7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Sport | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The roughest, toughest, knock-down, drag-out brawls in history.
Isn't this the definition of "professional wrestling?" Sure a couple of hulking, sweaty guys duking it out inside the ring is fun, but don't fans
really want to see blood and guts? Don't they want skill tossed out the window in favor of an ability to both distribute and absorb real punishment?
Isn't bashing opponents with trash cans, taking the fight backstage into the locker room, crashing through tables, and generally causing mayhem more
entertaining than merely two or more wrestlers maneuvering about the ring, where most of the action comes from springing off the ropes or diving
from the turnbuckle? Matches of this variety -- no rules and definitely just right -- don't happen with the sort of frequency they should, but at least
that makes them an event, not merely just another match. WWE's Falls Count Anywhere Matches takes a look back at about thirty
years worth of hardcore, anything goes brawls, the best the world of professional wrestling has to offer, from Sergeant Slaughter and Pat Patterson to
Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. It's hardcore history, hardcore entertainment, hardcore Blu-ray.
Breaking hearts, busting bones: hardcore style.
Seen one, seen 'em all. Falls Count Anywhere is the WWE's latest old-new, SD-HD compilation release, and the story remains the same: the SD footage looks like SD footage and the HD footage looks fine, generally, with the newest material topping the slightly older material for raw stability. The SD material -- of which the bulk of the presentation is constructed, including all of disc one -- is framed in its original 1.33:1 window, and the WWE has placed concrete-styled vertical bars to fill the sides of 1.78:1 high definition displays. The oldest footage fares quite poorly while the newer SD footage looks better; the opening Patterson-Slaughter matchup suffers greatly from a myriad of problems, including extremely poor definition, lousy colors, false colors, jagged edges, and a sense that the image could crumble at any moment. Newer SD footage from the mid-to-late 1990s and into the 2000s fares significantly better, featuring more stable details, greatly enhanced clarity, and superior colors, but still the same sort of issues that plague the older footage and SD in general. The same sort of transition holds true for the 1.78:1 HD footage, which comprises the final few fights of the release, all found on disc two. Clarity is dramatically enhanced from the SD footage and from the oldest HD video to the newest. Detail is stable and sharp and colors vibrant and accurate. The image does suffer through some blockiness across some darker backgrounds, but at-a-glance, and also in general, the HD footage impresses. Audiences familiar with any of the recent WWE compilation SD/HD Blu-ray releases -- Best of King of the Ring, Ladder Match -- know exactly what to expect here. The HD material is fine, and the SD material looks as good as it's ever going to look.
Falls Count Anywhere features the WWE-stadnard Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. And as is generally the case, the quality varies with the original year of production. The earlier matches offer up but a puny, nearly inefficient listen that plays ringside commentary with sufficient clarity and intelligibility but musters up little more. More current matches, going back before the switch to HD video, offer a fuller, more impressive listen, with crisper commentary; more balanced and even nuanced sound effects in and around the ring; and a good jolt of energy when wrestlers crash into the mat, are met with a trashcan to the face, or fall through tables. The newest HD footage comes with a somewhat improved listen; ambient crowd noise factors into the equation and plays with some more evident clarity, spacing, and natural immersion into the arenas. Play-by-play and color commentary comes through more crisply and better defined, and those hard-hitting WWE sound effects impress, right down to every slap and crash. Of course, Foley's commentary from the studio between matches fares the best, with pinpoint clarity and unmatched smoothness. Fans familiar with these WWE releases know exactly what to expect; nothing's really changed, and the end result is, as always, an adequate sound presentation.
Falls Count Anywhere contains four Blu-ray exclusive matches, all available on disc two.
Falls Count Anywhere may not be the pinnacle of WWE compilation releases -- there's little feel that audiences are receiving anything close to a thorough history -- but the matches are spectacular and many, and Mick Foley makes for a natural, lovable host. Here is hours upon hours of wrestling excellence, featuring most of the biggest names of the past thirty years, duking it out inside the ring and, inevitably, outside of it. Blood, busted environments, and some spectacular feats of human agility and endurance are on display. Though lacking in narrative, Falls Count Anywhere excels as a compilation; WWE really couldn't have found a more complete collection of hardcore matches that fit in the "falls count anywhere" category. As for the Blu-ray release, Falls Count Anywhere is typical WWE. The video presentation is as good as it's going to get, the 5.1 lossy audio suffices, and a few bonus matches exclusive to Blu-ray are included on disc two. What's not to love? This is a must-own for wrestling enthusiasts and casual fans who want to relive some of the best of the hardcore wrestling universe. Highly recommended.
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