The DVD Dissection: American Gladiators - The Battle Begins
Posted by Chad Webb on 07.29.2009
Read the review that will leave you zapped!
Mike Adamle: Himself/Host
Danny Lee Clark: Nitro
Jim Starr: Laser
Raye Hollitt: Zap
Michael M. Horton: Gemini
Sha-Ri Pendleton: Blaze
Marisa Pare: Lace
Tonya Knight: Gold
David Nelson: Titan
Deron McBee: Malibu
Directed By: Bob Levy
DVD Release Date: July 14, 2009
Running Time: 840 minutes
The Show
American Gladiators was a show that ran from 1989 to 1996 that took a cast of amateur athletes and put them against one another while also facing the show's "gladiators" at the same time. They would compete in various contests that measure strength, endurance, and agility. Up until 1991, the show was taped at Universal Studios in Hollywood, and after that year, it moved into its own Gladiator Arena.
American Gladiators was conducted in a tournament style format until season 6. Each episode would consist of two contenders from each gender. The first two seasons would gather 20 contenders, 10 male and 10 female, for each half of the season. Then, at the end of the season, the four finalists from each half would meet to determine the Grand Champion. Frequently, alternates would have to be used because winners sustaining injuries and so forth. This happens quite a few times in this season's set. Some of these guys and gals were very fortunate.
Now for the list of events and gladiators. In this first season the events were as follows. The Wall is self-explanatory. Contenders would race against each other and the first to climb to the top obtained the most points. Assault had the contenders trying to shoot a target while trying to avoid the gladiator who was shooting at them at the same time from a heightened area. Powerball combined the skills of basketball and football as contenders attempted to dodge gladiators on a field by placing balls in baskets. The Joust is also self-explanatory. Breakthrough and Conquer was two events rolled into one. Breakthrough had the contender trying to score a touchdown against one gladiator, but after that they would enter a wrestling circle and try to move a body part from the gladiator outside of the ring. The human cannonball is also obvious. Contenders try to knock gladiators off a pedestal via swinging like Tarzan. The final event was The Eliminator, an obstacle course that determined the winner.
Like many shows, American Gladiators was still finding its legs in the first season. They only had the above events, but anyone who watched the show regularly knows that the best events were yet to come. The games in this season would get somewhat repetitive after awhile. Another issue was the limited number of gladiators. Because the rules of certain events were in the process of being "ironed out", injuries would plague the gladiators, and since there was only 4 per gender, it had to become difficult for them at times. For this season, the gladiators were as follows: On the male side we have Nitro, Laser, Titan, and Gemini. For the females we had Zap, Lace, Blaze, and Gold. After the first half, Malibu and Sunny would be out due to bad injuries. In small minor appearances, you can also spot Jade and Bronco, who only participated in one episode each as replacements.
After watching all these episodes, it was no wonder why certain gladiators stood out from the pack. There is a reason Dan "Nitro" Clark remains the most popular gladiator to this day. Not only did he become a commentator in 1995, but his character of Nitro was also the most memorable. He was an arrogant, cocky, and confident person who had the skills to back it up. I commonly heard a chorus of boos directed at him, and I think it says a lot for how well he inhabited the character that he received those reactions. In terms of pure talent and athletic ability, Laser is at the top of the mountain. He was superb in almost every event on this set, and displayed the most consistency throughout the episodes. For the women, all had talent and looks, but it is hard to pick anyone but Zap as the most memorable and talented of the bunch. She was the full package.
One has to chuckle at the look of the show during the first half of season 1. Laser describes it as "archaic" in the commentary, but my term of choice is generic. Of course they didn't have a choice at this juncture did they? The sets, as well as the gear of the contenders, were very plain, and occasionally looked as if they were found in a dumpster. This is probably why this release is labeled "The Battle Begins" rather than "The Complete First Season." I am sure budgetary concerns, and the fact that the first half looked rather cheap, all played a part in condensing the first half into a fun highlight episode. The second half would feature the bright colored atmosphere we all know and adore. The commentators changed frequently during the series' run. Initially it was Joe Theisman joining Mike Adamle, but during the second half of this season, Todd Christensen would fill that void in all his oily haired glory. Larry Csonka, no I unfortunately do not mean the illustrious 411mania co-webmaster, would join the team in future seasons.
I love the fact that anyone felt the need to release American Gladiators on DVD. The popularity of the original series is understandable considering what the show stood for. It gave the "everyman" a chance to show the world what he had, and gave people the chance to compete one last time. I was an enormous fan of the show when I was young to the point that I had many of the action figures and playsets. Let me tell you those sets would break in under a week. The problem with this release is that the episodes are available on IMDB for free, Youtube for free, and even iTunes, so sales for this season will almost assuredly be low. I hope not though because I am looking forward to future seasons hitting stores!
