2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 5, 2022

The Atlanta Braves seem perpetually perched atop the National League East standings -- for decades, dating back to the days of Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, McGriff, Jones, and the crew from the early and mid 90s and on to now, about three decades later in the Freddie Freeman era -- but the club has only one World Series ring to show for it, a 1995 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Well, make that had one ring. In 2021, the 88-win Braves, not even playing .500 ball at the All-Star break and earning a bad break losing superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. halfway through the season, managed to win a fourth straight division title, thanks in large part to General Manager Alex Anthopoulos' key midseason acquisitions and the team's inspired second half play that sparked a run to a win in the World Series.

The Braves had been a win away from a World Series appearance in the truncated 2020 season and entered 2021 with a packed roster that included reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman and Superstar Acuna Jr anchoring the lineup. That made the Braves a prohibitive favorite to return to the top of the division standings, but the devastating Acuna Jr. injury and a slow start threatened the season. However, the Braves acquired four outfielders prior to the deadline -- Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, and Eddie Rosario -- that helped push the team to a serious second half turnaround and, even at only 88 regular season wins, another division championship to its name.

Of course, division titles are nothing new in Atlanta, and despite the constant regular season success postseason glory seemed always reserved for somebody else. And certainly the Braves were not expected to make much noise in the playoffs, beginning with the NLDS round against the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers, a powerhouse that won 95 regular season games and a team poised to push far into October. But the Braves would cruise through the best of five set, winning three games to one and moving on to face the Wild Card Dodgers, winners of 106 regular season games and the club, despite finishing second in the NL West to the San Francisco Giants, that was the prohibitive favorite to repeat as National League, and World, Champions. But the Braves would win the best of seven series in six games to face the Houston Astros in the Fall Classic, another powerhouse club that won 95 regular season games and returning a roster with plenty of postseason and World Series winning experience. And the results were the same: the underdog Braves vanquished a supposedly superior opponent to hoist the 2021 World Series trophy.

As the film begins the realities of the lingering pandemic are evident but it is not nearly such a focal point as it was in the 2020 release. This film, following a quick introduction, explores each World Series game in deep and dramatic detail. The game is transformed into a story of narrative depth and excitement. Slow-motion photography, multi-angle replays, behind-the-scenes access, and a deep analysis of key moments in a large cinematic scope make this a wonderful companion to the games and a look that simply watching a stale TV broadcast cannot offer. It's very polished and feels more like an NFL Films release than it does an MLB release. For baseball fans, not simply Braves fans, it's a real treat.

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves chops onto Blu-ray with a very attractive yet still in some ways imperfect 1080i, 1.78:1-framed Blu-ray presentation. The image is generally of good foundational quality and construction, even at 1080i, yielding a positive assortment of core textures that assess quite nicely and should satisfy the vast majority of audiences. Various close-ups reveal skin details with impressive depth and complexity, revealing core characteristics like facial hairs and pores and other intimate elements with pleasing definition. Uniform textures are also clear and allow for fine-point exploration of lettering and patches. The ballfields are capably detailed, too, notably the infield dirt and grass but also details far back into the stands where fans fill the seats. Even background signage, odds and ends in the dugouts and camera wells, and other assorted elements look wonderfully sharp and well beyond the fuzzier broadcast elements; this is clearly sourced from a much higher-grade camera selection and shot by more skillful camera operators. Colors are appropriately bold; Atlanta red and blue and Houston orange are standouts, but so too are the crisp white home uniforms, particularly as they carry the red Atlanta numbers and lettering. There are few problem areas; noise is not much of a factor and there are not many examples of compression related issues, either. Don't let the 1080i spec lower expectations; this is quite the looker.

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is very well suited to the material. it's wide and boasts excellent depth and clarity. While surrounds are not used extensively, there's a nice sense of overall space evident. Unlike the full game videos where there is next to no balance between elements, prioritization here is very good, leveling out narration or commentary or on-field chatter with background crowd din and music with expert attention to detail. All of the spoken words are center focused and very naturally crisp and efficient. Everything here is in fine working order; fans are going to be pleased.

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves includes a sparse selection of extra content. A DVD copy of the program is included with purchase. No digital code is included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• How They Got There: Atlanta Braves (720p, 6:35): Looking back at the team's fortunes over the past few years, the club's regular season highlights, and journey through the postseason.
• 2021 Walk-Offs (720p, 5:41): A look at the Braves' walk-off wins from 2021.
• Clinching Moments (720p, 6:31): A highlight reel featuring the moments the team clinched the division title, followed by highlights from the team's NLDS win over the Brewers, and NLCS win over the Dodgers.
• World Series Parade (720p, 1:44): Not the whole parade but rather a micro snapshot of the festivities.

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

2021 World Series Champions: Atlanta Braves offers unique content in a familiar Blu-ray package. Technically, the presentation is pretty much identical to recent releases from previous seasons in terms of structure and style. Ludacris capably narrates here but he lacks the majesty and rich cadence found in previous efforts. Still, it's a solid effort that is a must-own for every Braves fan. The supplements are thin, but the video and audio qualities are fine, even if the latter presents in 1080i.