Perhaps someday filmmakers will tire of stories related to World War II. However, that won’t happen today, as the presence of 2022’s Wolf Hound in my Blu-ray player proves.

Set in Nazi-occupied France circa 1944, the Germans shoot down and repair Allied aircraft. They then fly these planes into enemy territory as “Trojan Horses” to exploit the confusion.

Into this setting arrives American fighter pilot Captain David Holden (James Maslow). The Germans take down his craft and intend to use it for their own means.

In this case, the Nazis plan to load the plane with a superbomb that could turn the tide of the war in their favor. Holden needs to work to defeat this goal.

The first line of the publicity blurb on the back of the Blu-ray states that Hound includes “action sequences using vintage aircraft”, and this appears accurate. IMDB claims that the flick only used circa 1940s planes and no CG became utilized along the way.

Thus ends the only genuinely noteworthy aspect of Hound, as the rest of the movie seems pedestrian at best. Despite a pretty good basic story, the end result never threatens to develop into anything other than a stock – and fairly amateurish – combat flick.

Hound starts with a long action sequence, as Holden and his colleagues engage in extended combat with the Nazis. In theory, this should open the movie with a bang.

However, director Michael B. Chait can’t stage the battle with any verve or excitement. It all feels “by the numbers”, and though this should launch the tale with a lot of power, instead the flick begins on a lackluster note.

Matters don’t get better from there, as clichés abound and little in terms of creativity ensues. Granted, as I implied at the start, the WWII flick became well-covered ground decades ago, so it seems tough for filmmakers to find anything fresh in that regard.

Still, the flat manner in which Hound explores its subject matter makes it a tough slog. What begins as an aerial combat flick eventually develops into a WWII version of Die Hard - and not a very interesting one, at that.

After that opening combat scene, most of Hound looks at Holden’s attempts to rescue his fellow soldiers, and this puts him into John McClane mode in rapid order. Heck, he even wears a sleeveless T-shirt similar to McClane’s, too.

For a movie that wants to paint itself as authentic, Hound seems more than happy to turn into a cartoon action flick. Holden’s heroic journey becomes more and more absurd as it goes, so any semblance of reality quickly leaps out the window.

If Hound mustered excitement along the way, I wouldn’t complain. No one confused Die Hard for a reality-based tale either.

Unfortunately, everything about Hound just feels uninspiring. Chait and the rest of the crew can never find a way to do anything interesting with the basic material.

The actors don’t help, as they all offer broad, one-note roles. I suspect those who portray Germans learned their accents from Hogan’s Heroes, as you’ll not find a realistic vocal pattern in the whole film.

This leads to more WWII clichés than one can shake a proverbial stick at, and it all grows tedious within short order. Someone might make a good version of this narrative, but the film on my Blu-ray becomes a dull dud.

Wolf Hound appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not exceptional, this became a mostly strong image.

In general, sharpness appeared positive. A few interiors came across as a little soft, but most of the movie displayed appealing accuracy and delineation.

I noticed no signs of shimmering or jaggies, and the movie lacked any print flaws. Edge haloes failed to mar the presentation.

Teal and orange dominated Cloud, though not in a crazed/oppressive manner. The Blu-ray reproduced the hues in an appropriate manner.

Blacks were always deep and tight, and I saw good contrast as well. Shadows seemed clear and appropriately opaque. The Blu-ray became a largely appealing reproduction of the film.

I felt pleased with the movie’s impressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack as well. A movie packed with mayhem and action, the mix used all five channels in a lively, involving manner.

Aircraft, weapon-fire, similar elements popped up from all around the room and delivered a smooth, engrossing soundscape. The back speakers delivered a good level of information and created a positive sense of place in that domain.

Audio quality was also strong. Music seemed full and bold, while speech was consistently natural and crisp.

Effects became the most prominent component, of course, and packed a solid punch, with positive clarity and range. This turned into a fine soundtrack.

A few extras appear here, and we open with an audio commentary from director/producer Michael B. Chait, actor James Maslow, producer Sue Witham and writer/co-producer Timothy Ritchey. All four sit together for this running, screen-specific look at the project’s roots and development, story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, stunts and action, various effects, photography and editing, music, and connected domains.

On the positive side, the commentary covers a decent array of topics. We get more than a few useful thoughts about the production.

However, this comes with a generous helping of happy talk, as an awful lot of the commentary devolves into praise for the film and all involved. We still learn enough to make the track worth a listen, but go into it with foreknowledge that you’ll find a lot of fluff along the way.

Two featurettes follow, and Behind the Scenes runs 30 minutes, 32 seconds. It brings notes from Chait, Witham, Ritchey, Maslow, director of photography Westley Gathright, editor Janina Maria, composer Michael Fleming and actor Trevor Donovan.

“Scenes” tells us about the movie’s roots and influences, cast and performances, shooting aerial scenes, editing, stunts and action.

Though the remarks add some info, they often repeat material from the commentary. Much of the show focuses on footage from the set, though, and that becomes engaging.

Creating the Visual Effects goes for 21 minutes, 14 seconds and offers notes from visual effects supervisor Ryan Urban.

Unsurprisingly, the program examines various aspects of the movie’s effects. We get a dry but informative piece.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we get 11 Deleted/Extended Scenes. These span a total of 10 minutes, eight seconds. We find some minor added beats but nothing memorable.

Given how many segments this compilation packs into 10 minutes, no one should expect much substance. We get some minor character/story expansions but nothing especially memorable.

Though Wolf Hound attempts to present an invigorating WWII-era thriller, it cannot rise above clichés. The film seems slow and tedious, as it fails to find anything exciting or interesting. The Blu-ray brings very good picture and audio along with a mix of bonus materials. Expect a forgettable adventure.