WWE: Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

WWE: Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology Blu-ray Movie Review

This release? Money.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 7, 2013

Take the awe of the classic ladder match -- Blu-ray fans already have more than a taste in the excellent Ladder Match 2 release -- and replace the Championship Belt with the next best thing, namely a shot at the Championship Belt, and behold the wonder of Money in the Bank, one of the WWE's finest main attractions and a guaranteed entertainer quite unlike anything else across the wide WWE landscape. In many ways, the "Money in the Bank" concept improves on the standard championship ladder match. Before, with the belt fastened high up over the ring, the stakes were incredibly high, the wrestling inspired, and the immediate gratification of a winner crowned when it was all said and done making for quite the thrill. Then, the air comes blowing out of the building. It's done and over with until the next time the belt is on the line, one way or the other. With the "Money in the Bank" match comes something much more open to long-term drama. The winner of the match -- the man who defies the odds and defeats his opponents to ascend the ladder and grab the sought-after satchel -- not only enjoys the thrill of a well-earned victory in the immediate but earns the opportunity, for one calendar year, to "cash in" his win and get a shot at the championship at his convenience, on his terms. Time it right -- say, when the newly-crowned or title-retaining champion is at his weakest after a long, punishing match -- and a victory is almost all but guaranteed. While the Money in the Bank winner still has to wrestle for his hardware, the added drama, potential for a lengthy holdout, and the surprise of a cash-in opportunity make for undeniably enticing and exciting wrestling that's sure to remain a staple of the WWE for years to come.

Chaos.

Obviously, the Money on the Bank event was more an evolution of an existing wrestling staple rather than a revolution that would redefine the industry. It was no War Games, to be sure, but its impact has been significant within the few years of its existence and it's certainly become one of the most popular contests in the WWE. It was introduced at WrestleMania 21 by Chris Jericho in 2005, conceived as a six-man event that would see the wrestlers battle for the right to wrestle for the WWE Championship by surviving the grueling, unforgiving world of the ladder match, a match in which the ladder (or ladders) isn't merely a tool to climb a few feet above the ring's floor but also a weapon of mass bodily destruction with which opponents may spear or sandwich one another, leap from the top for a devastating aerial assault, or knock over a combatant just within a fingertip's length of the coveted briefcase. The event's popularity exploded almost overnight. It expanded from six wrestlers to eight and from eight to ten. It transitioned from RAW to SmackDown -- including a dual July 18, 2010 extravaganza -- and eventually morphed into a Pay-Per-View event all its own, leaving behind the bright lights of WrestleMania in favor of its own honored place amongst the WWE's top events.

One-time WWE Money in the Bank Champion The Miz hosts WWE: Money in the Bank Anthology. As one might expect, he's a charismatic, "me first" sort of presenter, but with tongue occasionally planted firmly in cheek. He makes for a good host considering his natural screen presence and personal history in Money in the Bank lore. Technically, the disc arrives as-expected of a WWE release, with a steady assortment of classic Money in the Bank matches -- featuring a wide array of modern Superstars -- and occasionally interspersed with footage featuring The Miz talking up the event's history, a specific match, or himself. Most of the matches hail from the high definition era, so there are only a handful at the beginning that aren't sourced from HD material. It's good to go straight out of the box and a surefire entertainer for both hardcore wrestling fans and those looking for an easy way in to the exciting world of professional wrestling.

The following matches are included as part of the Money in the Bank Anthology:

Disc One:

• 1st Ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane. WrestleMania 21 -- April 3, 2005.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Ric Flair vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. Bobby Lashley. WrestleMania 22 -- April 2, 2006.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Jeff Hardy vs. King Booker vs. Finally vs. CM Punk vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge. WrestleMania 23 -- April 1, 2007.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. John Morrison vs. Carlito vs. CM Punk vs. MVP vs. Mr. Kennedy. WrestleMania XXIV -- March 30, 2008.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match: CM Punk vs. Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. Finlay vs. Christian vs. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Mark Henry. WrestleMania 25 -- April 5, 2009.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Kane vs. Christian vs. Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. Matt Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Evan Bourne vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Ziggler. WrestleMania XXVI -- March 28, 2010.
• SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Big Show vs. Kane vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs. Matt Hardy vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Cody Rhodes. Money in the Bank -- July 18, 2010.
• RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Randy Orton vs. John Morrison vs. Evan Bourne vs. Mark Henry vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Miz vs. Ted DiBiase. Money in the Bank -- July 18, 2010.
• SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Kane vs. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater. Money in the Bank -- July 17, 2011.

