Product Details

• Actors: Artist Not Provided
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Ten Mayflower
• DVD Release Date: September 30, 2008
• Run Time: 180 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001DM37UY
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,511 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #18 in	Movies & TV > Sports > Olympics
  #48 in	Movies & TV > Documentary > Sports

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Here's a Special Edition DVD that captures the most dramatic and exciting moments from the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the competition was held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. Ten thousand five hundred athletes competed in 302 events in 28 sports. The 2008 Summer Olympics did bring athletes from around the world together as they competed for the bronze, silver and gold medals. More importantly, television coverage united citizens from all nations, who rooted for their own countrymen as well as the world's best athletes. These games were the first to be produced and broadcast entirely in high definition, and did garner upwards of four billion viewers. This exclusive highlights DVD features the greatest athletes in the world, united in the most important competition of their lifetimes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Highlights of American Medalists ONLY, October 8, 2008

By	Lacrimatorium "lacrimatorium" (Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

I just recieved this in the mail and had missed much of the actual broadcast. I was hoping to get a good representation of the games here. Well make no mistake there is some good footage here. But sadly this whole DVD seems to be about American participation and medal winners. There are a few clips of the Jamaican runners.

But you'd be forgiven if you never knew that any other team but America mattered or won medals. I'm told that people in other countries get to watch much more balanced coverage than we do. On the basis of this DVD I'd guess that there was no boxing, no weightlifting, no boating events, no rhythmic gymnastics, no marathons, etc.

The actual highlights program is about 110 minutes. Not nearly enough to give anyone, except folks who need to chant U-S-A, an idea of the proceedings. Fortunately there are a couple of hours worth of actual NBC feed, mostly US medalists winning their events. There was also no critcal perspective whatsoever.

What would be nice would be something that gives us an idea what the athletes of the world were doing in Beijing in 2008. I miss the days when you could cheer the Kenyan runners or feel the political tension of the Ukrainian gymnasts. Instead we get the most isolationist vision of the world I've ever witnessed.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a Joke, November 27, 2008

By	aharnisch (Scottsdale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

If your idea of a "highlight" is to see runners crossing the finish line with their arms in the air, swimmers hugging after their race or athletes standing on the podium waiting to receive their medals then this DVD is for you. If you are looking for something a little more substantial....like actually seeing the race (or event) you will be very disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars bad idea, November 13, 2008

By	l2 (California) - See all my reviews

Trying to compress many hundred hours of Olympic events into a 2 hour DVD is a foolish project. The main program on the DVD is a long music video, showing a few seconds each from many different events. That is barely worth watching, but the special features are a little more interesting. The special features do show a couple of dozen short events in their entirety, including all the Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt world record events.

The fantastic Olympic opening ceremonies are not included on this DVD, but there is a separate 3 hour DVD set for the ceremonies. That set is much more interesting than this one.