Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

NFL Super Bowl LII Champions Blu-ray Movie Review

It's not always Sunny, but it is, this year, Super.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 12, 2018

If a team was going to dethrone the vaunted New England Patriots, it appeared that team might be the Philadelphia Eagles. The club was flying high, to use an overused pun, with presumptive MVP favorite Carson Wentz behind center. But on December 10, just weeks before the start of the playoffs, with the Eagles sitting at the top of the NFC and on the verge of clinching the NFC East, Wentz suffered a significant, season-ending ACL injury that seemed to all but eliminate the Eagles chances to get to the Super Bowl, even in a relatively weak NFC, never mind win it. But the veteran backup Nick Foles would defy the odds, silence the naysayers, and lead the team -- in impressive fashion -- through the playoffs and to the Super Bowl in a game that wasn't quite the classic that was last year's big game but that was certainly "super" in its own right, coming down to a few key late plays to seal the victory for Philadelphia and, oh, see Foles take home the Super Bowl MVP trophy.

These Eagles are Dogs.

The Eagles flew through the regular season, surpassing most every expectation and charging out of the gate, reeling off nine straight wins following a week two loss to the Chiefs. Many of the team's wins came in dominant fashion. A 24-10 loss to the Seahawks in week 13 was the only real interruption to the team's run of success, a week 17 loss to the Cowboys by a score of 6-0 with mostly backups starting the game notwithstanding. The 13-3 record was enough to earn the club a first-round bye and the top overall seed in the NFC. Their first opponent was the defending NFC champion Falcons, led by Matt Ryan in a game, even at home for Philadelphia, that many had in the Falcons' favor. The game was close; Atlanta would lead by scores of 3-0 and 10-6 right before the half, but a trio of Jake Elliott field goals and a stubborn Philadelphia defense would lock down the 15-10 victory. The NFC championship game, also in Philadelphia, pitted the Eagles against the upstart Vikings, a team coming off an emotional last-second victory in the divisional round against the Saints. But the game was not competitive. Though the Vikings would kick off the scoring to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, the Eagles would shut them out the rest of the way en route to putting 38 on the board and punching a ticket to the Super Bowl.

Awaiting the Eagles was the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Even as the Pats were forced to play comeback to win the previous year's game and with the club coming off a 13-3 season and a very difficult AFC championship game against the red-hot Jaguars, they were, again, the favorites over the Wentz-less Eagles. Matching field goals evened the score at 3-3 through the game's opening minutes, and a late touchdown would give the Eagles a 9-3 advantage heading into the second. A LeGarrette Blount touchdown run would pad the lead to 15-3, but a New England field goal and James White running touchdown would draw New England to within three. The Eagles would respond with a short yardage Nick Foles TD pass in the half's waning seconds to put the Eagles up 22-12 at halftime, a lead that would again shrink to three when Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski to cut the deficit to 22-19. The topsy-turvy affair would continue with the Eagles scoring another touchdown to extend the lead back to 10 and the Pats again cutting it down to three heading into the fourth quarter. New England would take the lead, 33-32, partway through the third following an Eagles field goal, but a touchdown and a field goal would return the lead to the Eagles and, along with a key defensive stop, secure the victory for the underdog team from Philadelphia.

Longtime NFL films fans know what to expect with this release. Structurally, it's all but identical to previous outings; neither the format nor the presentation style have changed all that much from year to year. Faces and uniforms and venues and scoring plays, yes, but NFL Films has rightly been consistent with the core technical output of these releases, which is always superb. Eagles fans will find it an exhilarating, dramatically intense journey through the team's regular season and playoff run, as well a few minutes worth of exploration as it pertains to building the team that would win the Super Bowl. As usual, the film spends the vast majority of its time on the Super Bowl, offering only brief highlight reel recaps of the regular season games before allowing for greater insight into the two NFC playoff games before digging deep into the nuanced ebbs and flows of the Super Bowl game. Terrific access, great photography, and steady narration all contribute to football utopia on a 5-inch disc.

