WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 Blu-ray Movie Review

Don't eliminate this Blu-ray from your wish list.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 24, 2013

There's nothing in that chamber that doesn't hurt.

It's one of the big Pay-Per-View events on the WWE schedule, certainly not of the same caliber, showmanship, high profile, and historical importance of WrestleMania and probably not quite as prestigious as Royal Rumble, but Elimination Chamber does offer all of the usual high energy WWE excitement that's only really ever generated on Sunday nights in front of packed houses and behind the dreaded pay wall. For those who shelled out the cash to watch 2013's Elimination Chamber event live, here it is, again, at a fraction of the cost and with some added material to help in absorbing the cost for repeat consumption. And for those who missed it the first time, well, the results are already well known but that doesn't lessen the excitement one bit. 2013's Elimination Chamber is a huge success, a fantastic foray deep into the sweaty, gritty, hard-hitting world of WWE. There are stars aplenty, a whole lot on the line -- including WrestleMania XXIX positioning -- and enough adrenaline to satisfy even the most demanding wrestling fan.

Randy Orton finds himself in an unenviable position.

2013's edition of Elimination Chamber in many ways follows the same basic Pay-Per-View formula, showcasing the title match and a main event, supported by a few bouts for the lesser of the titles and the obligatory match that puts the Diva's championship belt on the line. It sees the peak of a few story lines in development in the lead-up to the night -- the Alberto del Rio and Big Show feud, the alliance of Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback versus Shield, for instance -- and sets the stage for some of the bigger matches and moments to come in the weeks prior to WrestleMania. In essence, it's a flashy prelude to WrestleMania, but then again so is most everything else in the WWE universe. This Elimination Chamber brings it all together nicely. Each match is well executed and highly entertaining, though certainly some of the lower-profile contests -- the Miz-Cesaro clash, for instance -- ultimately feel lost in the shuffle behind the mayhem of the Chamber match and the high profile of the main event that pits The Rock against CM Punk, the latter destined to go down as one of the all-time professional wrestling classic pairings.

Oddly enough, the Elimination Chamber match itself feels a little lost under the bright spotlight that shines on the Punk-Rock matchup. Not only does it lack the star power -- then again the vast majority of wrestling matches in history can't compete with CM Punk and The Rock -- but it's not even for the belt, rather just a shot at the belt at WrestleMania XXIX. That doesn't mean the match isn't intense -- there's plenty of action -- but it seems a bit strange, though not unprecedented or even uncommon, for the match that bears the event's namesake to play second fiddle. It's still an incredible presentation featuring six great wrestlers, a Mark Henry temper tantrum, and a showdown between the two members of Team Hell No, Daniel Bryan and Kane. Punk-Rock does dominate the event in what is not just a classic on-paper matchup or a showdown between names but a fantastic display of performance art, agility, stamina, and pure wrestling skill that demonstrates these superstars' abilities and shows why they remain at the top of the wrestling charts. The remainder of the event is fine; the matches are exciting but not destined to become classics. The technical presentation is typically exciting and visually arresting, with plenty of lights, pyrotechnics, and a good chunk of the event's runtime absorbed by wrestler introductions and their often slow movement down towards the ring. It's a fairly typical high profile wrestling experience, but it's exactly what fans want and just the sort of thing that has made the WWE brand such a monumental success.

The following matches are included as part of 2013's Elimination Chamber event:

• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Alberto del Rio vs. Big Show.
• United States Championship Match: Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz.
• Elimination Chamber Match to Determine #1 Contender for World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton vs. Jack Swagger vs. Chris Jericho vs. Mark Henry vs. Kane vs. Daniel Bryan.
• Pay-Per-View Match: John Cena, Ryback & Sheamus vs. The Shield.
• Pay-Per-View Match: Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler.
• Divas Championship Match: Kaitlyn vs. Tamina Snuka.
• WWE Championship Match: The Rock vs. CM Punk.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Elimination Chamber 2013 features, yes, the usual WWE quality video transfer. The 1.78:1 image offers a crisp, clean, well-defined HD video sheen. Details are impressive; the stability of the image and the upped resolution shows fine details and clarity all the way back into the deepest rows of seating in the arena. Closer in, viewers will make out every little skin nuance, tattoo detail, and even the textures of the ropes around the ring. Electronic and handmade signage both are well defined and legible. Colors are vibrant and even; the multicolored wrestling outfits -- from dark camouflage to brilliant red -- are handled very well. That electronic signage also yields colors that nicely pop off of the screen. The transfer reveals the same problems normally found on recent HD WWE releases, notably a bit of blockiness across darker backgrounds and some jagged lines and light shimmering on graphics. Otherwise, this one is quite pleasant, and even the blocking, for the most part, really isn't that noticeable at casual viewing distances. Fans should be pleased with this presentation.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the video presentation, there's nothing fans haven't experienced before in the audio department. Elimination Chamber 2013 features the tried-and-true Dolby Digital 5.1 WWE soundtrack. The presentation is defined by several elements. First is the ringside commentary (also available in Spanish via the secondary audio track) that plays cleanly and smoothly from the middle. Next is wrestler introduction music, which is probably the most prominent element in the track. It plays nicely, with strong stage presence and a natural flow through all of the channels that accurately replicates, but doesn't quite match, the blaring sensation of being in the arena. Still, there's fine power to the deepest notes and good accuracy in the higher end. Various sounds of wrestling action -- thuds, screams -- come through nicely but don't overwhelm the play-by-play and color commentary. Various supportive wrestler introductory elements, like explosions, are also delivered with suitable accuracy and presence. It's not a remarkable track, but it's well balanced and a fine overall presentation of a recorded live event.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Elimination Chamber 2013 contains extras under both the "Special Features" and "Blu-ray Exclusives" tabs.

Special Features:

• Home Video Exclusive (HD, 1:46): Matt Striker Interviews Jack Swagger & Zeb Colter. Elimination Chamber -- February 17, 2013.
• Pre-Show Match (HD, 8:54): Brodus Clay & Tensai vs. Team Rhodes Scholars. Elimination Chamber -- February 17, 2013.

Blu-ray Exclusives:

• RAW Moment (HD, 13:27): Paul Heyman Quits WWE. RAW -- February 11, 2013.
• RAW Match (HD, 9:16): John Cena, Sheamus & Ryback vs. 3MB. RAW -- February 11, 2013.
• RAW Moment (HD, 8:13): The Shield Lashes Out. RAW -- February 11, 2013.
• RAW Match (HD, 7:21): Alberto del Rio vs. Damien Sandow. RAW -- February 11, 2013.
• RAW Moment (HD, 14:31): The Rock Speaks His Mind. RAW -- February 11, 2013.
• SmackDown Moment (HD, 8:48): CM Punk Confronts The Rock Via Satellite. SmackDown -- February 15, 2013.
• SmackDown Match (HD, 9:26): Chris Jericho vs. Big Show. SmackDown -- February 15, 2013.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

No surprises here. Elimination Chamber 2013 is a straightforward WWE Pay-Per-View release, structured just like most of the previous new releases. Aside from some limited extra content that consists of a post-match interview, a pre-event match, and some RAW and SmackDown clips from the week before (again, WWE fails to include the following week's fallout, which is just as desirable), the body of this release is the PPV and nothing but. It offers some great matches, including an exciting Elimination Chamber event and a classic title-on-the-line main event. Superstars abound, the entertainment rarely halts, and the production is typical WWE great. The Blu-ray features the usual quality video and audio presentations, making this a release hard to pass. Recommended to hardcore WWE fans.