WWE: Shawn Michaels - Mr. Wrestlemania Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Mr. Wrestlemania Blu-ray Movie Review

Not a heartbreaking Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 12, 2014

The monicker "Mr. WrestleMania" may be something of a misnomer if taken at face value, but there are nevertheless not too many wrestlers with the prestige, talent, recognition, and guts to identify themselves as the main attraction of the WWE's main event. Shawn Michaels dazzled wrestling fans for over two decades, first as one-half of a dynamic tag team and later as one of the most marketable and skillful solo wrestlers of his, or any, generation. Though Michaels actually sports a losing record at WrestleMania -- including back-to-back defeats at the hands of the undefeated Undertaker -- his staying power, frequency of appearance in the event, and knack for delivering the sort of unforgettable matches that live on decades later on Blu-ray have certainly given him the right to proclaim himself "Mr. WrestleMania." It's a case of intangibles, pedigree, and prestige beating out raw statistics, and while there are other wrestlers who could rightly claim the title, none could carry it with the confidence, and the skill to back it up, of Shawn Michaels.

Mr. WrestleMania.

Shawn Michaels: Mr. WrestleMania intermixes Michaels' WrestleMania matches with interview selections in which HBK offers his insight into his history as a professional wrestler and WrestleMania performer. Throughout the feature, he speaks on his pre-WWF wrestling days, breaking into the WWF, and his early teaming with Marty Jannetty as one-half of "The Rockers." He discusses the team's wrestling style and professionalism and the importance of WrestleMania in a career, whether headlining the main event or appearing only to lose a quick throwaway match. He delves into his emergence as a solo wrestler, with emphasis on his legendary ladder match at WrestleMania X, his "Iron Man" match with Bret Hart, and his WrestleMania 21 battle with Kurt Angle. He speaks on injuries, recoveries, and spiritual growth throughout his career. He discusses guiding John Cena's career, his epic battle with childhood hero Ric Flair, and his final WrestleMania matches against The Undertaker.

Shawn Michaels: Mr. WrestleMania follows a standard with which longtime WWE-on-Blu-ray fans should be intimately familiar. Across two discs of matches, the film intercuts Michaels interview clips that offer detailed analyses of the matches and their places in his career and the greater WWE landscape. The film also features voiceover narration at several junctures, filling in the chronological gaps and telling the basic story of Michaels' career, but it's in Mr. WrestleMania's interviews where the film finds most of its worth. The matches are, for the most part, iconic, and chances are most dedicated wrestling fans have seen them before. They work better, though, in the greater context of the Michaels-delivered retrospective. He offers a rather deep and detailed examination of his career through the prism of the WrestleMania events. While this isn't the proper, lengthier, more complete career retrospective that fans might have preferred -- something along the lines of the superb Steve Austin film -- it's nevertheless a fascinating journey through the landscape of the WWE's signature event as experienced through the eyes, muscles, and heart of one of it's brightest stars.

The following matches are included across the two-disc program:

Disc One:

• WrestleMania Match: The Rockers vs. The Twin Towers. WrestleMania V -- April 2, 1989.
• WrestleMania Match: The Rockers vs. The Orient Express. WrestleMania VI -- April 1, 1990.
• WrestleMania Match: The Rockers vs. Haku & The Barbarian. WrestleMania VII -- March 24, 1991.
• WrestleMania Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Tito Santana. WrestleMania VIII -- April 5, 1992.
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka. WrestleMania IX -- April 4, 1993.
• Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon. WrestleMania X -- March 20, 1994.
• WWE Championship Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel. WrestleMania XI -- April 2, 1995.
• Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret "Hit Man" Hart. WrestleMania XII -- March 31, 1996.
• WWE Championship Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. WrestleMania XIV -- March 29, 1998.

Disc Two:

• WrestleMania Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho. WrestleMania XIX -- March 30, 2003.
• WrestleMania Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle. WrestleMania 21 -- April 3, 2005.
• No Holds Barred Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. McMahon. WrestleMania 22 -- April 2, 2006.
• WWE Championship Match: Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena. WreslteMania 23 -- April 1, 2007.
• Ric Flair's Career on the Line: Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair. WrestleMania XXIV -- March 30, 2008.
• WrestleMania Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker. WrestleMania XXV -- April 5, 2009.
• No Disqualification: Streak vs. Career: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker. WrestleMania XXVI -- March 28, 2010.

