The most underrated person we have ever had in this business.
"Edge." Angular, sharp, dangerous. That's a pretty cool name for a professional wrestler, and it's epically cool when it's
attached to one Adam
Copeland, an unassuming Canadian who would transform himself into one of the best, most polished, and popular wrestlers of
his -- or any --
generation. He might not have the wide star appeal of a Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or John Cena, but the recently-retired Edge is known to
dedicated wrestling fans as
one of sports entertainment's finest performers, a true legend of the sport, and a good, honest ambassador for the
professional wrestling world. An
innovator, a thinker, and unafraid of new challenges inside the ring and out, Edge personifies all that's good about
professional wrestling, even as he
absolutely embraced his "heel" -- or "villain" -- role, living his childhood dream alongside life-long best-friend Christian and
pulling younger,
just-as-hungry up-and-coming wrestlers up into the spotlight even as severe injury pulled him away. Now an actor but forever a squared ring icon, this is the story of
Edge as it's never been
told before.
Worth knowing.
Adam Copeland, now to be forever known as "Edge," grew up an average Canadian boy, obsessed with G.I. Joe and KISS. He
was shaped by his love
of music and hockey, but when his uncle passed away in a tragic accident, Adam took up another hobby: watching and acting
out professional
wrestling with his best friend Jay Reso, now better known as "Christian." Adam attended WrestleMania VI where he watched
Hulk Hogan in action,
and he knew his future would be found in the square ring. Adam won an essay contest at Sully's Gym, a win that granted him
professional training
in
the art of professional wrestling. He wrestled locally in small arenas to even smaller crowds, often losing money in the
process, but his perseverance
would pay off when he received a call with a contract offer to wrestle under the bright lights of the WWE. Adam was an
instant success. He
developed his "Edge" persona and formed a tag team with his friend Christian, a tag team that would win belts and form a
classic rivalry with the
Hardy Boyz. Edge's career blossomed in the tag team world, but his solo career would shape his legend. A personal feud
with Matt Hardy, incredible
matches with Mick Foley and The Undertaker, and a major player in the development of "money in the bank" and "tables,
ladders, and chairs"
matches would solidify Edge as a force to be reckoned with in the annals of professional wrestling, but neck injuries would
ultimately come to shape
his future both in the sport and out of the square ring.
As both a biography and a WWE Blu-ray release, You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge captures the quality
fans have come to expect
of WWE titles. More on the technical elements in a bit. The feature film plays briskly and evenly. It follows the same basic
structure as seen in the
other biographical releases, chronicling the star's rise to wrestling prominence and honestly examining his career positives
and negatives with equal
time and candor. The film truly brings out the "real" Edge, the man behind the "cool" and muscle and skill and the "Rated R
Superstar" and
"Ultimate Opportunist" monickers audiences know and love him for in the ring. This film shows Edge as an humble,
intelligent, balanced, genuine,
and down-to-earth person who loves life and prides himself on his dedication, health, and skill. The film weaves together his
tale from childhood to
wrestling
retirement, intermixing images of Edge living in a beautifully idyllic area of Asheville, North Carolina with scenes from his
wrestling career. Edge
himself, his mother, fellow wrestlers, and people who shaped his life and career all speak throughout the picture and develop
the narrative in a way
voiceover and video alone cannot. The film will leave audiences impressed with the man but also understanding that
professional wrestling is a real
business and a very real sport which requires of its would-be participants dedication, smarts, skill, and a few good breaks to
make it to the
top, not just a pretty face and
a muscular physique, neither of which hurt and both of which Edge enjoys in addition to his other talents. This is a total,
enthralling glimpse into a
wrestling life that no WWE fan
should miss.
Disc One Matches:
Career Match: Adam Impact vs. Christian Cage. South Indian Lake -- 1995. With Edge and Matt Stryker audio
commentary.
4-Team Elimination Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship: Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. T&A
vs. Too
Cool. King of the Ring -- June 25, 2000.
No Disqualification Match: Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero. Smackdown -- September 26, 2002.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Edge vs. Randy Orton. RAW -- July 19, 2004.
Loser Leaves RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Edge vs. Matt Hardy. RAW -- October 3, 2005.
Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match for the WWE Championship: Edge vs. John Cena. Unforgiven -- September 17,
2006.
Disc Two Matches:
Street Fight: Edge vs. Shawn Michaels. RAW -- January 22, 2007.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Edge vs. Undertaker. WrestleMania XXIV. March 30, 2008.
Pick Your Poison Match: Edge vs. Christian. RAW -- May 17, 2010.
Fatal 4-Way TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Edge vs. Kane vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto
Del Rio. TLC: Tables,
Ladders & Chairs -- December 19, 2010.
World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match: Edge vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Big Show vs. Kane vs.
Drew McIntyre vs.
Wade Barrett. Elimination Chamber -- February 20, 2011.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio. WrestleMania XXVII -- April 3, 2011.
You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge debuts on Blu-ray with a WWE-typical 1080i high definition transfer. If
this one lacks, it might be
that it looks just the slightest bit soft in places. The interview clips don't appear quite as sharp as either the high definition
wrestling clips or the HD
interview
footage from previous WWE biographies, but the image enjoys a stable, steady appearance that serves the material well. The
image looks at its best in
those outdoor Asheville scenes which show Edge outside his home and boating down river, where rocks and trees appear sharp
and very nicely defined.
Additionally, those same interview segments as described above take on an evidently warmish tint, but colors appear accurate
in wrestling clips, scenes
of Edge giving a
radio interview at a Canadian station (nicknamed "The Edge," oddly enough), and other scattered non-sitdown scenes.
Banding is minimal, ditto
aliasing, but some viewers may note some errant scan lines throughout. Still, this is a quality, nice-looking presentation that's
not the best WWE has
ever produced, but that is rather representative of the general sort of quality fans can expect, particularly in the HD wrestling
matches.
You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge contains a fairly routine, very basic Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. This one
consists almost entirely
of dialogue. The spoken word -- whether in interview clips, radio sound bytes, or in-ring action -- plays cleanly and naturally
through the center channel.
Music generally plays with a light sensation, offering listeners a fair sense of space across the front in addition to suitable
clarity. Music in chapter
eighteen does find a
little more body and energy, as well as some surround support, but such is the exception to the rule. The various wrestling
scenes from throughout
Edge's career feature light crowd ambience that mostly remains around the front half of the soundstage; never does the
listener feel immersed into the
environments during the main program. In general, this is an unremarkable presentation, but it's fine for what it is and all it
has to offer.
You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge is another rock-solid biography from WWE. The film has everything
audiences expect, including
honest interviews, a total overview of a storied career, video highlights, a quick pace, a captivating narrative, and plenty of full-
length bonus
matches that shaped Edge's career. As is typical with WWE releases, it's very well put together and worth every penny. The
Blu-ray release features
solid 1080i video, a typical WWE Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and a nice assortment of extras, including a few exclusive to
Blu-ray on disc two. All WWE
fans should be quick about adding this fine release to their Blu-ray collections. Highly recommended.
