Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

WWE: Royal Rumble 2012 Blu-ray Movie Review

It would be a Sheam if WWE fans didn't add this release to their collections.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 6, 2012

The most difficult, grueling, exhausting event in all of WWE.

The Royal Rumble may not be the showcase event in the annual WWE Pay-Per-View lineup (that is, of course, reserved for WrestleMania), but it sure may very well be the most fun. Here's an even that, before the last match, lines up with pretty much everything else in the WWE universe: various big-name wrestlers do battle in largely-hyped matches, made of intense and entertaining drama, wrestling at its peak efficiency, and a few surprises. All's well and as it should be in the land of professional wrestling, until the evening reaches the title event, a one-of-a-kind climactic extravaganza of skill, stamina, and the luck of the draw. The event pits thirty wrestlers one against the other, the match beginning with two in the ring and a new combatant entering the fray every ninety seconds until the entire roster has been depleted. The rules are simple: no pinfalls, no submissions, no way to lose unless both feet land outside the ring, and no way to win except to be the last man standing. A Royal Rumble win is viewed as a major milestone, a slingshot to propel a career to new heights, and it of course guarantees a spot in a title match at WrestleMania. High stakes, big action, and the world's finest wrestlers in an all-out frenzy. What could possibly be better?

Let's get ready.

The 2012 edition of Royal Rumble is one of the best shows the WWE's put on in some time. It's not all that flashy, which is nice, but the action is absolutely first-rate. The event opens with a true David-versus-Goliath-versus-Goliath match between two of the largest men ever to step into the WWE ring -- Mark Henry and Big Show -- and the comparatively tiny Daniel Bryan, whose history with both of those gentleman has been one of the better story lines of the past several months. Even better, it's a steel cage match, meaning the only way for one of the men to win is either escape or pinning an opponent. The John Cena-Kane clash is one of those classic WWE matches that ends up playing out backstage rather than in or around the ring proper, but it comes around full circle and ends with someone being carted off on a stretcher. Fun! The last match before the main event is basically a proxy war between CM Punk and RAW General Manager John Laurinaitis, with Dolph Ziggler standing in for the boss. The result of the match isn't a surprise, nor is the way it plays out, but Punk proves he's every bit as good as any wrestler working today with the quality of his physical delivery. Oh, there's a throwaway bubblegum Divas match and a largely worthless matchup between Drew McIntyre and the goofy Brodus Clay tossed in there somewhere. The main event is worth the price of admission alone. There are a handful of surprise entrants, including several old favorites and a few guys who usually speak, not wrestle, for a living. Kofi Kingston pulls off the best move in the history of the event, and the action is frantic and well-staged.

As expected, Royal Rumble 2012 enjoys high production values. It's basically a rehash of the pay-per-view event, but the attention to detail is evident on the Blu-ray disc. It's a no-frills sort of presentation, just a "push play" sort of thing that goes through the event from start to finish, with a few critical scenes from the previous week's RAW and Smackdown available as supplements, scenes which help better set the stage for the event and might be better watched before Royal Rumble rather than after as is usually the case with extra content. There are a few interludes, two of which primarily hype the John Cena-Rock WrestleMania matchup, offering extended looks at the wrestlers outside of the ring. There's a PSA about bullying and the importance of remaining true to oneself, and there's a fun little numerological segment before Royal Rumble, offering viewers a brief history of the event by digging through some of the more interesting milestones. For example, Santino holds the record for shortest stay in the ring and Rey Mysterio has survived the longest. Stone Cold Steve Austin won four of the things. The number one entry spot is a disadvantage, coming in at number thirty gives that wrestler the freshest legs, and more people have won coming in at number twenty-seven than any other spot.

The following matches comprise the 2012 Royal Rumble schedule:

• Triple Threat Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. Mark Henry vs. Big Show.
• 8-Diva Tag Team Match: Kelly Kelly, Eve, Alicia Fox & Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Brie & Nikki Bella.
• Royal Rumble Match: John Cena vs. Kane.
• Royal Rumble Match: Brodus Clay vs. Drew McIntyre.
• WWE Championship Match: CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler with Special Guest Referee John Laurinaitis.
• 30 Man Royal Rumble Match: Participants include (in order of ring entrance) The Miz, Alex Riley, R Truth, Cody Rhodes, Justin Gabriel, Primo, Mick Foley, Ricardo Rodriguez, Santino Marella, Epico, Kofi Kingston, Jerry Lawler, Ezekiel Jackson, Jinder Mahal, The Great Khali, Hunico, Booker T, Dolph Ziggler, Hacksaw Jim Dugan, Michael Cole, Kharma, Sheamus, Road Dogg, Jey Uso, Jack Swagger, Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Big Show.

