Review of Pride FC Hardcore Knockouts Vol. 1

Introduction

"Hardcore Knockouts" is the first in a DVD series containing clips of some of the best knockouts that have ever occurred in PRIDE events, going all the way back to the inaugural event in 1997. This DVD concentrates on six of the most exciting PRIDE fighters: Fedor Emilianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Filipovic, Igor Vovchanchyn, Chuck Liddell & Quinton Jackson. There is also a highlights package including spectacular action from Don Frye, Ken Shamrock, and the frightening Bob Sapp.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 non-anamorphic PAL, and is generally excellent for a DVD of this genre. The earlier PRIDE events suffer slightly from the softness of the video, but the events covered from 2000-present are immaculate. Of lesser note is the fact that the introduction to each fighter is hampered a little by the poor video quality. For some reason, it appears quite heavily MPEG-compressed, possibly so that high-quality video could be used for the match clips.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and, during the various bouts, is more than acceptable for this genre. Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of stereo separation, meaning that - with the American participants at least - you can actually discern what one fighter`s corner is saying over the other.

What was not so impressive, however, was the audio quality in the aforementioned introductions to each fighter. Whilst the audio is always intelligible, it is not of DVD standard, leading me to believe that - much like the video for the introductions - it has also been heavily compressed.

Features

Extras on this disc are standard on PRIDE DVDs. Therefore, we have the short "What Is PRIDE?" documentary (which, despite its brevity, is still worthwhile for first-time viewers), a list of the PRIDE rules, a glossary of fight terms, and a "Greatest Hits" photo gallery. These extras are adequate considering that the main feature itself lasts almost two hours.

Conclusion

When I was asked to review this disc by the DVD Reviewer big-wigs, I came to it with some trepidation. I enjoy PRIDE & mixed martial arts in general, but a lot of the entertainment for me comes from knowing the characters of the fighters, what style they may employ, how the seek to defeat their opponent. I was concerned that a DVD built from a large number of clips would have no fluidity, that just seeing the knockout rather than the build-up to it would lessen the experience.

However, all of my fears were very soon dispelled by what was offered on this disc. In particular, the action involving Mirko "Cro-cop" Filipovic (so called because of his former work as a police officer) is stunning, not only brutal to watch but staggeringly well-executed for such a big guy. This is not to underestimate the contribution to the DVD of the other fighters however, as overall the action is superb.

If you having more than a passing interest in mixed martial arts, you simply must own this DVD!