Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 20, 2010

"2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory. The supplemental features on the disc are comprised of short clips highlighting some of the most memorable moments from the 2009 World Series. Not subtitled in English. Region-Free.

The House

If you ask Yankees fans, they would tell you that it was probably meant to be. In 2009, the Yankees moved from the old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, built in 1923, to a state-of-the-art brand new ballpark across the street. Power pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and position player Mark Teixeira joined the club, and all of a sudden many started believing that, like 1923, 2009 could be a special year.

But the beginning of the season did not look promising. A-Rod decided to have a much needed hip surgery, Mark Teixeira was struggling, and the Boston Red Sox swept the Yankees. The media in the Big Apple started asking questions again.

And then suddenly things changed for the team from the Bronx. A-Rod came back, and his presence was immediately felt. Mark Teixeira, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, even Derek Jeter got better. Records were broken - the Captain passed Lou Gehrig and became the Yankees' all-time hit leader - and after the Minnesota Twins series, everyone could tell that the swagger was back.

Another team, however, was also picking up steam - the Phillies. A year ago, they had won the World Series and were now looking to become only the fourth NL team ever to win back-to-back championships. And with guys on their roster such as Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth, a lot of baseball pundits thought that they were up to the challenge.

Narrated by Curt Chaplin, the 2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees is comprised of a variety of clips, highlights and behind the scenes footage from the six games the two baseball teams played. Different commentaries and statistical data are also included in the film.

Like Shout Factory's 2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays, however, this is a film made primarily for the fans of the winning team. If you are a casual baseball fan looking for an elaborate summation of the 2009 season or a balanced overview of the World Series, then you would be gravely disappointed with 2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees.

Many of the commentaries in the film are extremely short. Unless you know exactly what took place during the 2009 season, you would likely find them to be a bit too chaotic as well. The producers of 2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees have also been extremely careful in selecting what is included in the film, as none of the scandals that rocked the Yankees in 2009 are mentioned.

2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i transfer, 2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory.

I don't have any major reservations with the high-definition transfer. Detail is pleasing, clarity adequate and contrast levels surprisingly consistent. Obviously, there is plenty of footage here from a number of different games, but it appears that the producers of the film have made sure that 2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees has a fairly consistent look. Mild motion-judder is noticeable here and there, but I was never distracted by it. On the other hand, there are no serious image deteriorations that I noticed. Macroblocking is also not an issue of concern. The color-scheme is convincing, though during a few of the World Series games blacks were not as tight and well saturated as they could have been. All in all, however, this is definitely a solid looking Blu-ray disc that will undoubtedly please Yankees fans. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Shout Factory have not provided optional English subtitles.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is not overly aggressive, but it certainly allows one to fully immerse into the amazing atmosphere that always follows the World Series. The bass is heavy and strong. The surround channels see a limited amount of activity, but during a few of the World Series games, they are surprisingly effective - the crowd effect, in particular, is terrific. On the other hand, the narration is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Even the occasional interviews sound very good.

The English LPCM 2.0 track offers better balance. The crowds, however, are not as prominent on it as they are on the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. As expected, the narration is clean, crisp and easy to follow.

2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In the bonus section of the disc, you will find the following clips:

1. ALDS Game 2: Alex Rodriguez HR
2. ALDS Game 2: Mark Teixeira Walk-Off HR
3. ALCS Game 2: Alex Rodriguez HR
4. ALCS Game 2: Yankees Walk-Off Win
5. ALCS Game 6: Last Out
6. WS Game 3: Alex Rodriguez HR
7. WS Game 4: Johnny Damon 9th Inning At-Bat
8. WS Game 4: Johnny Damon Stealing Second and Third Base
9. WS Game 6: Alex Rodriguez 9th Inning Double
10. WS Game 6: Hideki Matsui Homerun
11. WS Game 6: Hideki Matsui 2-Run Single
12. WS Game 6: Hideki Matsui 2-Run Double
13. Final Three Outs of World Series and Celebration
14. Player Reactions

2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

2009 World Series Champions: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees is for Yankees fans only! If you are a casual baseball fan, then there isn't much here that you would appreciate. Shout Factory have put together an attractive package - the video and audio treatments are solid. Unfortunately, they have not included optional English subtitles for the main feature, which is quite surprising given that Yankees fans live all over the world. Fortunately, the Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.