3 Games to Glory IV Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

3 Games to Glory IV Blu-ray Movie Review

More than a glorified postseason recap.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 6, 2015

How dominant have the New England Patriots been in the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era? Take the name of this release. "3 Games to Glory IV." In each of the Patriots' four Super Bowl wins over this timeframe, they've been either the first or second seeded team in the AFC, allowing them to skip the opening round and play with fresher legs and better rested bodies. It's one less game to worry about on the road to the ring, and for the Patriots that kind of success, those kinds of expectations, are part of the annual routine. The Patriots hadn't won a Super Bowl in a decade despite a run of excellence since that 2004 title, and the team was eager to recapture the Lombardi Trophy. The 2014 season got off to a middling start for the Patriots and finished amidst a flurry of speculation and accusations surrounding the "deflate gate" scandal that wasn't just a top sports headline but seeped into popular culture and became something of a phenomenon in everything from Internet memes to water cooler banter (and remains a hot topic even today). But cooler heads prevailed on the New England sideline and the Patriots earned another Super Bowl win in two nail-biter games sandwiched around a blowout. As the title suggests, 3 Games to Glory IV takes viewers deep into the Pats' playoff run in a three-disc set that's classic NFL films all the way but more in-depth than anything football related yet released on Blu-ray.

The play of his life.

With three games and three discs, one might assume that 3 Games to Glory IV simply plops the Pats' three games into the set and calls it good. That's not the case. Not exactly, anyway. While this isn't the television broadcast of the games, it is the games, more or less, in heavily condensed fashion and presented in classic NFL Films style. Film (not video) footage, dynamic slow motion, breathtakingly intimate shots of tight spirals and hard hits, on-field and sideline access, and more define each presentation, which run 56:36 (the Baltimore game), 47:29 (the Colts game), and 1:02:27 (the Super Bowl). Fans will enjoy nearly every play presented in exciting, breathtaking fashion, foregoing that sterile and tired overhead sideline footage and instead presenting with a tangible intimacy and the grace, grandeur, and spectacle of film. The presentation includes both classic NFL films-style narration as well as local play-by-play and color analysis looped through to some of the most critical plays. It's a most welcome reprieve from the drag-and-drop style for which lesser sporting events on Blu-ray settle. This is a thrilling, precisely constructed masterpiece of football recapping that's arguably the finest such release of its kind on the market today.

Rather than recap the actual game content, which was already produced within the review for the year's earlier Super Bowl release, it seems better to offer a few notes about what to expect with this set versus that release so fans can decide which, if either, or both, they'll want. This is a much more comprehensive release in terms of playoff coverage; that previous Patriots Blu-ray offered just over an hour's worth of coverage for the entire season run, beginning at training camp and moving all the way through the Super Bowl. But those regular season recaps are absent here. This set deals entirely in the postseason, but to be fair, the other release's regular season highlights amount to little more than seconds, maybe a minute or two at most, recap of each of the regular season sixteen, which isn't a major loss but still a disappointment that this isn't a more comprehensive full season review. There are various supplements unique to each release, the previous offering more a mix of insightful behind-the-scenes coverage and fluff and this one more focused on relevant, meaty bits rather than throwaway TV interviews. Technically, both releases are sharp and smartly constructed. The easy answer is that Patriots fans will want both, but NFL fans owe it to themselves to check this release out, too; it's a comprehensive, detailed, and organic piece that showcases the Super Bowl (and two playoff games) in a way quite unlike anything else before it.

3 Games to Glory IV Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

3 Games to Glory IV looks terrific on Blu-ray. The footage is predominantly captured on film, and there's an abundantly attractive filmic texture to the production that's amazingly dense and detailed. Light grain accentuates the program and helps define an incredible array of broad scope and intimate details alike. Basic overviews of the field, stadium, and even Arizona desert terrain look magnificent, finding richly developed details in every last little bit. But it's the close-up details that really define this image. Facial features -- pores, stubble, sweat, eyeblack -- are off-the-charts realistic in close-ups, while uniform fabric textures, helmet paint, and patches are astonishingly realistic. Even little specs of chalk that accumulate on uniforms during the course of the game look amazingly realistic at the micro level. Colors are bold and healthy. Green turf, the Seahawks' neon green accents, and the Patriots' red and blue highlights satisfy with a realism and precision that fans have probably never seen on flatter and duller HD TV broadcasts. The only flaw of note comes by way of pale, unattractive shadow details in a few darker shots, usually far back up in the stands. Otherwise, this is an A-grade, reference quality image all the way.

3 Games to Glory IV Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

3 Games to Glory IV features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The presentation misses the added channels and an opportunity to truly envelop the audience and, with the excellent video, make the most purely immersive football experience to date on home video. Alas, fans will have to settle, and the track, fortunately, is good all around for what it has at its disposal. Narration is strong if not mildly booming at times, broadcast calls are smooth and accurate, and on-field mic'd players can but a little edgy but otherwise pleasant and even in terms of volume and clarity. Various crashes and crunches on the field play with good, tangible weight, but pre-game jet flyovers are a bit rattly and rough. Crowd ambience and whistles are strongly defined but ever-so-slightly sharp. Overlaid Rock music plays with solid energy and definition with a strong, natural spacing along the front.

