Review of WWE: Wrestlemania XXI

Introduction

In pro wrestling terms, the phrase "Grand-daddy of them all" used to be reserved for WCW`s annual Starrcade event. But long before the demise of WCW, Wrestlemania had taken over that mantle as the biggest event of the year. And even if the late 1980s remain the heyday for wrestling, Wrestlemania as an extravaganza continues to get bigger.

This year subtitled "Wrestlemania Goes Hollywood", owing to the fact that the event was held in Los Angeles, California (on 3rd April, 2005), there was an avid crowd at the Staples Centre for what promised to be an excellent event. Aside from the side-show Women`s title match & the Sumo bout between The Big Show & Sumo Grand Champion Akebono, every match on the card had the potential to add to the show. And, as is tradition, Wrestlemania played host to the culmination of the year`s biggest feud, in this case the bout between World Champion Triple-H & former protégé Batista.

Video

As we have come to expect from WWE DVD releases, video is presented in 4:3 non-anamorphic PAL, which is as good as we have come to expect from a WWE digital television broadcast. In this instance however - since Wrestlemania lasts for four hours rather than the obligatory three - the action is spread over two discs, with 160 minutes on the first and the remaining 80 on the second. Although this is not ideal, one must credit the WWE for making this decision, as having the entire event on one disc would have had serious implications on the quality of this transfer.

Audio

Audio on this disc is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is standard fare for WWE releases, and again is comparable to the original digital television broadcast. There are no audio sync issues and commentary is clear at all times. Interestingly, also contained are 2.0 soundtracks in German, Italian & Spanish. This is a departure from most WWE releases, where the only alternative is a Spanish track.

Features

If there is one thing that the WWE do well, consistently, it`s their extras packages. Whilst today`s wrestling action isn`t to everyone`s palate, it is undeniable that a tremendous amount of thought & effort goes in to their DVD extras and this, more than just being an example of that, may be the best package that they have produced so far.

The main extra is the now-annual WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony which, frankly, is an absolute treat. This year`s inductees were "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr, Nicolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik, "Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper & Hulk Hogan. This event is beautifully presented in true Oscars-style pomp, with video tributes to each inductee, followed by a short speech by an illustrious inductor (such as Bobby Heenan for Paul Orndorff, or even Sylvester Stallone for Hulk Hogan!) & of course a further speech from the new inductee himself. Lasting nearly 150 minutes, long-time fans may revel in this celebration of old-school wrestling more than they do in the 2005 Wrestlemania itself. And considering the length of this "extra", many of those will find justification in buying this DVD set for the Hall of Fame ceremony alone.

Still, this is certainly not the only worthwhile extra here. Also presented are the "Wrestlemania Goes Hollywood" movie parodies that were such hits with fans in the build up to the event. Thus we have WWE Diva Stacy Keibler in Sharon Stone`s "Basic Instinct" role, Booker T & Eddie Guerrero in "Pulp Fiction" mode, and Eugene in the guise of "Forrest Gump". Well crafted and very funny, this is a very worthwhile extra.

Also included are promotional vignettes for three of the biggest matches of the evening: J.B.L vs John Cena, Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle, and Triple-H vs Batista. There is also a blooper reel from the aforementioned movie parodies.

Conclusion

Wrestlemania has been the biggest wrestling event in the calendar since it`s MTV-inspired inception in 1985. Twenty years on, Wrestlemania XXI was one of the very best WWE pay-per-views in years. Of particular note were the individual performances of Chris Benoit & Shelton Benjamin, but also the wonderful bout between Shawn Michaels & Kurt Angle & the surprisingly good encounter featuring Randy Orton & The Undertaker. The presence of a WWE Hall of Fame inductee is also a pleasant and entertaining surprise.

This, coupled with such a marvellous set of extras, sets this DVD set apart as probably the very best that I have seen from the WWE, which is a place above mighty high company.