Rugby World Cup - Greatest Moments - 2003 DVD > Reviews > Rugby World Cup 2003 - Greatest moments

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
How does it compare to similar films?	Not applicable

Advantages:	Some great action for rugby fans, Extras are very good
Disadvantages:	A Little rushed, Too much time spent on opening ceremony

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

With the Rugby world cup 2007 fast approaching, I decided to root out this DVD, which I had bought as part of a set of four after the 2003 event. As a big Rugby union fan, I definately enjoyed this DVD, which features all the best tries, tackles, kicks and performances from the wonderful tournament. However it does feel a little rushed, and way too much time is spent watching the highlights of the opening ceremony. The rugby action is good, but the chapters can sometimes look more like montages than actual rugby footage.

This DVD does feature the entire Wales vs New Zealand quarter final, widely regarded as one of the best games in rugby world cup histroy. This is a great bonus, as the game is brilliant from the first minute to the last, a truly great game.

THE DVD

Released just after the end of the 2003 world cup, this DVD shows all the greatest rugby moments, from dazzling individual tries to massive, bone-crunching tackles. The DVD is set out in chapters, with each one lasting around 10-15 minutes and focusing on one aspect of the tournament. These chapters are:

Opening Ceremony - A look at the ceremony which got the tournament underway.

The kicks - All the best kicks from some of the greatest in the world. Drop goals, spot kicks and even punts are shown.

The tries - The best individual tries ,as well as some of the most team crafted tries. There are some great ones on here, from the likes of Joe Rokocoko and Jason Robinson

Game breakers (playmakers) - The special players that can turn a game in favour of their team, with moments of magic. ( Johnny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll, Frederic Michelek and others are shown)

The final - The best moments from that memorable game between Austrailia and England at the Telstra stadium. The game is not shown in great detail, as the company making this DVD also released one with the entire final on.

The fans - A montage about the great support that was shown for all the teams.

The memories - A look back at what will be remembered from the tournament.

Theses chapters are fast paced, and so you get to see as much rugby action as possible in the short space of time. This keeps the DVD interesting and exciting, as no single try or tackle is shown for long periods of time. However, this means that the highlights can often look like just montages, which some people do not like. This is the main reason why this DVD has recieved some bad reviews elsewhere.

The other main problem with this DVD is that too much time is spent on looking at the non-rugby features, for example the opening ceremony and the fans. These chapters are not great to watch, I usaually skip them, and so it would be better if more time had been used showing some of the brilliant rugby that was on display throughout the tournament.

This DVD is also not for those who are looking for a review of the tournament from an english (or any other nations) point of view. The DVD aims to look at the tournament from a neutral spectators point of view, and so does not heavily feature any teams world cup campaign. (For those looking for an eEnglish point of view, look for 'Englands Story' by the same company)

EXTRAS

This DVD features the entire Wales vs New Zealand game, which is a great bonus, and probably worth the money alone, as this is a great game from start to finish, with Wales pushing the tournament favourites all the way in a twelve try thriller. I have watched this game several times and never get tired of it, as it is a very exciting game, which really encapsulates what the rugby world cup is all about.

CONCLUSION

Although I can see why this DVD has recieved some bad reviews elsewhere, I would definately reccommend it to rugby fans, and those looking to relive the great moments of the world cup. It is a little rushed, and too much time is spent on the non-rugby features, however is does contain some great fast paced rugby, and the Wales vs New Zealand game is a true great. For the price that it can be picked up for today, it is definately worth a second look.