The Episodes
DISC 1
First Half Highlight Show (Optional Commentary) - It doesn't take long to see why they made this a "highlight" portion for the DVD. The first half had sets that looked incredibly bland and resembled pieces of cardboard pulled out of the back of a closet. It does feature Malibu however, the main reason for buying this set. He was a chiseled Greek god looking surfer guy with big hair and big muscles. But as Nitro says on the commentary, he had skinny legs, and therefore got knocked around like a rag doll by some of the bigger contestants.
Preliminary Round 1 (Optional Commentary) - In an episode with odd names, you have J.C. Love vs. Richard and Susan vs. Zimbob. Yes, a woman named Zimbob. She's even asked about her name, and refuses to answer. Zimbob provides the most entertainment as she gets thrown around like a sack of potatoes, while on the men's side, the jousting is the best. Not that it matters who won here, but Richard and Susan won, though J.C. Love advanced through the losers bracket. Why is the losers bracket never explained?
Preliminary Round 2 - Here we have Rick vs. Carl and Joni vs. Gina. Gina resembles a toothpick, and it amazes me that she is not annihilated. The Powerball and jousting were awesome here. Gemini reveals he has had training in the latter event as a Marine. He makes quick work of most contenders. Here again, it does not matter who won because all four contenders advance. I want to see the loser's bracket match where Gina overcame the odds and advanced.
Preliminary Round 3 - Here we have a Playgirl cover guy in Lucian vs. Jim, a Marine. You also have Suzanne vs. Bridget. This is the beginning of how Lucian gets knocked around in each round he's in. In powerball, Titan gives him an extra shove in the face. In the wall it was interesting to hear how much experience Laser had in climbing. He moves quickly up there. On the women's side, Breakthrough & Conquer was rather rough. In the jousting, Nitro loses his stick, and Lucian keeps hitting him, so Nitro throws them both off. Hilarious stuff. Everyone but Suzanne advances.
Preliminary Round 4 - In this episode we have John vs. Erick and Cheryl Ann vs. Christine. Cheryl Ann was certainly a highlight of the women's bracket. She has a big bright smile, and is incredibly strong. Their Powerball event was great. For the men, you have John, who sounds like Rocky Balboa every time he speaks. The men have a nice Powerball as well, and you also see a nice hit in the Eliminator. Cheryl Ann and Erick win, while Christine advances as well.
DISC 2
Preliminary Round 5 - Here we have Elden vs. Bruce for the gentlemen, and Wendy vs. Christine for the men. Elden was the oldest contestant at the time. In a commentary for a later episode, Nitro says he was one of the dirtiest contenders as he would be increasingly aggressive, but have an "Awww shucks" attitude. In this episode, one can tell how awkward the interviews are when after Gold successfully defends herself in the Conquer ring, she has this exchange with Todd Christensen:
Todd: "Lot of satisfaction, Gold. I know this is your first year around and you're kind of feeling your way. Yet, you're awful tough in the wrestling match."
Gold: "Yeah, I guess all that wrestling with my boyfriend helped."
Ummm, yeah...sure. Wendy and Elden advance, and so does Christine through the loser's bracket.
Quarterfinal Round 1 - Here we have Elden vs. Rick and Joni vs. Christine. The Cannonball is particularly rough here as Elden gets disqualified for coming out of his tuck position. This is also the first time the “no tackling or holding” rule is enforced for Powerball. The event certainly suffers because of it. And Zap is always fun to watch during the joust. Joni and Elden advance.
Quarterfinal Round 2 - In this round we have Richard vs. Jim and Bridget vs. Gina. Thankfully, in this round we get to see Lace do the “Lace-o-motion” during Breakthrough. The contenders were a bit weaker here, and the gladiators dominated many events. Bridget knocks off all the gladiators during the Human Cannonball because she yells right before contact. Apparently it intimidates them. You also see a vicious joust between Jim and Titan where Titan’s helmet comes off! Bridget and Richard end up advancing.
Quarterfinal Round 3 - In this round we have Erick vs. JC Love and Cheryl Ann vs. Christine. Erick makes a terrific extension score in Powerball. Cheryl Ann mows down the gladiators in the female Powerball, which was quite entertaining. We also get an interview with the camera man during Assault since he gets hits regularly behind the gun. Cheryl Ann and JC Love advance.
Quarterfinal Round 4 (Optional Commentary) - For the last round on this disc we have Lucian vs. Carl and Wendy vs. Susan. The Wendy and Zap rivalry heats up as every event they have against each other is great. The joust is brutal; Zap gets ejected from Powerball after tackling Wendy, and kicks her during Conquer due to her top almost coming off. Wendy is easily one of the best female contenders, and has no trouble dominating, yet she complains about everything as if she is behind. Lucian once again has trouble with the gladiators as he rips Laser’s shirt in Conquer, and gets a shiner because of it. Lucian and Wendy advance in one of the best episodes of the season.
