Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

WWE: WrestleMania XXXII Blu-ray Movie Review

A Manic Mania.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 10, 2016

Note: the analysis portion of this review was written the day after WrestleMania XXXII aired live on the WWE Network. The write-ups are based on the WWE landscape as it unfolded prior to, during, and immediately following WrestleMania rather than what's come in the time between the original air date and the Blu-ray release, allowing for a more event-specific reaction. Video, audio, and supplemental reviews, as well as final comments, are based on the Blu-ray disc alone and were written after viewing the disc. Spoilers for the matches, and the WWE landscape leading up to WrestleMania, obviously follow.

Note 2: The entire event is not on disc one. The main event, the match between Roman Reigns and Triple H, is located on disc two. It's impossible to watch the entirety of WreslteMania straight through.

The stakes are always high at WrestleMania, but this year, beyond the usual titles up for grabs and pride on the line, the entire fate of the WWE hung in the balance inside the most daunting structure ever conceived and the most intimidating man in sports entertainment standing in the way of destiny. Shane McMahon's surprise return to the WWE, back to claim his birthright and assume leadership of the company from his father Vince, was met with disdain by a father who, rather than pass down his legacy, disowned his son and placed him in harm's way against The Undertaker. A Shane win would transfer control of Monday Night RAW, and by extension the direction of the company, to the crowd-favorite McMahon and force The Undertaker into retirement. An Undertaker win would ensure the status quo with Vince, his daughter Stephanie, and her husband Triple H spearheading The Authority. At the same time, Triple H had his own match to worry about against Roman Reigns, the man who would be champion, much to the crowd's disdain. The weeks leading up to WrestleMania saw Reigns and Triple H in bare-knuckle brawls and engaged in backstage ambushes, culminating in a clash at the RAW before Mania in which the entire WWE roster descended the ramp, approached the ring, and did all they could to pull the men apart. With two top-draw matches on the card, and an undercard that included a seven-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship and a no-holds-barred street fight between Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar, 2016's WrestleMania had all the markings of being remembered amongst the best. Could it possibly deliver on its promise?

No, not really.

Sacrifice.

WrestleMania XXXII had its share of high points, including a Diva's, er, Women's championship match that stole the show. But its low points dwarf most of the saving graces. Even through the lengthy runtime, the high profile matches, the established and burgeoning feuds, and with so much at stake -- not only championships but the entire fate of the company -- the event seemed primed to punctuate the end of an era and usher in a new brand of wrestling that seemed on the horizon in the weeks leading to Mania. Dolph Ziggler feuded with The Authority in a welcome push towards the top. Reigns' absence from "facial reconstruction surgery" and return as an unabashed butt-kicker seemed to hint that he was rebuilt as much metaphorically as he was "literally." Coarse language use spiked. It was like the wheels were already turning with Shane operating the company behind-the-scenes. The stipulations of his match seemed to all but guarantee a victory. Fans, at least the more hardcore fans, have long been pushing back against the status quo -- just listen to the reaction Roman Reigns received all through his match -- and Shane's return seemed to signal that the company had heard the cries and had put the wheels in motion to recreate the brand. But it was all just a tease. Between the failure to capitalize on existing feuds and push in the new direction that seemed like the inevitable destination, WrestleMania XXXII was just more of the same, a play-it-safe exercise in superficial entertainment with little depth or promise of change.

The following matches comprise WrestleMania XXXII:

Seven-Man Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Kevin Owens (Champion) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz vs. Sin Cara vs. Zack Ryder vs. Stardust

A superficially fun but completely uncreative and stale ladder match. Every wrestler had a spot, the highlight coming when Stardust found himself all but knocked out on a ladder perilously perched between ring's edge and the barricade. The acrobatic Sin Cara, atop the ladder center-ring and within grasp of the title, is pushed off by an acrobatic Kevin Owens. The Lucha Dragon plummets on top of Stardust, and both go through the ladder. Otherwise, the match was little more than each participant scrambling to the top and coming back down one way or another. Owens and Zayn, the chief rivals in the match, got their knocks on one another in, but in the end it was the dark horse Zack Ryder who yanked the title from above the ring, taking advantage of The Miz who, rather than grab the title when he had the chance, stopped to pose and gloat to the audience instead. An otherwise routine match ended with a surprise winner. It'll be interesting to see how long Ryder, who has been living in relative obscurity these last years, retains the title. Grade: B

Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles

The back-and-forth feud between the veteran Jericho and the veteran, but new to WWE, Styles has twisted through the permutations that seemed designed to have Jericho put Styles over, who was over with the fans the moment his music struck at Royal Rumble. Jericho questioned Styles' talent, teamed with him to make "Y2AJ" when Styles proved his worth to the veteran, and distanced himself from the newcomer again when he grew frustrated with the crowd's incessant "AJ Styles" chant, believing he, not Styles, should be at the center of attention. In the weeks leading up to Mania, Jericho interrupted Styles at every turn, mocking the chant and costing the fan-favorite a couple of matches. Styles in turn began interrupting Jericho with his own take on the game, chanting "Y2Jackass." The two delivered the best one-on-one match of the night, a technical clinic between two well established stars who know what they're doing in the ring, who share great chemistry on the mic and together in the heat of battle. The match didn't end as expected, but with Styles already over with the crowd there wasn't a real need for him to win. Grade: A

