NFL Super Bowl LI Champions: New England Patriots Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions: New England Patriots Blu-ray Movie Review

One For The Middle Finger.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 9, 2017

It probably pains anyone outside of the New England fan base to admit this, but Tom Brady really is the G.O.A.T.: the Greatest of all Time. A five-time Super Bowl champion, a four-time Super Bowl MVP winner, twice the NFL MVP, and a 12-time Pro Bowler: his credentials are impeccable. More Super Bowl wins than any other quarterback, the face of a franchise, married to a supermodel, even a cameo in a hit movie. The man has done it all, cemented his legacy, and what makes it even more interesting is that he so often seems to do it with a ragtag group of players around him. No Michael Irvin and Emmit Smith, no Franco Harris and Lynn Swann, no Jerry Rice. Thinking of the weapons all of the great quarterbacks have had around them, Brady's supporting cast seems more like an annual group of castoffs and merely "good" players than superstars. But he, and coach Bill Belichick, always find a way to bring out the best in the ten men who surround Brady on offense, as well as, of course, on defense and special teams. The Patriots have become a model franchise...or have they? Besieged by controversy, they just keep winning, and this win must have felt especially sweet for "Tom Terrific."

Brady's previous few seasons have been besieged by a controversy that's put the quarterback's validity as the G.O.A.T. into question. First there was "spy gate," more on his head coach than himself, but it was "Deflategate" that really set the (deflated) ball in motion and brought Brady's credentials into question. There's more nuance and detail to the story than can be packed into this review, but the controversy began back in a January 2015 playoff game against the Colts. Brady, after his team's victory, was accused by the opposition of playing with balls (and, oh, yes, there were naughty puns aplenty when this story was blazing-hot) not properly inflated to the league-mandated PSI. The controversy swirled, the Patriots went on to win Super Bowl XLIX, but it continued to dog Brady. Court hearings loomed, a four-game suspension was handed down, a U.S. District Judge overturned the four-game suspension, and it was later announced that prior to the 2016 season the suspension would be reinstated. Here is a good timeline of the entire saga, leading right up to the beginning of this 2016 season, where this release picks up.

Brady's saga is fairly well known, and the film, unsurprisingly, only touches on it, more to set the scene for the Patriots' backups working in the first four games than to explore the issue in any detail. The film flows with it, treating the first four games essentially like the other dozen, exploring Jimmy Garoppolo's work, injury, and the team's success in Brady's absence. It cruises through the rest of the regular season, offering highlights for each game, complete with that NFL Studios sight-and-sound brilliance that makes every snap feel like it's for the Super Bowl. More time is spent with the playoff games against the Texans and Steelers and it devotes more than 20 minutes to the Super Bowl itself, though it's still, basically, an extended highlight reel with more in the way of sideline banter thrown in, and more focus on more individual plays.

The set offers no complete games, no complete ceremonies: it's a season overview video, done extraordinarily (if not typically) well. Fans familiar with the studio's past Blu-ray releases, or NFL Films' work, should know what to expect. For newcomers, it's football up close and personal; every game is like a movie trailer (with spoilers). It's intense, engrossing, and very well done. Even if the team featured isn't one's favorite, it's hard not to get lost in the football majesty these releases have on offer. But it is a little skimpy in how it handles Brady's suspension and what is universally agreed as being his "middle finger" to the league. His is a fascinating story of success, scandal, and redemption. Brady certainly has his fair share of detractors, partly for the controversy, partly because of his personal success (even as a low draft pick and considered "the greatest draft-day steal in NFL history"), partly because of his team's success. A Brady documentary would be an interesting one. This isn't it: it's football only, and it does a great job in that light. There just feels like there are a few more little blanks than usual.

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions: New England Patriots Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions is released by NFL films with a 1080i transfer framed at 1.78:1. The image is fantastic, even with the 1080i encode. NFL Films has recently moved from film to digital, but it's hard to notice: much of the material can be mistaken for film, whether that's the brain linking the content with NFL Films production of the past or if digital really is getting that close to film quality. Either way, it looks terrific, particularly in slow motion, where every bead of sweat or bit of mashed-up turf all look breathtakingly clear and well-defined. The metallic paint on the Patriots' helmets stands out beautifully, all the little textures practically countable in various close-ups. Jerseys are intricately defined, too, down to the finest stitching on the various numbers and patches. Facial textures are terrific seen through helmets or on the sidelines, showcasing finely defined pores, streaks of sun block under the eyes, and other interesting little bits. Colors are vibrant. The Patriots' red face guards, for example, are very well saturated. Green turf, signs around stadiums, and of course the diversity of colors on display -- whether Dolphin teal, Steelers black and gold, or Falcon red -- all look fantastic. The image shows some light encode artifacts at times, and one of stadium shots early in the film shows so much aliasing it looks like its waving. Still, it's a very good image overall.

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions: New England Patriots Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions' sonic needs are relatively simple, but the track delivers it all with plenty of gusto. Music is full and detailed, aggressive and thunderous, triumphant in the NFL Films style, turning a simple play into a movie moment. Music spreads widely across the front, filters into the back as a complimentary piece, and offers plenty of high quality low end support. Various stadium PA announcements and referee calls reverberate nicely about the stage. Crowd cheers are immersive when given high volume. Narration drives most of the film with some candid locker room or sideline chatter and banter or press interviews in support. All of it is clear, center positioned, and well prioritized.

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions: New England Patriots Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions contains ten short extras, though not all of them are Patriots-centric. A DVD copy of the program is included with purchase.

• Super Bowl Opening Night (1080i, 12:24): NFL Network interviews key members of the Patriots organization during the Super Bowl media frenzy.
• Post-Game Ceremonies (1080i, 10:00): Ten minutes of postgame footage, beginning with the overtime game-winning score and looking at the commotion on the field, interviews, and the trophy presentation.
• 2016 Best Shots (1080i, 6:58): A compilation of 2016 footage from around the league, set to music.
• 2016 Follies (1080i, 5:07): An NFL gag reel, essentially.
• 2016 Fantastic Finishes (1080i, 7:45): A look at a few of the season's great comebacks, excluding the Super Bowl.
• One Play (1080i, 4:38): A compilation of key plays from Super Bowls past.
• The Edelman Edge (1080i, 3:17): Andrea Kramer interviews the Pats' wide receiver.
• The Greats on Belichick (1080i, 5:14): Several sports celebrities from across the sporting universe talk up the Patriots' head coach.
• Nate Ebner -- Olympic Patriot (1080i, 4:19): A look at the life of a Patriot and olympic rugby player.
• Tom Brady -- The Forever Man (1080i, 2:44): A fluff piece looking at Brady's season, quest for revenge and immortality, and staying power in the league (his secret: avocado ice cream).

NFL Super Bowl LI Champions: New England Patriots Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Brady finds a way. Again. And in spectacular fashion. He engineered the most epic comeback in Super Bowl history, and this time, it was personal. Brady's season had all the makings of a Hollywood movie, but sometimes truth is more interesting (and for Brady, more gratifying) than fiction. NFL Super Bowl LI Champions is typical of the NFL's Super Bowl documentaries. It covers the season and postseason run with grandiose aplomb. It doesn't touch the scandal with any depth, but Patriots fans will find this to be a release to treasure. Video and audio are terrific and a few fluff extras are included. Chances are anyone outside the New England fan base won't find this one all that valuable, but Patriots fans will adore it. Recommended, to them.