6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
Goldberg was one of the most dominant and talented individuals ever witnessed in sports entertainment, exploding onto the scene by amassing an epic win streak of 173 matches. Throughout his WCW career he defeated legends such as Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Diamond Dallas Page. As he crossed over to the WWE, this powerhouse continued his dominance taking on such Superstars as The Rock, Triple H, and Brock Lesnar among others. This 3-disc compilation features some of the biggest matches in Goldberg's impressive career and showcases why his legacy will forever be cemented in sports entertainment.
Starring: Bill Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Paul Levesque, Dwayne Johnson, Scott HallSport | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Most everyone can agree that wrestling is fixed, right? As in this isn't "real" professional sports where the game is completely decided on the field of play, and if it's influenced by anything it's good or bad refereeing or umpiring and, very occasionally, Vegas and shady back room deals. Professional wrestlers enter the ring already knowing the outcome. Fans can see even the best of them pulling their punches and stomping on the mat to give off the sensation of more violence than is really taking place, but make no mistake that everything else is very much real. The big moves, the slams, the assaults off the ropes, the climb up the wobbly ladder, the fall through the table, the smack with the chair, it's all practiced and performed as safely as possible but, as the WWE Home Video disclaimer says, these guys "take real risks and endure unimaginable pain." Sometimes, there's a slip, and people get seriously injured. But much of that is only sort of beside the point. The point is that it is fixed, and unless something wonky happens, everybody's OK with it. Imagine, now, a wrestler so ready for primetime right out of the gate, someone with a larger-than-life presence against even legends of the square circle, that he "wins" his first match. It's certainly not unprecedented, but it happens. Now imagine that wrestler at 2-0, 5-0, 10-0, 100-0, 173-0? The fix may be in, but that's a lot of confidence in star power, fan acceptance and happiness with the outcome, and a huge burden, no doubt, even on very broad shoulders. Bill Goldberg emerged onto the professional wrestling scene an unknown and literally took it by storm, never being on the wrong end of a count-out, uttering "I quit," or otherwise finding himself on the losing side of the ledger for 173 matches. That's special. Really special, even if the record is only as legitimate as professional wrestling allows.
That's one scary dude.
Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection arrives on Blu-ray with all of its material sourced from standard definition 1.33:1 footage but framed with "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 display. The picture quality is basically the same as every other WWE standard definition presentation so far seen on Blu-ray. Image accuracy suffers from all of the usual SD problems but holds up well enough at the end of the day, offering a basically stable image that yields adequate details and colors. Still, the image lacks the precision vibrancy and slick detailing and smoothness of HD footage, but fans are seeing this material as good as it's ever likely to look, barring some future technology. For now, this is the best way to watch Goldberg's career unfold in terms of raw picture presentation.
Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection features the standard WWE Home Video Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Much like the video, there's not much here of note. It's all sourced from older footage, and there's not that accuracy, faultless spacing, and improved clarity found with newer presentations. Certainly, there's a slight gap in quality between the older footage and the newer material. The further back one goes, the less dynamic the sound. The more modern elements do enjoy a modest uptick in overall presentation, including improved crowd ambience, musical immersion, action dynamics, and ringside commentary. There's nothing here that will blow listeners away, but for a compilation of footage that stretches only to 2004, the results are satisfactory given the constraints.
Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection contains the following bonus matches, all billed as "Blu-ray Exclusives" and appearing on disc two:
Goldberg was a wrestler who brought nearly unparalleled focus, stamina, size, and strength to the square ring. The former football standout excelled as a professional wrestler and began his career with an incredible, never-to-be-replicated 173-0 record. The Undertaker must wear Goldberg pajamas. That's how incredible a streak this really was. It's a disservice that a wrestler of Goldberg's stature didn't earn a more thorough Blu-ray release, but Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection is at least a highly enjoyable compilation of some of the man's finest matches across his WCW and WWE career. This release could have been so much more, but as it is wrestling fans should find more than enough value, even if they're secretly lamenting the missed potential while enjoying one of the best of the past two decades at work. WWE Home Video's Blu-ray release of Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection features the usual WWE video and audio. A few bonus matches are included. Recommended despite the missed potential.
2012
2011
2010
2012
2012
Collector's Edition
2003
1994-2012
1995-1999
2013
2014
2012
2013
2012
2010
2011
2011
2012
2013
w/ Limited Edition 'Mr. Socko' sock puppet
2013
2013