WWE: Royal Rumble 2012 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Royal Rumble 2012 looks great. The image features very strong clarity and wonderfully crisp details, with only a few random shots appearing slightly soft and only along the edges of the frame. The texture of the ropes and the apron, facial details, and clothes -- including the fine lines and textures of Michael Cole's wrestling headgear -- are all strong. The fine clarity allows viewers to enjoy with much precision the faces in the first handful of rows in the crowd and electronic signage both large and small around the entrance and throughout the arena. Colors are vibrant, probably the finest element of this release. Kofi Kingston's neon-green shorts and leggings, The Great Khali's blinding red pants, Foley's red-and-black checkered shirt, and the orange Royal Rumble ring apron all appear natural and consistent. Blacks are strong, the darker upper levels of the arena appearing accurate and never too dark or too light. Blocky backgrounds are present, usually visible on those darker surfaces, sometimes clearly evident, sometimes difficult to spot, representing the biggest single issue with the disc. The glossy HD video texture is rather flat, but the bonus is that sharp clarity and brilliance. This is certainly one of the best-looking WWE releases to date.

WWE: Royal Rumble 2012 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Royal Rumble 2012's WWE Blu-ray-standard Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack satisfies, generally, offering a fairly involved, convincing, and somewhat natural experience that serves the material well enough. General music enjoys a good, spacious presence, whether pumped through the arena or overlaid for the broadcast/Blu-ray presentation. It can sound a hair unkempt at higher volumes, but for the most part, it's solid and immersive, the fronts and backs seamlessly blending together and carrying the beats nicely, effectively transforming the listing area into St. Louis' Scottrade Center. Music also enjoys a strong low-end thump, even as heard on those tunes handled by arena speakers; Mark Henry's intro music in particular delivers a powerful, even, and deep bass line. Crowd ambience is positive and enveloping, and the sounds of wrestling -- wrestlers being tossed around up against a steel cage or hard onto the mat -- come across precisely. Ringside commentary is generally clear, only coming across as too sharp or too lost under music on a few occasions. In-ring dialogue, picked up by directional microphones -- CM Punk yapping at a distracted John Laurinaitis -- comes across clearly, if not with a slightly shallow feel. All told, this is a quality lossy track, reflective of the typical newly-minted WWE releases. Like the video, it could stand improvement, but as it's basically a rehash of broadcast elements, the Blu-ray pretty much reflects the quality of the original source. Also available is a two-channel Spanish language track.

WWE: Royal Rumble 2012 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Royal Rumble 2012 contains two interviews from after the Royal Rumble event, as well as a handful of matches and moments leading up to Royal Rumble.

Home Video Exclusives:

• Josh Mathews Interviews Daniel Bryan (1080i, 1:40): Royal Rumble -- January 29, 2012
• Josh Mathews Interviews The Royal Rumble Winner (1080i, 1:32): Royal Rumble -- January 29, 2012.

Blu-ray Exclusives:

• RAW Match (1080i, 24:16): CM Punk & John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger. RAW -- January 23, 2012.
• RAW Moment (1080i, 6:27): The Highlight Reel with Chris Jericho. RAW -- January 23, 2012.
• Falls Count Anywhere Match (1080i, 13:51): Zack Ryder vs. Kane. RAW -- January 23, 2012.
• RAW Moment (1080i, 10:01): CM Punk vs. John Laurinaitis. RAW -- January 23, 2012.
• Smackdown Moment (1080i, 11:44): Big Show Apologizes to AJ and the WWE Universe. Smackdown -- January 27, 2012.
• Smackdown Match (1080i, 7:54): Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett. Smackdown -- January 27, 2012.
• Smackdown Match (1080i, 3:53): Brodus Clay vs. Alex Riley. Smackdown -- January 27, 2012.
• Smackdown Match (1080i, 8:39): Big Show vs. Mark Henry. Smackdown -- January 27, 2012.

WWE: Royal Rumble 2012 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Royal Rumble 2012 is one of the best WWE events in recent memory. It delivers some fantastic action, featuring wrestlers performing at peak efficiency alongside some of the more interesting story lines to come along in the past few months. The Diva and McIntyre/Clay matches are throwaways, but the rest of the show showcases the WWE's best going at in several memorable clashes leading up to the main event, where the sport's biggest names, a few lower-rung wrestlers, and several surprises all pop in for a shot at WWE glory. There's not a better release on the market today for newcomers or those returning to wrestling after a lengthy absence to catch up and see most of the biggest stars of today in action and in prominent roles, and it's of course a must for diehard wrestling fans. WWE's Blu-ray release of Royal Rumble 2012 features quality video and audio and some fair extra content. Recommended.