Super Bowl XXXV - Baltimore Ravens Championship Video Reviews

After an NFL season full of surprises, the Baltimore Ravens proved once again that the best offense is a good defense. After setting a regular-season record for fewest points allowed, the wild-card Ravens shut down their playoff opponents and got some big plays from reclamation project Trent Dilfer to win Super Bowl XXXV a mere five years after the franchise was moved from Cleveland. While the New York Giants put together a great run to capture the NFC championship, they proved no match for Defensive Player of the Year (and Super Bowl MVP) Ray Lewis and the rest of the Ravens' smothering defense.

The official video profile of the winners of Super Bowl XXXV, the Baltimore Ravens, begins in training camp, with coach Brian Billick seeking to convince the team they can win and win big. The Ravens' 2000 season wasn't a walk in the park, and their struggles, including a three-game losing streak after a promising start, are documented with game footage and interviews with coaches and players. A seven-game winning streak took them into the playoffs, where they dominated opponents and decisively eliminated the Oakland Raiders to advance to the Super Bowl. About the final third of the 75-minute film focuses on preparations for the Super Bowl and the game itself, and though it turned out to be a lopsided 34-7 victory over the New York Giants, detailed analysis of the early part of the game lends some drama to the production. This is an overwhelmingly positive portrait of the Super Bowl champions; while superstar linebacker Ray Lewis is mentioned admiringly as the big game's MVP, his famous legal problems in the off-season are not discussed. The camera work is very good, as befits a production of NFL Films, and the distinctive visuals provide a vivid chronicle of the Ravens' championship season. --Robert J. McNamara UPC: 696306018834