Tag Team Match: New Day vs. League of Nations

Best. Entrance. Ever. The New Day emerged on the stage from inside a 20-foot-tall box of Booty-O's cereal. Nothing else mattered. Not even the fact that the titles were inexplicably not on the line, though that angle would make more sense once the match ended. Even if their schtick is getting a little stale -- it's not finding any new angles recently -- The New Day is still the most entertaining part of every WWE show. Their match with League of Nations -- Sheamus, Rusev, and Alberto Del Rio, with Wade Barrett on the outside -- proved rather bland. There are not any serious tag team contenders currently on the main roster anywhere close to worthy of stepping in the ring with New Day, and the makeshift faction was apparently the most viable opponent the WWE could muster up (have they completely forgotten about the Wyatt's? Apparently...more on them in a moment). Without the titles on the line, it was no surprise the fan favorite team lost, apparently only so that League of Nations could gloat and get their due not from the hottest thing in WWE but instead the surprise trio of Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, all of whom decimated League of Nations with finisher after finisher and beer after beer. A great moment to be sure that overshadowed a rather bland match. Grade: C (match), A+ (post-match)

Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar

Perhaps the most hotly anticipate match of the night couldn't live up to expectations. The unstoppable force meeting the uncontrollable lunatic and glutton for punishment failed to break any new ground or push boundaries. Granted, Ambrose wasn't really going to use the chainsaw -- deadly weapons are obviously for show or comic relief only -- but he at least pulled it out and tried to start it up. Otherwise, it was just a barrage of kendo sticks, chairs, the usual. The match was short, hardly living up to its billing or potential, and a waste of two of the best stars on the roster. Painfully dull filler. Grade: C-

Women's Championship Match: Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks

The ladies ushered in a new era for women's wrestling, fighting for the newly-minted Women's Championship belt, replacing the old Diva's division title and seeing the Diva's revolution, then, in full blossom. The match was spectacular, with the women outworking and outclassing anyone else on the roster, with the possible exceptions of Shane McMahon, AJ Styles, and Chris Jericho. Though Charlotte retained her title as champ -- again with interference from her father, Ric Flair -- it solidifies the division, puts more heat on Charlotte, and sets up a great summer long feud. Grade: A.

The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon

Even though it wasn't billed as the main event, this was the main event. It had enough star power, drama, history, and potential for change that it severely overshadowed the "real" main event, which turned out to be nothing short of a black eye for the WWE. More on that in a moment. The match was solid enough. It started slow but gained steam once Shane cut open the cell with bolt cutters and the action spilled outside the cage. Several quality spots built up to Shane O'Mac ascending the cell -- 27 feet to the top, according to the announce crew -- and leaping down to elbow a wounded Undertaker, lying helplessly on an announce table below. But the Dead Man rolled out of the way, leaving Shane with nothing to cushion the fall. It's easily one of the top WrestleMania moments of all time and a legitimate OMG! moment if there ever was one. But the match felt anti-climactic. What was the point of hyping the match and its stipulations, seeing the crowd so frenetically behind Shane and clearly opposed to the status quo, only to have him lose? The undertaker was the perfect choice to lose and ride off into the sunset on a loss, yes, but a loss that would have essentially rebuilt the WWE from the top down. Undertaker's legacy could have meant something even more than it already does while at the same time giving the WWE Universe the change it so rightly demands. A Taker loss would have been more impactful had his streak still been intact, but it's curious booking at best and a slap in the face at worst. Regardless of the outcome, this match should have closed the PPV. Grade: A (match), D (Booking)

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Two words: Mark Henry. Why The World's Strongest Man didn't walk away with the win, in what might be his last WrestleMania, taking place in his home state, is the mystery of the year in sports entertainment. Sure, WWE introduced Baron Corbin to the world, but the way the event is structured it almost feels like a legacy award of sorts, something to hand out to an aging big man, sort of like a lifetime achievement award. Poor Mark (in the interest of fairness, he's one of this reviewer's favorites). The match itself was bland. Shaquille O'Neil's entrance was spectacular and a wonderful surprise, but it amounted to nothing more than a seconds-long highlight. Very little drama, dubious-to-bad booking, and outside of a handful of participants, a jobber-fest. Grade: C-

Surprise Match: The Rock vs. Eric Rowan

Everyone loves Rocky, but this was just...boring. Rock entered by lighting his name on fire with flame thrower that looked like a Nerf toy and paraded down the aisle through a gauntlet of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. He announced the attendance and was interrupted by The Wyatt family. A quality back-and-forth between The Rock and Bray resulted in...The Rock taking on Eric Rowan. Now, when Rowan enters a match, it's practically a given he's just going to job for someone, and this was the ultimate insult. Rock put him away in six seconds, three of which was the three-count. Yikes. It set another record for fastest pin in WrestleMania history, faster, apparently, than when Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXVIII. John Cena made a surprise return to help The Rock bury the rest of the Wyatt family. To whom will The Wyatt's job next? Probably The Ascension, at this rate. Grade: D-