DISC 3
Semifinal Round 1 - In the first round of the semifinals we have Cheryl Ann vs. Bridget and JC Love vs. Lucian. During the joust between Titan and Lucian, a phony whistle is blown, and they both stop then begin again in a bizarre encounter. In the Assault, Bridget lands a nice last minute grenade throw. Cheryl Ann flexes her muscles as well, which was cool and also scary. Nitro kicks Lucian in the face during Conquer, but they make up shortly afterwards. Boy, the gladiators really beat the hell out of him. Bridget and Lucian advance, while the loser’s receive $2,500 each.
Semifinal Round 2 - Here we have Elden vs. Richard and Joni vs. Wendy. Midway through this event, Richard is replaced by Rick Herbst. It’s funny to hear the commentators criticize the gladiators in Powerball for being “winded” when the rules prohibit them from anything but shoving. Elden beats Gemini for the third straight time in the joust, which was exciting. Rick Herbst’s entrance had the crowd going, and Wendy actually picks Lace up and carries her out of the Conquer ring. Wendy and Elden advance, while the loser’s receive $2,500 each.
The Finals (Optional Commentary) - In the finals we have Lucian vs. Elden and Wendy vs. Bridget. Titan looks like he doesn’t care at this point (word is he was fired) as he ducks during the human cannonball, and during one of the Eliminators he steps aside at the end and never tries to block. During the women’s portion of Conquer, Zap has a T-shirt on because of Wendy trying to rip it off. Their joust is awesome. Bridget and Lucian advance in thrilling Eliminators. Wendy and Elden receive $5,000, while the winner got $10,000.
The Grand Championship - The champions of both halves battle it out as Lucian takes on Brian and Bridget takes on Tracy. This was just a terrific finale, and in the Breakthrough, Tracy gets robbed when her foot is clearly in bounds. The gladiators are definitely worn out and affected by injuries after a full season, but it was still gripping. I won’t spoil the ending. Watch for yourself.
The Video
This show is presented in full screen, which is just fine. I have always maintained that the picture quality of television shows on DVD is not all that important as long as it is adequate. I mean, who would go out of their way for American Gladiators on Blu-Ray? The transfer is basic, but that's all we should ask for anyway. I detected no grain that was glaring, nor any other noticeable issues.
The Audio
The sound department is also very average, but satisfactory. It is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and comes across just fine. I could understand the commentators, gladiators, and contestants very well, and my volume knob rested at a comfortable position. You will also find yourself humming Rocky composer Bill Conti's iconic theme for days after viewing.
The Packaging
American Gladiators: The Battle Begins is distributed in cardboard box with 2 slimline cases inside. One of the cases houses 2 discs, and the other only 1. Also included is a booklet with gladiator bio's and advertisements for Dan "Nitro" Clark's book. The menu screens are easy to navigate and include clips of the episodes on that disc.
The Extras
Audio Commentaries - As I said above, the episodes are available in their entirety on many sites, so the extras are the sole reason for buying this. It is worth the money to hear Dan "Nitro" Clark, Jim "Laser" Starr, and Raye "Zap" Hollitt reminiscing on memories from the show. They are a lot of fun to listen to, and in most cases, superior than the original commentaries. Occasionally they cover what is transpiring on that particular episode, but the topics veer wonderfully off course most of the time. I mean, how boring would it be if they simply watched and commented on the same events every time? Luckily, they all say whatever comes to their mind. You will pick up many tidbits of info that you never knew about, and at the same time, will wish you could have a beer with all three. Nitro would spectacular at parties. The only way the commentaries could have been better is the inclusion of Malibu, but he is certainly mentioned more than once by this trio.
Interview with Billy Wirth (9:48) - This interview is with semi-finalist Billy Wirth, a tremendous athlete during the first half of season 1 who held the record for some time of being the quickest on the Eliminator. He went on to become a writer, director, producer, and actor. He wrote and directed MacArthur Park, and was in The Lost Boys. Here he talks about his experiences and even covers his problem with Gemini.
The Show: 8.0/10.0
The Episodes: 7.5/10.0
The Video: 8.0/10.0
The Audio: 7.5/10.0
The Packaging: 8.5/10.0
The Extras: 8.0/10.0
The 411: American Gladiators - The Battle Begins is a great set to purchase for fans of the show. Watching this brought back many memories of my childhood. One really shouldn't watch the show in the manner I did, meaning as fast as possible, but to toss in an episode on a rainy day would be terrific entertainment. The technical specifications on the disc are adequate, and the extras that are included are quite enjoyable. I would have loved a featurette or two, but that's ok. I look forward to commentaries from other gladiators if future seasons arrive on shelves. Yes, you can watch these episodes online, or on ESPN Classic, but this DVD set is still a worthy purchase.
