The Last Dance (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

The Last Dance (Blu-ray) review

Studio: Disney/ESPN 
Release Date: November 10, 2019
Rating: TV-MA
Film: 5/5

Plot
The Last Dance chronicles the untold story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' dynasty. Never before seen footage and sound from the 1997-98 Championship season, plus, over 100 interviews with basketball's biggest names and other famous figures.

My Thoughts
There was a time in my life when I was a huge basketball fan. It started in the eighties when I played for my junior high school team and I had dreams of one day making it to the NBA. Unfortunately for me, I didn%u2019t hit my growth spurt until my junior year of high school and by that point I had moved on to other hobbies, namely, chasing skirts. Regardless, I also enjoyed watching the sport and it was a decade that saw the Lakers versus the Celtics nearly every year in the finals and how could you not love to watch Magic versus Bird? 

Around that time, I started following the college game as well and remember seeing Michael Jordan hit the game winning short inn the 1982 finals catapulting North Carolina to the national championship. You could see that this kid was going places, but no one other than Jordan himself ever believed he would reach the level of G.O.A.T. - Greatest of All Time. 

The Last Dance chronicles the last season of the 1997 Chicago Bulls team on its quest to win its sixth championship in eight years. Those who remember, Jordan took a two-year break to try and make it as a baseball player and ultimately came back to the sport that made him a household name and picked up right where he left off. There's no doubt in my mind that if he had stayed on the Bulls in those two bookended years, they would have won eight straight titles - yes, they were that good. 

The documentary takes a deep dive into Jordan's career and his upbringing and does a great job to illustrate just how competitive of man that he is. It didn't matter if he was on the basketball court, playing golf, or cards, he always tried to win and expected everyone else around him to have the same attitude. 

The show is broken down into ten episodes which run approximately one hour each and while the main them is the 1997 season, there's a subplot to each that focuses on either a specific player or subject matter related to Jordan specifically. Here's a breakdown of the stories:

Episode 1: Jordan's formative years and getting drafted into the NBA.
Episode 2: Scottie Pippen's arrival and how Jordan begins to distrust Bulls' management.
Episode 3: Dennis Rodman's unique personality and the Bull%u2019s struggle to overcome the Pistons.
Episode 4: Phil Jackson's coaching philosophy and how Jordan became king of the NBA.
Episode 5: Jordan becomes a global sensation.
Episode 6: They build you up then tear you down. Jordan's gambling habits take center stage.
Episode 7: Jordan faces personal tragedy and pursues a baseball career.
Episode 8: "I'm Back." Jordan returns to the NBA and a playoff loss drives him to work even harder.
Episode 9: Everyone is gunning of the Bulls.
Episode 10: Reflecting on the dynasty. 

Video 4.5/5

Audio 4/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Special Features:

• Exclusive Never-Before-Seen "The Last Dance" Bonus Interviews
• Game 6: The Movie
• Stuart Scott & Michael Jordan "Sunday Conversation, June 1998" Never-Before-Seen Uncut Version
• "In-the-Moment" Archival Material
• "Sports Center" with Scott Van Pelt Roundtables
• "The Jalen & Jacoby Aftershow" with Jason Hehir
• Gallery Booklet

Conclusion
Filmmaker Jason Hehir does a phenomenal job capturing the history of the Chicago Bull's dynasty and gives a revealing inside look at the players in this real-life adventure. Jordan is the best athlete in my lifetime, and I was fortunate enough to see him play in person while I was in college. My wife wasn't interested in watching this with me but when she was in the room I found her intrigued by the story which tells me that this doesn't just cater to sports fans, it's a compelling drama too. If you haven't had a chance to see this, definitely check out the Blu-ray version since it has great technical attributes, and the supplements are just as intriguing to watch. Highly recommended. 



Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88%u201D 16x9 Fixed Screen
Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor 
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed ChannelsATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player 
System Controller: URC MX-980M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
SVS SB-3000 SubwooferJL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (configured as tandem mid bass modules)Mini DSP controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Looks like there was a lot of management/player issues. If that wasn't the case, I think they could have won more championships after that season as well..

Will check it out.