3 Games to Glory IV Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

3 Games to Glory IV contains bonus features across all three discs.

Disc One:

• Wired for Sound: Julian Edelman (1080i, 11:31): The Patriots' wide receiver is mic'd up for the game vs. Baltimore and the piece features a number of quips and comments and sounds of the game from on the field and along the sidelines.
• Behind the Scenes (1080i, 3:22): A look at the Pats' preparations in the days leading up to the game, including meetings, scouting, player fitness routines, practice sessions, and even a trip to the movies to see American Sniper.
• Belichick Breakdown -- AFC Divisional Playoff (1080i, 8:09): With Scott Zolak, the Patriots' coach analyzes some game film from the Ravens playoff game.
• Postgame Press Conferences (1080i, 11:07): Coach Belichick, Devin McCourty, and Tom Brady address the media after the Ravens game.
• Postgame Interviews (1080i, 4:12): Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Danny Amendola, and Bob Ninkovich discuss the game.
• Belichick Breakdowns -- Weeks 1-8 (1080i, 31:26): With Scott Zolak, the Patriots' coach analyzes some game film from the regular season.

Disc Two:

• Wired for Sound: Edelman & Hightower (1080i, 11:52): Wideout Julian Edelman is once again mic'd up, this time with some commentary competition from Patriots Linebacker Dont'a Hightower.
• Behind the Scenes (1080i, 5:10): A brief look inside scouting the Colts and the remaining NFC teams, meetings, practice, and even Super Bowl tickets delivery.
• Belichick Breakdown -- AFC Championship (1080i, 5:57): With Scott Zolak, the Patriots' coach analyzes some game film from the Colts playoff game.
• Postgame Press Conferences (1080i, 12:04): Speakers include Coach Belichick, Vince Wilfork, and Tom Brady.
• Postgame Interviews (1080i, 3:18): Interviewees include Darrelle Revis, Nate Solder, and LeGarrette Blount.
• Belichick Breakdowns -- Weeks 9-16 (1080i, 43:19): With Scott Zolak, the Patriots' coach analyzes some game film from the regular season.

Disc Three:

• Original TV Broadcast -- 4th Quarter of SB XLIX (1080i, 38:53): The fourth quarter of the game as it was seen from the NBC broadcast.
• Wired for Sound: Brady, Edelman & Jones (1080i, 18:10): the perpetually-mic'd Edelman is joined by Quarterback Tom Brady and Defensive End Chandler Jones for some on-field and sideline all-access sounds.
• Behind the Scenes (1080i, 9:13): An inside look at practices in Foxboro, Boston's pre-game rally, plane travel, a meeting with former Patriot Willie McGinest, media day, practice sessions in Arizona, a team photo session, and more.
• Belichick Breakdown -- Super Bowl (1080i, 9:15): With Scott Zolak, the Patriots' coach analyzes some game film from the Super Bowl.
• Postgame Press Conferences (1080i, 24:04): Speakers include Coach Belichick, Tom Brady, Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, Josh McDaniels, and Rob Ninkovich.
• Postgame Interviews (1080i, 5:33): Interviewees, discussing Malcolm Butler's interception, include Chandler Jones, Brandon Bolden, Malcolm Butler, Dont'a Hightower, Matthew Slater, Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, Nate Solder, Julian Edelman, and Julian's father Frank.
• Super Bowl Reunion Party (1080i, 4:54): Patriots Owner Robert Kraft hosts mostly retired players (and Tom Brady) for an intimate get- together. From November 1, 2014.
• Preparing for a Championship (1080i, 5:49): The Patriots coaches prepare for a December game against the Chargers in San Diego. The piece then follows the team to Arizona for the Super Bowl and explains how the San Diego trip helped the team prepare for the out-of-routine experience.
• The Championship Parade (1080i, 4:15): A short look at the Boston parade following the Super Bowl win.
• The Super Bowl Postgame Party (1080i, 2:58): A brief look inside Kraft's party following the game.

3 Games to Glory IV Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

3 Games to Glory IV is a terrific set, and even Patriot haters will find it technically impressive and a welcome look deeper inside the game than any release has offered before. Fans might rightly want the basic TV broadcasts dropped onto a Blu-ray for good measure and a "complete collection" of all things 2014 Patriots, but this is a rock-solid substitute, if not in many ways better, as it combines the flair and flow of NFL Films with detailed game recaps and access. Even if it could have been more -- if it could have offered a broad season-long overview and included the TV broadcasts in addition to the content that's here -- this is as close to a Patriot fan's dream release as there's ever been. It's also a release general NFL fans can get behind, if only for the great production values and strong bonuses. NFL Productions' Blu-ray release of 3 Games to Glory IV offers dazzling video, solid audio, and a strong array of bonus content across all three discs. Highly recommended to general football fans and a must-own for Patriots Nation.