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Triple H (Champion) vs. Roman Reigns

This was almost too painful to watch. Roman Reigns was booed -- unmercifully -- at every opportunity. His entrance was booed. Every bit of offense he could muster on Triple H was booed. Reigns earned some momentum when he speared Stephanie McMahon, who had inserted herself into the ring, but otherwise the atmosphere was surreal. It was dead. The fight seemed to play out in slow motion. There was no passion, no energy, none of the straight-up butt whooping that defined the beatings the men gave and received in the weeks leading up to the event. Reigns is a good wrestler. He looks great and when he's playing the take no prisoners, to-hell-with-the-world-badass, he's awesome. Keep him away from the mic and allow him to just beat people senseless. Otherwise the character is, for better or for worse, all but dead to the WWE universe. Bad match and a reaction so miserable one cannot help but feel sorry for Roman, who is by all accounts a great guy and a hard worker. Grade: F

WWE: WrestleMania XXXII Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

WrestleMania XXXII's 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer is about par for the course for a WWE Home Video release, which means it's of a good general quality and, for a Pay-Per-View, a fair bit better, and certainly more consistent, than the WWE Network feed. Whereas the Network feed is prone to drops in resolution and compression artifacts galore, the Blu-ray fixes the first issue completely and largely eliminates the second. Macroblocking is still an issue, but it's relegated to minor background annoyance, most of the time, rather than a front-and-center eyesore. Stability, as noted, is greatly enhanced, a benefit to both detail and color. Detail is very strong throughout. Crowd signs are clearly defined; wrestler skin textures, facial hair, and tattoos appear clear and precise; and creases and small imperfections on the mat and surrounding outside padding are apparent. Colors are as bold as they are varied. Colorful digital signage is plentiful around AT&T Stadium, colorful handmade signs in the crowd stick out, and wrestler attire sparkles, whether, say, The Miz's flashy gold whatever, Sin Cara's angelic white entrance wear, or Kevin Owens' standard-issue black-on-black. It's a sturdy, reliable image, far better than the stream. Score one for Blu-ray over digital.

WWE: WrestleMania XXXII Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

WrestleMania XXXII features the standard-issue Dolby Digital 5.1 track. It more than satisfies the program's needs. Crowd cheers are a little muffled and lacking distinction, and there's not a lot of serious immersion; surrounds often sound like they're offering cursory support rather than carrying an immersive load. Wrestler intro music is a little more energetic, clear and heavy on surround details. The varied beats that play one after another when Ziggler, The Miz, Zayn, Stardust, Sin Cara, Ryder, and Owens are announced make for a nice variety of styles and reveal the track's range, whether, for example, Zayn's more airy notes or the sharper and heavier Owens beats. Ladder clanks, bell rings, and stomps and crashes onto the mat present with satisfying general detail and presence. Ringside commentary enjoys fine clarity and prioritization, as do backstage interviews, interlude segments, and in-ring taunts and screams. The track is a little uneven, with bits and pieces seemingly better defined or more energized here and there, but it gets the job done without much room for complaint, beyond that it appears WWE audio engineers have attempted to dampen the boos on Reigns' introduction, and there are certainly more "cheers" to be heard here than when he won the title live to a chorus of boos. Sound quality is noticeably uneven and muddy as he walks into the ring.

WWE: WrestleMania XXXII Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

WrestleMania XXXII contains extras on both Blu-ray discs. Disc one contains three pre-show matches and most of disc two is dedicated to the 2016 Hall of Fame ceremony. All extras are presented in 1080i high definition.

Disc One:

• WWE United States Championship Match (9:04): Kalisto vs. Ryback.
• Kickoff Show Match (8:40): Total Divas vs. B.A.D. & Blonde.
• Kickoff Show Match (7:40): The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz.

Disc Two:

• Hall of Fame Ceremony (3:36:14): The class of 2016 is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
• Fighting for a Legacy (Blu-ray Exclusive) (3:59): A quick look at Shane McMahon's career, feud with his family, and match with The Undertaker.

WWE: WrestleMania XXXII Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Suffice it to say, WrestleMania XXXII wasn't the WWE at its best. In hindsight, looking back now several weeks and one Pay-Per-View removed from it, it feels like a transition event. Payback was a much better show and delivered on the promise of moving the WWE in a new direction. Little from WrestleMania still feels all that relevant, but if it is indeed the last page from a different era, it should hold some value as a historical curiosity. WWE Home Video's Blu-ray release of WrestleMania XXXII improves greatly on the streamed WWE Network experience. Extras are slim outside of the Hall of Fame ceremony. Recommended, and remember that Best Buy is carrying this release in collectible Steelbook packaging, the second such WWE title following the Dudley Boyz Steelbook.