The Perfect Game (2008/Image Blu-ray)/Minnesota Twins 1991 World Series Collector’s Edition (A&E DVD Box Set)/Top Gear – The Complete First Season: U.S. Version (2010/BBC DVD set)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-/C+/C+     Extras: C+/D/C     Main Programs: C+/B+/C+

 

 

And now a look at titles with a sports interest…

 

 

Based on an actual story and believable for once, William Dear’s The Perfect Game (2008) has the underrated Clifton Collins Jr. as a major league baseball player leaving his career early and returning to his hometown in Mexico in the mid-1950s when he becomes involved with a group of young kids who love baseball.  With the help of a priest (Cheech Marin), they form a little league team and fight to be in major Little League competition, which takes them to the 1957 Little League World Series.

 

Though not a shocker or a project making some big statement, it is a well-done piece that is family friendly, loves baseball and can even be fun, with Collins in one of his better roles of late.  Marin is funny as usual, Bruce McGill and Louis Gossett, Jr. have good turns and the mostly unknown cast is very good.  It is worth a look for those interested.

 

The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image seems to be shot digitally, but has motion blur, color range limits and some other minor issues (some from styling on purpose) that hold the image back more often than expected.  Otherwise, the look is consistent.  The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is better with some good surrounds, but there are also times where this is more like a simple stereo mix and it is set in a quieter past, so the sound design follows that.

 

Extras include promos for Little League, a Behind-The-Scenes featurette, Trailer and feature length audio commentary track by Dear.

 

 

A&E’s Minnesota Twins 1991 World Series Collector’s Edition is the latest in their DVD Box set series of multi-disc collector’s editions that simply offer the entire game nonstop, a 7 DVD set offering all seven games, as this is how long this one ran.  A sticker on the package says ESPN (at least at the time?) said this was “The Greatest World Series Ever” and even as a non-fan, I have to admit that this was a good one.  The set and game run over 19 hours, so you will not be bored.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is from analog NTSC tape and looks good for its age with only minor aliasing and staircasing, but the transfer is fine otherwise, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is what you would expect for a game with location audio and voice over commentary, so the combination is nice and faithful to the recording and I could not imagine this one being much better.  There are no extras, but the slimcases have sleeves once again plastered with statistics.

 

For more key World Series releases, try these links (which have more links):

 

Pirates 1960 DVD + San Francisco 2010 DVD set

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10798/Baseball%E2%80%99s+Greatest+Ga

 

2005 White Sox DVD set

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3177/World+Series+2005:+The+Chicago

 

2008 Philadelphia Blu-ray

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8061/2008+Philadelphia+Phillies+%E2%80%

 

 

 

Finally we have Top Gear – The Complete First Season: U.S. Version (2010) which is an attempt to recreate the wildly successful U.K. series (already in its own second version, reviewed elsewhere on this site on Blu-ray and DVD) with three young guys (Adam Ferrera, Tanner Foust and Rutledge Wood) trying to fill the shoes of the British cast.  Though they take on some Supercars, they also try to mix it up with HALO jumpers, Cobra Helicopters and the like as the other show might, yet this feels like a bored copy of the U.K., show too often.

 

The hosts know what they are talking about, but over-explain things and even come across as slightly condescending in the process, likely unintentionally.  However, they do get some name people as guest car riders (Tony Hawk, Buzz Aldrin, Michele Rodriguez, Kid Rock, Dominic Monaghan, etc.) and we even have wild stunt drive The Stig.  However, this juts cannot compete with the U.K. show and what they should do instead is come up with a new style and approach because there is talent here.  It is just restricted by imitation.  There are 10 episodes here over 3 DVDs.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is colorful at times, but seems softer than a new HD recording should be, though this is only DVD, so this is a weak tradedown.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is also good, but not great and so the sound at its best is not what you would want with the best vehicles, especially something so simple and lossy.  Extras include Webisodes, Audio Commentary and Poolside Chat segment with the trio.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo