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UFC 100: Making History Blu-ray Review |
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UFC 100: Making History Blu-ray
Mir vs. Lesnar Starz / Anchor Bay | 2009 | 230 mins | Not rated | Oct 20, 2009
UFC 100: Making History Blu-ray ReviewAn historic UFC knocks its way onto Blu-ray.Reviewed by Martin Liebman, November 24, 2009 Never has there been a buzz like there is tonight. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has evolved from a curiosity that debuted in Denver, Colorado on November 13, 1993 to a crowd of 2,800 to a dominant sport across the American landscape and, indeed, around the world. In but 15 short years and through 100 UFC tournaments, the sport has produced an incredible array of talent and, by extension, a legion of fans that can't get enough of the sport's hardcore but honest and real fights. UFC doesn't pander to its audiences or base its very existence of fictitious story lines and rigged outcomes; from Royce Gracie to Brock Lesnar and all the champions in between, the sport's best earn their belts the old fashioned way: through dedication to their sport, hard work in the gym, and by besting their opponent in the Octagon. Fans crave more not necessarily for the hard-hitting knockouts or blood-splattered mat, but for the integrity of the fights, the sportsmanship the fighters, and, yes, the spectacle of the best of the best squaring off for a three- or five-round punishing fight that pits highly trained and perfectly conditioned men one against another in the ultimate in hardcore sport. UFC 100, a milestone in number but also a wonderful example of what UFC is all about, took place in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 11, 2009 with thousands in attendance and more than a million watching around the world, the event cementing the sport's rapid evolution and stature as not only spectacle but a legitimate sporting enterprise with an ever-growing and devoted fan base eager for the next 100 Ultimate Fighting Championships -- and beyond.
Fortunately, this historic UFC delivered the goods inside the Octagon in addition to the pomp and circumstance surrounding the sport's 100th event. UFC 100 featured a broad array of match-ups with various levels of appeal and outcomes; it served up fights that lasted less than a minute (Dollaway vs. Lawlor), full three- and five-round classics (Kim vs. Grant & St-Pierre vs. Alves), bloody battles (Danzig vs. Miller), and of course, major title fights between superstars with implications that extended well beyond the Octagon (Lesnar vs. Mir). The nearly four-hour event as depicted herein contains not only the fights but also pre- and post-fight analysis and, for some of the bigger fights, extended interview clips with the fighters and their entrances into the Octagon presented in full. As the evening advances through the Preliminary card fights and into the Main card confrontations and the final two championship bouts featuring superstars Georges St-Pierre, Thiago Alves, Brock Lesnar, and Frank Mir, the crowd fills in and the fights become more than mere bouts between warriors: UFC 100 becomes a spectacle, though once the fights begin, it all fades into the ethers and the best of the best of UFC square off for two of the most intense and exciting match-ups the sport has ever seen. After 100 UFC events, it seems time to recognize the broadcasting tandem of play-by-play man Mike Goldberg and color commentator Joe Rogan. They bring to the table a wide range of knowledge on the fighters and their styles which helps both newcomers become familiar with the techniques each fighter attempts to implement into their fights and better understand the hows and the whys of many of the outcomes. They pull no punches in their comments, both praising a style or questioning a fighter's methods based on history and skill; for example, they question TJ Grant's approach in his bout with Dong-hyun Kim, and in Kim's post-fight interview, he's asked about Grant's approach and whether or not Grant's fighting to Kim's strength was a factor in Kim's victory. Their comments add some depth to the experience that casual fans might find lacking amidst the punching and grappling, and it also reinforces that UFC is more than two men pounding one another into submission. There's style, skill, and technique behind each fight, and while every bout organically evolves into its own identity and moves beyond the fighters' preset plan of attack with every punch, kick, and takedown, there remains an underlying depth and purpose to each fighter's approach inside the Octagon, all well-evidenced by the collection of eleven heart-stopping fights that comprise UFC's centennial event. The following fights comprise UFC 100: Grive vs. Gugerty Dollaway vs. Lawlor Kim vs. Grant Jones vs. O'Brien Danzig vs. Miller Coleman vs. Bonnar Akiyama vs. Belcher Fitch vs. Thiago Henderson vs. Bisping St-Pierre vs. Alves Lesnar vs. Mir Video  UFC 100: Making History debuts on Blu-ray with a good 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Like the other recent UFC/Starz releases -- Ultimate Knockouts 7 and Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights, the quality isn't going to compete with a newly-minted, big-budget feature-length film, but the event delivers a clear, nicely detailed, and abundantly colorful viewing experience. UFC 100, like its other high definition brethren, offers a fine array of nicely rendered hues. Whether the Bud Light advertisement that's seen in the center of the Octagon, the brightly-colored shorts worn by the competitors, or the bright red blood dripping from Mac Danzig's forehead, the disc never misses a beat in color reproduction. Detail is appropriately high across the entire spectrum, from freckles and tattoos on fighters to advertisements on the competitors' shorts. Graphics -- whether the countdown clock or the "tale of the tape" introductions that list a fighter's place of birth, height, weight, age, and reach -- are sharp and nicely rendered. All in all, UFC 100: Making History delivers a pleasing high definition experience within the context of its original presentation. Audio UFC 100: Making History features a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack, available both in English and Spanish. Despite the limited source, it offers a crystal-clear presentation in every facet. There's a nice sense of reverberation when Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer belts out the names of the combatants. Background chatter and ambience throughout the Mandalay Bay Events Center spreads out nicely across the front, particularly as the crowd grows and becomes more rowdy when the Main card and title fights draw near. The buzzer that announces the end of a round has a nice sharp edge to it. Finally, the announcers' voices are crisp and clear, focused straight up the middle but intelligible and perfectly fine for the material. The 2.0 channel presentation leaves the presentation sounding a bit cramped, but it's suitable for what it is. Supplements  UFC 100: Making History features several bonus features. Countdown (1080i, 40:56) is a good pre-event piece that looks not only at the upcoming fights but the history of the men about to step inside the Octagon. Behind the Scenes (1080i, 21:21) features a look at the pre-fight weigh-ins and trash talking, event rehearsals, the technology implemented to bring the event to viewers around the world, the fighters' arrivals and preparations, and much more. Also included is Promos (1080i, 3:05), a collection of advertisements for UFC.com, UFC: Best of 2008, UFC: Ultimate Comebacks and additional UFC DVDs; and BSN (1080i, 0:37), an advertisement for Syntha-6 protein drink. This disc is also BD Touch enabled, a feature that allows for control of the disc via an iPod Touch or iPhone equipped with BD Touch software. Final words A night to remember, UFC 100: Making History was not only a celebration of the sport's 100th UFC event, but it delivered a full array of classic bouts that span the entire spectrum of what the sport has to offer. From short and sweet victories to full five-round title bouts, from bloodied warriors to a pair of champions squaring off for the most coveted of titles, the event lived up to its billing and has quickly solidified itself as one of the best UFCs in the sport's short but storied history. This Starz/Zuffa Blu-ray release contains every fight in its entirety in addition to several solid behind-the-scenes bonus features. Along with good audio and video presentations, UFC 100: Making History comes recommended for fans. 
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