7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
The greatest fighter in the world will battle the world's largest athlete when Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. and the 7', 400lb Big Show clash at WrestleMania 24. The WWE Champion will be decided in a Triple Threat Match as John Cena, Triple H, and Randy Orton wage war. And Edge seeks to defend his World Heavyweight Championship in the face of Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania record of 15-0. Do not miss this legendary event.
Starring: Dave Finlay, Chris Jericho, John Hennigan, Phil Brooks, Dave BautistaSport | 100% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
WrestleMania is the end-all, be-all of what we do.
This ain't no Monday or Friday night. Where most casual wrestling fans might tune in to basic cable for a lot of action or a little chuckle at the expense
of a lot of sweaty and muscular professional wrestlers, the diehards shell out ungodly sums of money for the WWE's premiere pay-per-view events, and
they don't come any more "premiere" than WrestleMania, the annual showcase that is the Sports Entertainment world's Super Bowl, Daytona 500,
insert-any-major-mainstream-sporting-event-here. This is the pinnacle of the sport that brings out big celebrities and even big press. It's an event
defined by far more pomp and circumstance than is normally associated with the professional wrestling world but that remains shaped by the same
people, the same story lines, the same intense action. But even all of the hoopla feels a little disingenuous, manufactured, even, just like wrestling
itself. The WWE seems to work best when it's contained in its own little universe and veering away from integrating pop culture, but even with
Kardashians and Snoop Dogs and other people that exist outside of the WWE sphere popping up from time to time, WrestleMania XXIV stays largely
focused on what the people have paid to see, with even most of the in-between filler still staying focused on the world of the WWE and promoting story
lines and wrestlers, not fluff.
Triple H: ready for a Triple Threat match.
WrestleMania XXIV arrives on Blu-ray with a middling 1080i transfer framed within a 1.78:1 high definition window, a transfer that's always on the verge of collapse but manages to remain firm throughout. Certainly, this isn't the prettiest WWE Blu-ray release on the marketplace. The image is definitely watchable, but it never quite achieves the more polished appearance that later releases enjoy, even if they do still suffer through some issues. WrestleMania XXIV's details are rather flat. Beyond skin textures, there's little here of note. Steel steps, trash cans, ladders, and other objects seen in fairly close proximity to the action are adequately textured, but the mat, ropes, costumes, and the decorations around the Citrus Bowl appear largely flat and lifeless. The HD video photography leaves much of the image appearing flat and glossy, sacrificing fine textures for ease of shooting, clarity, and admittedly good colors. Indeed, the color palette is largely impressive, the real saving grace of the presentation. The bright shades of wrestler outfits and all of the bunting and decorations around the Citrus Bowl contrast nicely against the gray Florida sky, particularly early on. Bright greens, reds, blues, and other shades are vibrant but natural. The image is awash in jagged edges on real surfaces and graphics alike. Meanwhile, aliasing and blocking are causes for much concern, too, these three elements representing the bulk of the technical bugaboos. Still, despite these issues and midlevel detailing, WrestleMania XXIV's Blu-ray should satisfy audiences wanting to relive the event, not pick it apart.
WrestleMania XXIV features a Dolby Digital 5.1 lossy soundtrack, the constant stalwart of these WWE releases. As usual, this one packs a nice punch, delivering a solid, enveloping wrestling experience, the absence of a lossless soundtrack noticeable but neither detrimental nor deplorable. The track delivers some very impressive music. Outside of matches, it's strong and full of energy, wonderfully spaced and accompanied by aggressive surround use and a powerful but stable low end. In-match music -- generally in the form of wrestler introduction music -- offers much of the same, the clarity not lagging far behind even though it's heard blaring through the stadium's sound system rather than directly from the studio. Even John Legend's piano/vocal rendition of "America the Beautiful" plays smoothly and efficiently. Crowd ambience fills the soundstage with regularity, with other ambient effects rather limited to off-stage action. In-ring sound effects are crisp and lifelike, whether wrestlers falling onto the mat, out of the ring, or beating one another with ladders, steel steps, and other weapons. Dialogue from ringside announcements and color and play-by-play commentary are delivered smoothly from the center channel, the former enjoying just the right amount of spacing and echoing as it floats through the Citrus Bowl. Dialogue does get a little lost and jumbled up with music in the opening "pump up the home audience" montage, but that's really this track's biggest fault, and its a minor one at that. This isn't a definitive wrestling soundtrack, but it's a hard worker that gets the job done and then some.
WrestleMania XXIV contains no extras on disc one. Disc two, however, contains the entire 2008 WWE Hall-of-Fame Induction Ceremony (1080i, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 4:10:12). This four-plus-hour feature showcases the inductions of The Brisco Brothers, Eddie Graham, Mae Young, Gordon Solie, High Chief Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, and Ric Flair. Also included is the WrestleMania 24-Man Battle Royal (1080i, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 10:18), a pre-WrestleMania bout in which the winner would receive a shot at the ECW title later in the night against Chavo Guerrero. This match features current stars such as Kane, Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, and The Miz.
It's easy to see why WrestleMania is the WWE's premiere event, and WrestleMania XXIV is a fine example of the pomp and circumstance that's such a large part of the process and that separates it even from other pay-per-views, let alone the average bi-weekly episode. It packs a huge arena, showcases the brightest stars, and attracts the attention of even outsiders not normally associated with the sport. The pomp and circumstance might be a little much for all but the diehards, but bringing in some celebrities outside of the WWE universe may at least attract some buyers and potentially create some new fans. As for the wrestling action, it's top-rate, even if some of the match-ups are a little less than spectacular. WrestleMania XXIV features some superstars at the top of their games, old favorites still holding strong, and up-and-comers on their way to stardom. WWE's Blu-ray release of WrestleMania XXIV features passable video, fair audio, and an exclusive pre-WrestleMania 24-man match as well as the four-hour 2008 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Whether as a primer into the world of the WWE, a curiosity, or an addition a larger WWE home video collection, this release comes recommended.
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