6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The complete collection of all of The Undertaker's 20 WrestleMania victories.
Starring: Mark Calaway, Mark Henry, Randy Orton, Adam Copeland, Glenn JacobsSport | 100% |
Documentary | 10% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
He's not human.
It must be frightening enough for the average WWE wrestler to step into the ring against a hulking menace of a superstar like a Triple H or a John
Cena, grizzled veterans who know the sport, their bodies, and their skills inside-out, who know what it means to dominate in the ring and understand
what it takes to maintain excellence throughout a career. It must be another experience entirely for even the best superstars, the wrestlers at the
very top of the WWE
heap, to witness the dimming of the lights, to hear the ringing of the chimes, to see the rising of the smoke, the feel the scorching of the fire, to
tremble at the figure that is The Undertaker as he ambles towards the ring, certain of his victory and determined to make it happen at all costs. He's
the one figure in professional wrestling who can make his peers wet their tights at the mere sight of him, never mind when he lands a punch
or executes a perfect Tombstone finisher. And if it's that difficult to face him -- never mind defeat him -- in some Monday night RAW
matchup, imagine the impossibility of facing him at the WWE's showcase event, WrestleMania, where the man has yet to lose in twenty tries, a streak
that dates back to 1991. Indeed, when the WWE's lights are at their brightest, the Lord of Darkness shines above all others. Undertaker: The
Streak is the truncated account of his two decades of dominance inside the WrestleMania ring and the collection of all twenty matches he's won
during a run that's likely never to be duplicated.
Don't bite down.
Undertaker: The Streak delivers the typical WWE visual experience, at least throughout the twenty matches. The thirty-seven minute feature plays at 1.78:1; clips form older matches have been stretched to fill the screen, but they never appear distorted. Newer interview clips and footage from the most recent WrestleMania events enjoy excellent detailing and colors, though those darker scenes featuring the Undertaker entering the ring or celebrating a victory go a deep blue and lose some stability to general murkiness and blocky backgrounds. Much of the footage appears sourced from film rather than video, featuring a softer but more visually impressive appearance, fairly grainy and a bit noisy but mostly unique to WWE releases and a welcome contrast from the video norm. The HD interviews are steady, colorful, and crisp, exactly as fans expect from recently-created footage found on WWE releases. The two discs worth of matches follow the usual WWE video formula. The older standard definition matches play framed in a 1.33:1 window with WWE-styled "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 display. As expected, the usual range of video uglies permeate these matches, but the general stability and watchability are fine considering the source. The newer matches play at 1.78 "full frame" and offer bolder colors, quality details, and a nice and sharp HD video appearance. Light blocking and banding are troublesome, but front-and-center elements look fantastic. This isn't a jaw dropper, but fans familiar with the quality of recent WWE Blu-ray releases know exactly what to expect with Undertaker: The Streak.
Undertaker: The Streak arrives on Blu-ray with the familiar Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There's nothing remarkable about the track, and there's nothing disappointing about it. This is the norm for the WWE, and it appears to be for the foreseeable future. The good news is that this lossy track handles everything thrown its way with ease. Narration during the overview piece plays smoothly and effortlessly from the center. Music spreads nicely and plays with good clarity and some surround support. Wrestler interviews additionally play with precision clarity. The wrestling matches follow suit from previous WWE releases. The older matches lack sonic range, playing almost strictly through the center with lower clarity and a jumbled sort of sound. The most recent matches offer a superior sense of space, more range, heightened clarity, and better separation between elements, creating a more lifelike sound beyond the garbled, mixed-together elements of the older matches. This is no revelatory WWE track, but it suffices in every area.
Disc one of this three-disc set contains several Blu-ray exclusive bonus features. No extras are included on discs two and three.
Undertaker: The Streak could have been so much more, but as a simple compilation release it's tough to beat. Though three discs in length, this is a fairly linear, straightforward collection: all twenty of The undertaker's WrestleMania victories and little more comprise the collection. It's not a feature-length Documentary or a career retrospective -- there's much, much more to The Undertaker's career than this (the Undertaker-Mick Foley Hell in a Cell match is considered perhaps the single greatest of all time) -- but instead a glimpse into twenty years worth of domination. There's more than enough material and demand for a future Undertaker multi-disc documentary. This feels more like a teaser -- there's really no way to do a career retrospective without making this streak the highlight -- to a larger picture. Here's hoping the future sees the complete Undertaker experience brought to life on Blu-ray. WWE's Bu-ray release of Undertaker: The Streak features fine video and audio. A few Blu-ray exclusive extras are included. Recommended.
2011
2011
2012
2012
2011
2012
w/ Limited Edition 'Mr. Socko' sock puppet
2013
1994-2012
2012
2011
Wrestlemania 28
2012
2012
2010
2013
2012
Collector's Edition
2003
2014
2-Disc Collector's Edition
2011
2009
2013