• Aspect Ratio: 1:78:1
• Video Codec: AVC MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
• Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Region: A (B? C?)
  
• Rating: Not Rated
• Run Time: 176 Mins.
• Discs: 2 (1 x Blu-ray + 1 x DVD)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• Blu-ray Release Date: July 24th, 2012
• List Price: $34.99

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Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)

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The Film

[Rating:4.5/5]

Los Angeles Kings: Stanley Cup Champions 2012 documents thejourney the Los Angeles Kings went through battling the Vancouver Canucks, the St. Louis Blues, the Phoenix Coyotes, and ultimately the New Jersey Devils before being crowned the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions. Along the way, we’re given access to the team’s historic run via interviews with players, coaches and former Kings legends. What results is a documentary that, regardless of ones interest in the sport of hockey, anyone can really enjoy as this is a pure example of the underdog winning.

As the 2011-2012 NHL season began, very few pegged the Los Angeles Kings as Stanley Cup favorites, let alone playoff contenders. Rising up against all odds, playing out as that underdog story everyone seems to love, the team banded together shocking the hockey universe. This historic ride is expertly captured here in this 2012 Stanley Cup documentary. Warner has put together the kind of documentary that anyone can really enjoy. The footage/interviews flow into one another perfectly creating the kind of excitement where we want to keep watching, even though we know the eventual outcome.

Video Quality

[Rating:4/5]

This 1:78:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer is solid for the material at hand. Mixing in both live action games with archival interviews, the two different stock footages both blend into each other quite well. The archived clips do lack a bit of clarity to them, but that’s kind of expected. The newer interview sequences have a good amount of depth and clarity to them. Colors seem spot on in these moments, while flesh tones and textures are accurate. There is a bit of film grain in the older clips, but nothing that becomes overly obtrusive. All in all, fans will be pleased with what Warner has put together here.

Audio Quality

[Rating:4/5]

Arriving with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, this mix suits the hockey genre well. Dialogue, whether the announcers calling the action during the game, the varying interviews, or the voice over during the documentary, is well reproduced throughout via the center channel. There is a sense of atmosphere during some of the games, as we hear the puck being slapped, players being smashed into the glass, as well as their skates hitting the ice. Lows are mostly absent, with the exception of a few musical keys that add in some low-end. For the genre at hand, this track is just fine.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:2.5/5]

The included supplements are featured in a mix of High Definition and Standard Definition:

• Because It’s The Cup TV Series – A total of 6 (running 3:34 in length) brief spots are shown where teams state the importance of the Stanley Cup.
• NHL Network Interviews – Steve Mears, broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins, hosts a series of interviews (totaling about 27 minutes in length) complied before the Western Conference Finals with key players from the Kings.
• Behind the Scenes with the Stanley Cup – This runs a brief 2:15 and shows ‘Keeper of the Cup’ Phil Pritchard polishing the cup in his hotel room.
• Top 10 Los Angeles Kings Highlights – 3:58 worth of Top 10 moments are shown.
• Extended Locker Room Celebration – This runs 3:03 and is, as it states, an extended locker room celebration.
• In-Game Wireless Features – Exclusive to Blu-ray, this runs 9:43 and gives us a bit of insight into the game from a few mic’d up players.
• Extended Los Angeles Parade – Akin to the above celebration, this shows more of the parade.
• Extended Interviews and Personal Stories – Roughly 10 minutes of deeper interviews are shown where coaches Barry Melrose and Luc Robitalle speak on how they brought this team together.
• 5-minute Power Play from Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final – Perhaps one of the best aspects included in this supplemental package, is this full 5-minute Power Play from Game 6 of the Finals. It’s this Power Play that, ultimately, changed the direction of the game in the favor of The Los Angeles Kings.
• Stanley Cup Final Game 6 Postgame Press Conference – This runs 4:15 and features a few comments from players after their monumental win.

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:3.5/5]

Being the first championship in franchise history, the Los Angeles Kings made an unlikely trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, ultimately winning it all. Equally impressive is Warner’s Blu-ray, capturing their journey each step of the way. Fans of both hockey and the team will want to add this Blu-ray to their collection immediately.

Additional Screen Captures

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Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]

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