Super Bowl LVI Champions Los Angeles Rams Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Super Bowl LVI Champions Los Angeles Rams Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 18, 2023

The Rams franchise may not yet be ascended to the great NFL franchises, but the past few decades have seen some unforgettable moments, including two Super Bowl wins: one in the Kurt Warner era (which also included a second Super Bowl appearance) and now again in the Matthew Stafford era. The team also moved back to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, packing up from St. Louis and returning to the coast and the city where the franchise played its home games for several decades, from 1946-1994. Though years pass, names change, and cities alternate, the logo on the helmet remains the same, and in this new era of Rams football, winning is becoming commonplace. Under head coach Sean McVay, the Rams have accumulated winning records in every season since 2017, including three division titles and the Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl LVI.

On March 18, 2021, the Rams acquired via trade quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions, a move which would propel the Rams to the Super Bowl victory only months later (meanwhile, the hapless Lions would lick more wounds and finish the season 3-13-1). The Rams would lose all three of its preseason games but...they're preseason games. As if righting a wrong, the Rams jumped out of the gate to a 3-0 record. A week four home loss to the Cardinals erased the perfect slate, but the Rams would bounce back to win another four straight to secure a 7-1 record. Three losses in a row would follow, but the Rams would win five straight before dropping the final game of the season to the 49ers. It was a season of streaks, but the winning streaks vastly outweighed the losing streaks, and the team's 12-5 record was good enough for a division title in the NFC West.

The Rams playoff run would begin with a matchup against division rival Arizona. The two clubs split two regular season meetings, but the home Rams would thoroughly dismantle the Cardinals, putting up 34 points in a 34-11 rout. The team would travel across the country for a matchup against last year's Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers and legendary quarterback Tom Brady. The Rams would jump out to an unexpectedly large 20-3 lead at halftime, but Brady and his resilient Bucs would make a game of it in the second half, scoring 10 points the third quarter and 14 in the fourth, but the Rams offense would score 10 more in the second half to secure a tight upset win, 30-27, to play in the NFC championship game. The Rams would face another division rival, the 49ers, in the title game. The Rams had lost both regular season games against its in-state rival, one a convincing 31-10 loss on the road in week 10, and the season finale at home in an overtime nailbiter. The game was scoreless in the first quarter, but the teams exchanged a few scoring drives to enter the half with the Niners up 10-7. San Francisco would score another touchdown in the third while its defense shut out the Rams in that quarter to go up 17-7 headed into the fourth with a Super Bowl trip in sight. The Rams, however, would shut out the Niners offense in the quarter and its offense would score 13 unanswered to win the game 20-17 and secure a spot in the Super Bowl against the upstart Bengals.

Super Bowl LVI would be a tight, back-and-forth affair between two teams that have been strangers to the big stage for the past few decades. It was a refreshing matchup, and the game did not disappoint. The Rams would jump out to a 7-3 lead after the first quarter. In the second, the teams exchanged scores, with the Rams adding two field goals and the Bengals a touchdown. The score at the half: Los Angeles 13, Cincinatti 10. The Bengals would score 10 in the third and hold the Rams to three to take a 20-16 lead into the fourth quarter. The Rams were no strangers to final quarter comebacks, having jut secured the come-from-behind win against the 49ers, and the Rams once again clamped down on defense, shutting out the Bengal offense and scoring a single touchdown to secure the 23-20 win and the Lombardi trophy.

Super Bowl LVI Champions Los Angeles Rams Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Another year, another very similar 1080i/1.78:1-framed football presentation from Cinedigm. Last year's release shares much in common with this year's. There's a good general quality and sense of character to the presentation, offering resoundingly crisp and efficient details. The scenes when higher quality cameras are in use are plainly evident, as opposed to some of the less dynamic video shots which also tend to show more compression but are often limited to support and establishing shots. The picture is very handsome, much of the time, with stable detail that extends from faces and clothes all the way to turf and terrain. Colors are nicely bold, especially Rams blue and the green fields, which never want for more significant color depth and pop.

Super Bowl LVI Champions Los Angeles Rams Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack offers a good quality listen. Crowd dynamics are actually fairly well detailed, not sounding like a garble of static as they tend to do on lesser programs (especially straight game reproductions). Here, core dynamics are satisfying, whether crunches on the field or dialogue, both from the sidelines and at the podium during pre- and post-game interviews. The track is appropriately large and immersive. The surrounds carry a good bit of balanced content. Narration is deep and satisfying as it flows from its natural front-center home. It is also well prioritized when presented in conjunction with music, which offers excellent clarity, width, and volume.

Super Bowl LVI Champions Los Angeles Rams Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Super Bowl LVI Champions Los Angeles Rams' supplements are broken into two categories: The Season and The Team. Below is a breakdown of what's included. A DVD copy of the program is included with purchase. No digital copy has been bundled. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

The Season

• Super Bowl LVI Opening Night (1080i, 12:52): On the night of the game, NFL Network previews the contest which also includes video calls featuring both Stafford and Burrows as well as other players and talking heads.
• Post-Game Ceremonies (1080i, 4:24): The Rams receive the Lombardi Trophy after winning the game.
• 2021 NFL Shots of the Year (1080i, 4:48): A league-wide video highlight compilation.
• 2021 NFL Sounds of the Year - Speed of Sound (1080i, 4:29): Game action sound effects from the field, with players mic'd up.
• 2021 NFL Sounds of the Year - Passers and Catchers (1080i, 6:57): On the field and on the sidelines chatter and great pass and catch highlights.
• 2021 NFL Sounds of the Year - Zebra Talk (1080i, 1:50): Hear a little from the men in zebra stripes, but mostly hear the players and coaches speaking to and yelling at them.
• 2021 NFL Sounds of the Year - Follies (1080i, 3:50): Some lighter chatter from the sidelines and the field and some of the funnier catches and plays from the season that was.
• 2021 NFL Sounds of the Year - Coach Speak (1080i, 3:24): Raw dialogue from head coaches around the league.
• 2021 NFL Sounds of the Year - Celebrations (1080i, 2:56): Players engage in some advanced celebratory moves.

The Team

• Jalen Ramsey and Silas (1080i, 5:26): The Rams' star connects with a young man with cancer.
• Cooper Kupp and Torry Holt (1080i, 3:38): The Rams' receivers, now and then, talk football.
• My Cause Cleats: Rams Style (1080i, 2:55): A couple of Rams players talk up their work with the Special Olympics.
• Matthew Stafford's Journey (1080i, 3:08): A back look at the QB's career. He speaks with Rams QB legend Kurt Warner.
• Sean McVay's SB Return (1080i, 3:33): Interviewing the Rams head coach.
• Von Miller: Sackmaster (1080i, 3:36): The linebacker talks up his career and latest trip to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LVI Champions Los Angeles Rams Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The 2022 season was not so kind to the Rams as was 2021; the team's 12-5 record in 2021 translated to a 5-12 record in 2022 and, obviously, a total miss of the playoffs, but the team's fortunes have certainly been on the upswing since returning to the City of Angels. Now, fans can relive this dream season over and over again through this Blu-ray, which is, supplementally, all but identical to other recent Super Bowl releases. The same can be said of its A/V performance, which is solid. Recommended.