NFL Super Bowl LII Champions Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NFL Super Bowl 52 Champions presents on Blu-ray with a 1080i, 1.78:1-framed presentation. The image is of typical NFL Films excellence. Colors are bold and rich, very natural and accurate to the various team colors, including Eagle green, of course. Detail extends well into the stands on overview shots, but up-close imagery on the field offers exceptional clarity and attention to detail on player skin, uniforms, and turf. Black levels are stable and flesh tones appear accurate. The image is beautifully filmic, with only short-burst excursions that reveal a more video-y flat and glossy veneer. This is a highly enjoyable image, particularly considering the various slow-motion shots that are works of art.

NFL Super Bowl LII Champions Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

NFL Super Bowl 52 Champions features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Narration is a steady highlight, presenting with natural baritone depth and fantastic clarity. Radio and TV broadcast clips are nicely clear, too, as are on-field and sideline banter and locker room chatter. Music plays with impressive stage width and clarity. Surrounds are not engaged to any significant extent, but the front-end separation and attention to detail through the varied instrumentals that support the program is very impressive. The track is littered with examples of various action effects, like hits on the field, while crowd cheer is nicely filling and a little more apt to drift into the backs than the support music. This is a very pleasing, well-rounded soundtrack.

NFL Super Bowl LII Champions Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NFL Super Bowl 52 Champions contains a voluminous supplemental section, comprised primarily of fluff, and much of which has nothing to do with the Eagles. A DVD copy of the program is included with purchase.

• Super Bowl Opening Night (1080i, 12:00): NFL Network talent interviews several Eagles players and coaches.
• Post-Game Ceremonies (1080i, 8:12): The on-field Lombardi Trophy presentation and interviews with several Eagles players and coaches.
• How the Eagles Got There (1080i, 5:01): A rapid-fire highlight reel through the Eagles' season, featuring a key play form each game.
• Nick Foles -- The Perfect Back-Up (1080i, 2:06): This piece briefly examines back-up QBs in the Super Bowl and why it was no surprise that Foles led his team to victory.
• Chris Long -- Turning the Tables (1080i, 2:55): The former Patriot and current Eagle discusses his career.
• Jeffrey Lurie -- Philly Pride (1080i, 2:41): A short sit-down with the Eagles' owner.
• Fletcher Cox -- Bringing the Heat (1080i, 2:50): The Eagles' defensive tackle discusses his team and the season.
• Malcolm Jenkins -- Let's Listen Together (1080i, 3:57): The Eagles player discusses social issues.
• 2017 NFL Shots of the Year (1080i, 4:40): A compilation of the most aesthetically pleasing footage from the season.
• 2017 NFL Best Celebrations (1080i, 1:00): A short montage looking at some fun on-field celebrations.
• 2017 NFL Sounds of the Year: A Day in the Life (1080i, 4:01): Audio highlights from the season that was.
• 2017 NFL Sounds of the Year: Sounds from the Sideline (1080i, 3:03): Clips featuring players and coaches off the field.
• 2017 NFL Sounds of the Year: Follies (1080i, 3:03): A gag reel, essentially, featuring players and fans.
• 2017 NFL Sounds of the Year: Winter is Coming (1080i, 1:30): Players verbally respond to, and play in, cold and snowy weather.
• 2017 NFL Sounds of the Year: The Defenders (1080i, 2:02): Defensive players are mic'd up.
• 2017 NFL Sounds of the Year: Buffalo Dreams (1080i, 1:28): The Bills watch as the Bengals beat the Ravens, allowing them to go to the playoffs.
• 2017 NFL Sounds of the Year: Playoffs (1080i, 3:55): Audio highlights from the 2017 playoffs.

NFL Super Bowl LII Champions Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The NFL needed a good game and a great story to, maybe, help the fledgeling league recover some of its faded glamour. With downward trending ratings and attendance due in large part to political posturing and a resultant general malaise settling in around the sport, a feel-good story might have been the best thing that could happen to the league rather than another New England victory. Nick Foles and the Eagles, just maybe, accomplished enough to help press a reset button and bring back lost fans for next season. It'll also certainly be interesting to see what the Eagles do in the offseason with the quarterback situation as it is, but the team appears poised to make another significant run next season, regardless of who is under center. NFL Super Bowl 52 Champions is another excellent NFL Films production. It boasts high quality video (even at 1080i), superb multichannel lossless audio, and a large collection of largely fluff extras. Obviously, it's a must-own for Eagles fans and comes recommended to football fanatics regardless of team allegiance.