Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

WWE: The John Cena Experience Blu-ray Movie Review

You should see this.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 19, 2014

The John Cena Experience isn't The John Cena Life and Career. It's not a classic retrospective Documentary in the same category as the excellent features covering the lives and careers of wrestling superstars like Mankind, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock, but it does in some ways feel like one. While it's not a linear story of birth, formative years, early career, dominance, and life post-wrestling, it does paint a vivid, rather complete picture of a man by way of a series of highlights that define his life, a life in which his clashes in the square ring are but a small portion of his greater existence. From charity work to workouts, from signing autographs to singing songs, the superstar's days are so packed it's a wonder he has time to think about wrestling, let alone perform at the highest level in the world. Yet if it wasn't for his skill in the ring, none of the other things would be occupying his time. It's a beautiful circle of completeness, one that allows Cena to find success and give back to the people who see in him a hero, not simply a champion wrestler but a caring individual whose smile is worth more than a slam, whose generosity is more valuable than his gigantic stage presence.

Everyday.

In this collection of Cena life highlights building up to and briefly following his appearance at WrestleMania XXVI, fans will see the superstar's busy road life in some detail. It begins with a lengthy look at his appreciation of America's armed forces and travel to Iraq to meet with the troop, sample some of the available firepower in the theater, and perform a match. It takes a look at his roles in film and television and appearances on talk radio and late night TV programs. The film examines his appearance at the 2010 Fiesta Bowl and daylong excursion to ESPN studios in Bristol, CT. In the film, Cena also sits down for the multiple face scans necessary to create his likeness for a Mattel action figure. The piece looks at his pre-WrestleMania workout, rehearsal for his entrance, and the immediate fallout from his match. It also focuses on his work in the music industry, his love of classic automobiles, and his great work with the Make-a-Wish foundation.

This feature presents longtime WWE fans with a welcome change-of-pace from the usual Documentary-style superstar piece, following instead something more akin to a classic "day in the life of" structure, except here it's a few months rather than a few hours. Still, it packs in quite a bit of material in just under two hours, none of it particularly tiresome yet none of it substantially groundbreaking. The piece is more about revealing heart than it is revealing schedule. It depicts Cena at his best when he's with the troops and interacting with his Make-a-Wish children. Cena's joy to be in the middle of making people's days brighter is evident with every shot, and it's clear he's not playing to the camera, pandering to his audience, or working an angle for his own benefit. That's where this film shines and where Cena's real value is found. For as good a talent as he is in the ring, he's a better individual outside of it, and that he uses his success for others' gain is the best gift he can give back to a world that's given him so much. The film does drag, a few times, when it focuses on several of the more mundane aspects of his life, such as depicted in a scene where he signs, literally, thousands of autographs -- while standing -- one stack after another. Yet even when he must at least be frustrated with the grind, he maintains a positive front, and there's no doubt that his positive energy and cheery outlook are major parts of his emotional well-being and physical success and maintenance. There's a lot to take away here, then, more so about how one can conduct oneself and less a particular wrestler's daily grind, and that's much more valuable and satisfying than simply following a celebrity just for the sake of it.

WWE: The John Cena Experience Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The John Cena Experience arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's largely typical of a WWE HD presentation. Generally, colors are lively, detailed, and well defined. Cena's bright orange and blue attire nicely stands apart from some dull gray-heavy backdrops on a cargo plane and against the earthy Iraq terrain. An explosion of hues appear balanced and accurate in several additional locales, including the Fiesta Bowl parade and the 7-11 store seen later in the film. Black levels are never too problematic, and neither are flesh tones. The image produces a nice bit of fine texturing, from Cena's facial features to the stitching in his ball cap. Military uniforms are crisp, and background details in that same 7-11 store appear effortlessly defined. There are moments when the image takes on a rather flat appearance, indicative of an HD video source that's not quite up to par with the best the format has to offer. Light noise dots some darker backdrops, and minor compression artifacts are occasionally visible. Overall, this is a solid Blu-ray image, not the best either the format has seen or the WWE has produced, but wrestling fans should be satisfied with the effort.