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Mr. Wrestlemania Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shawn Michaels: Mr. WrestleMania features, as always seems to be the case with WWE Home Video titles on Blu-ray, a solid 1080i presentation that's reflective of nearly the entire WWE Blu-ray catalogue, particularly the material from the last couple of years. The program is divided between 1.78:1 HD interview footage and newer HD match footage alongside some older SD material, the latter here presented in its original 4x3 aspect ratio with WWE-styled "black bars" on both sides of the screen. The older footage varies in quality but generally presents nicely, notably some of the stuff from the later years of the 1990s and early years of the 2000s. The HD footage looks great; there's no difference in any matches or clips from those seen elsewhere. They yield solid wrestler detail, excellent clarity, and pinpoint colors. The interview segments are sharp and nicely defined, showing Michaels' facial stubble and the finest textures on his ball cap with ease. Light banding and blocking are rarely visible. Overall, this is a solid presentation that's reflective of the typical WWE Blu-ray transfer.

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Mr. Wrestlemania Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shawn Michaels: Mr. WrestleMania features the tried-and-true WWE-basic Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The track is dialogue-heavy, built around interview clips with Shawn Michaels, ringside commentary from matches, and the occasional narrative voiceover expansion. The Michaels and narrator segments are delivered neatly and evenly from the center with a true-to-life flavor and natural volume. The ringside commentary varies in quality, with the newer material nearly matching, or equalling, the quality of the newly recorded interviews. Crowd ambience and wrestling sounds in the older footage is cramped and limited to the center with almost no range or realism. As the program presses forward through the second disc, range, clarity, and envelopment increase. This is a simple track that handles its duties as well as can be expected for such a mix of sounds.

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Mr. Wrestlemania Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shawn Michaels: Mr. WrestleMania contains the following extras on disc two, all labeled as "Blu-ray Exclusives:"

• WrestleMania Moment (0:54): The Rockers Talk About the Twin Towers. WrestleMania V -- April 2, 1989.
• WrestleMania Moment (0:39): Shawn Michaels Talks with Rhonda Shear. WrestleMania X -- March 20, 1994.
• Michaels Moment (0:29): Shawn Michaels with Pamela Anderson.
• WrestleMania Moment (1:12): Shawn Michaels and Sid Talk with Nicholas Turturro. WrestleMania XI -- April 2, 1995.
• WrestleMania Moment (4:26): Shawn Michaels Post-Match Interview. WrestleMania XIX -- March 30, 2003.
• WrestleMania Moment (4:38): Shawn Michaels Says Goodbye Backstage. WrestleMania XXVI -- March 28, 2010.
• Michaels Interview (0:39): Friends Leaving the Company: Michaels discusses talent departures to the WCW.
• Michaels Interview (1:11): Because You're a Girl: Michaels discusses participating in Ric Flair's last match.
• Michaels Interview (0:21): One Demand for Ric: Michaels further discusses the final Flair match.
• Michaels Interview (0:44): The "Flair" Watch?: Michaels shares a story about watches he purchased for himself and for Flair.
• Michaels Interview (0:33): Hell to Pay: Michaels remembers his WrestleMania X ladder match and his understanding of the "enormity" if his place in professional wrestling.
• Michaels Interview (0:29): At Least the Dude's Got Balls: A snippet about Michaels' relationship with Vince McMahon.
• Michaels Interview (1:02): End of an Era: Michaels fondly looks back on his career and personal growth through it.
• Michaels Interview (0:53): Mr. WrestleMania vs. The Streak: Michaels discusses his WrestleMania losing record versus the title "Mr. WrestleMania."
• Michaels Interview (1:03): The Shawn Michaels Encore Tour: Michaels remembers talk of an "encore tour" following his last official match.
• Michaels Interview (0:15): WrestleMania Wish List: Michaels shares his two secret "dream match-ups."
• Michaels Interview (0:47): Flair-Michaels-Jericho: Michaels shares a humorous personal gripe about his classification in wrestling eras.

WWE: Shawn Michaels - Mr. Wrestlemania Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shawn Michaels: Mr. WrestleMania captures an interesting perspective on both a wrestler and an annual showstopper event against which both decades of history and a year of professional wrestling are measured. The self-proclaimed "Mr. WrestleMania" is an infinitely fascinating individual, one who has experienced a rise in stardom in tandem with a rise in popularity of his profession. He's seen, and wrestled, the best of them all, undergone an inspiring spiritual transformation, and entertained millions in a number of ways. Shining the light on his career through the years as a WrestleMania participant is a novel approach, though hopefully it's but a precursor to a deeper retrospective to come. WWE's Blu-ray release of Shawn Michaels: Mr. WrestleMania features average WWE video, audio, and supplements. Highly recommended.