haven in the Alpha Quadrant.
The series is the first in the “Star Trek” franchise to target younger audiences.
Characters from other “Star Trek” series make cameo appearances throughout.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a look at the Kobayashi Maru, a featurette on Starfleet’s Prime Directive, a “Trek Tradition” featurette, looks at the characters, the ship’s gadgets and gear and an overview of the Protostar.

Memories of My Father (Blu-ray & Kino Now)
Details: 2020, Cohen Media Group
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A feature that looks at the life of Hector Abad Gomez, a famous Colombian doctor and human rights activist during the corrupt and chaotic Medelin, Colombia of the 1970s.
Gomez, who adored his children, fought against oppression and social inequality at great sacrifice to himself and his family.
The movie, based on an international best-seller written by Gomez’s son, is told from the son’s perspective.
The film earned an 82 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; Spanish 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette and an interview with the film’s director, Fernando Trueba, are the main extras.

Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (DVD)
Details: 2022, Greenwich Entertainment-Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A powerful documentary that focuses on Lowndes County, Alabama, after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The rural and impoverished county, which was 80 percent black, had a violent history of racist terrorism. It also had no black voters.
The movie is a first-person account of the action taken by local residents and young Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee organizers, such as Stokely Carmichael, who fought for their right to vote and well as establishing Black Power in the county.
The film uses archival footage and interviews to tell this courageous story. The movie earned a 100 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Prey for the Devil (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Firenado (Uncork’d Entertainment)
The Menu (Fox Home Entertainment)
JAN. 4
Echo 3: Episode 9 (Apple TV+)
JAN. 5
Mars One (Netflix)
JAN. 6
Candy Land (Quiver Distribution)
Landlocked (Dark Sky Films)
The Mosquito Coast: Season 2, Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
Mythic Quest: Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
The Pale Blue Eye (Netflix)
JAN. 9
Koala Man (Hulu)

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.