Disc Two:

• RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Alex Riley vs. Evan Bourne vs. Alberto del Rio vs. The Miz vs. R-Truth vs. Jack Swagger. Money in the Bank -- July 17, 2011.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship Contract: Christian vs. Sin Cara vs. Santino Marella vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Tensai vs. Damien Sandow. Money in the Bank -- July 15, 2012.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match for a WWE Championship Contract: John Cena vs. Kane vs. Big Show vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Miz. Money in the Bank -- July 15, 2012.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match for a World Heavyweight Championship Contract: Cody Rhodes vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Wade Barrett vs. Damien Sandow vs. Jack Swagger vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Fandango. Money in the Bank -- July 14, 2013.
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match for a WWE Championship Contract: CM Punk vs. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Christian vs. Rob Van Dam. Money in the Bank -- July 14, 2013.

WWE: Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

WWE: Money in the Bank Anthology looks quite good across its wide range of technical qualities. The first three matches are sourced from 4x3 footage hailing from late in the SD era; they are presented with vertical "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 display to retain the integrity of the original television program. Here, the image appears with some technical difficulties and an absence of the precise color, definition, and stability enjoyed by HD material but fares about as well as one might expect of SD material. The middle matches from the early years of HD video show a little bit in the way of compression issues and flatness while revealing quality details and bright, stable colors. The newest matches fare best, showing less in the way of detracting compression problems while maintaining a high level of visible detailing and color. However, the interspersed segments with The Miz don't look all that great. They're rather murky and poorly defined, and the absence of bright colors doesn't help, either. Close-ups fare a little better, but this is one of the worst looking intermission commentaries on recent WWE releases. Note that standard definition footage shown during these Miz segments has been reformatted to 1.78:1.

WWE: Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

WWE: Money in the Bank Anthology features the typical WWE audio offering: Dolby Digital 5.1. As with the video, the audio varies a bit in quality but never loses much steam in the earliest matches compared to the latest. Generally, listeners will discover a fairly wide stage, with the introductory music pumped through arena speakers which in turn nicely drifts into the listening area. That music sometimes comes through a bit harshly, but it's generally effective. Ringside commentary plays evenly and accurately from the center, while a few supportive elements nicely fill in the gaps and help bring the chaos of the ladder match into the home. The intercuts featuring The Miz enjoy good, even stage presence and reverberate lightly around the rather cavernous room in which he speaks.

WWE: Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

WWE: Money in the Bank Anthology contains a number of added Money in the Bank cash-in "matches" and one post-match moment, all found on disc two. The two-disc set comes housed in a unique slipcover made to look like the Money in the Bank briefcase. Folded cardboard handles are built into the slipcover to further the illusion.

• WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Edge. New Year's Revolution. January 8, 2006.
• Extreme Rules Match for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam. ECW One Night Stand -- June 11, 2006.
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Undertaker vs. Edge. SmackDown -- May 11, 2007.
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Edge vs. CM Punk. RAW -- June 30, 2008.
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk. Extreme Rules -- June 7, 2009.
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs. Jack Swagger. SmackDown -- April 2, 2010.
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Kane. Money in the Bank -- July 18, 2010.
• WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. The Miz. RAW -- November 22, 2010.
• Bonus: Behind-the-Scenes Footage Following The Miz's Victory: The camera follows The Miz following his victory over Randy Orton.
• WWE Championship Match: CM Punk vs. Alberto del Rio. SummerSlam -- August 14, 2011.
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan. TLC -- December 18, 2011.
• WWE Championship Match: CM Punk vs. John Cena. RAW -- July 23, 2012.
• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Alberto del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler. RAW -- April 8, 2013.

WWE: Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

WWE: Money in the Bank Anthology makes for a fun and deserving WWE release. The matches are exciting and plentiful, and considering most are presented in high definition, the collection enjoys that slightly more modern, up-to-date feel that compilations featuring material from the 80s and 90s and early-to-mid 2000s often lack. It moves quickly and proves most enjoyable; the antics of the ladder match never grow old, and the WWE has done well to assemble the best of the best of the event's brief but storied history. The Blu-ray release features typical WWE video and audio. Some smart bonuses are included on disc two. highly recommended to wrestling fans.