WWE: The John Cena Experience Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The John Cena Experience features the WWE standard-issue Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Frankly, it's a bit dull and flat, rarely flexing even its rather diminutive muscles. It does produce a nice little bit of surround support in the opening music in addition to decent front-end space and adequate clarity, but music seems always in the background and never much exploding out of the speakers. Supportive sound effects are adequately presented; gunfire in a trip to a shooting range pops nicely enough, but not to any sort of ear-splitting realistic level. The soundstage opens up a bit more during the boisterous Fiesta Bowl parade segment, with a livelier volume and more activity. Otherwise, the track proves largely straightforward and lacking much in the way of legitimate vigor and presence. Dialogue does play clearly and consistently from the center channel.

WWE: The John Cena Experience Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The John Cena Experience contains the following bonus matches on discs one and two and several additional supplements on disc two.

Disc One Matches:

• Match #5 in the Best of 5 Series For The United States Championship: John Cena vs. Booker T. No Mercy -- October 3, 2004.
• #1 Contender's Match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21: John Cena vs. Kurt Angle. No Way Out -- February 20, 2005.
• Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels. Taboo Tuesday -- November 1, 2005.
• WWE Championship Match: Edge vs. John Cena. Royal Rumble -- January 29, 2006.
• Career Match: John Cena vs. Edge. Tribute to the Troops -- December 25, 2006.
• World Tag Team Championship Match: John Cena & Shawn Michaels vs. Rated RKO. RAW -- February 26, 2007.
• Falls Count Anywhere Match for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs. The Great Khali. One Night Stand -- June 3, 2007.

Disc Two Matches:

• WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Bobby Lashley. Great American Bash -- July 22, 2007.
• WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Randy Orton. SummerSlam -- August 26, 2007.
• Career Match: John Cena Returns! Royal Rumble -- January 27, 2008 (condensed match, beginning 10 seconds prior to Cena's entrance).
• WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Triple H. Night of Champions -- June 29, 2008.
• Career Match: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels. RAW -- January 26, 2009.
• Career Match: John Cena vs. Jack Swagger. RAW -- April 13, 2009.
• Career Match: John Cena vs. Big Show. Judgment Day -- May 17, 2009.
• Night of Champions Tournament -- Semi-Finals Match: John Cena vs. The Miz. RAW -- June 29, 2009.
• Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H. Survivor Series -- November 22, 2009.
• WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Chris Jericho. Tribute to the Troops -- December 19, 2009.
• WWE Championship Match: Batista vs. John Cena. WrestleMania XXVI -- March 28, 2010.

Disc Two Special Features:

• Flip Like a Champion (1080i, 1:24): Cena humorously talks about his coin flip prior to the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.
• Cenation (1080i, 1:24): The superstar greets fans.
• WrestleMania Entrance Rehearsal (1080i, 2:23): As the title suggests, this piece shows Cena and company practicing his military-themed entrance.
• Flux Capacitor (1080i, 6:12): Cena looks over and discusses a DeLorean and several other automobiles.
• Q&A (1080i, 1:50): Cena shares a few moments with several young fans.
• John Cena Entrance Video (1080i, 4:53): The superstar's entrance video in its entirety.
• WrestleMania Axxess (1080i, 4:01): Cena answers a handful of questions.
• Photo Gallery: A collection of Cena photographs.

WWE: The John Cena Experience Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The John Cena Experience may not be the definitive John Cena Documentary -- that will undoubtedly come when the megastar hangs 'em up somewhere down the line (and hopefully not for a long time) -- but it's a terrific, albeit condensed, glimpse into his life, a life which is more about his work outside the ring than it is about his time inside of it. It's frequently fun and genuinely heartfelt; Cena's contributions to charity work and time with the troops are invaluable to the recipients and obviously necessary for his soul. After watching, Cena fans will become bigger fans, and even those who dislike his ring persona will undoubtedly fall in love with who he is in the real world. This is an excellent Cena film that needs to be in every WWE collection and that should tide fans over who are eagerly awaiting the bigger retrospective. WWE Home Video's Blu-ray release of The John Cena Experience delivers quality video and audio to go alongside a nice selection of bonus content. Highly recommended.