The disc features eight pro skaters (Danny Way, Anthony Van Engelen, Colin McKay, Rob Dyrdek, Josh Kalis, Brian Wenning, Ryan Smith and Stevie Williams) and four amateurs (Greg Myers, Robbie McKinley, Lindsey Robertson and Ryan Gallant.) (Galant has since gone pro, and McKinley is no longer listed with DC.) Unless you knew that, or realized the "ams" didn't have their own chapter on the DVD, you wouldn't have been able to tell, as their skills were tight. Even the incredibly young Myers, who was born in 1988, didn't look out of place.

Of course, the pros had that bit of extra juice that experience brings. Williams barely blinked while skating through a nearly flawless part, while Smith was able to overcome some awful crashes to deliver some great skating to a hard-rocking Iron Maiden soundtrack. One misfire saw his board split in two as he landed, sending him in a split, while another saw him land on his ass, backwards, on his board as it rolled down the street. It's amazing to watch these athletes handle the speed of skateboarding with such ease.

Each "part" has it's own enjoyable soundtrack, which couldn't cover more bases. From Rupert Holmes to Metallica to hip-hop, there's a lot of variety, so the movie avoids becoming a big skate-punk mess that blurs into itself. That each rider has his own well-defined personality helps as well. After watching this, I now know not to aggravate Anthony Van Engelen, that Drydek is a prank money and that Danny Way cannot be stopped. I also know I would like to see something on the cameramen in skate videos. Their ability to skate and hold a camera is unbelievable. Considering how enjoyable the videos of skater crashes are, one thinks there must be an audience for camera crash footage out there. I know I'd love to chech it out.

Speaking of which, there are plenty of example of massive errors in balance and technique, especially at the beginning of the Danny Way section. It wouldn't be a skate video without someone busting a bone (or two or three.) Way does just that in his preparation, making his triumph over the Mega Ramp, and his setting two world-records on one run, all the greater. At one point, Way gets folded over the halfpipe's coping, but he just keeps going. Whether it's a testament to his commitment to skateboarding or stupidity is your call. After watching this DVD, I'm leading toward the former.

You don't just get skating on this disc though, as there are several skits that appear between runs, serving as introductions. Rob Drydek is introduced as the sole client of Big Black, a bodyguard and best friend to skateboarders, in a funny bit about Drydek needing some help skating without trouble. McKay's intro is actually truthful, as he is in immigration trouble thanks to his injured status, while Wenning's is a "Behind the Music"-like look at Wenning's supposed demise as a party animal. All three help precent any potential monotony that might exist in a skateboarding video.

The DVD
On one DVD, DC Shoes has included the 46-minute main feature and a selection of eight bonus features. The main and special features menus are animated with a simple, yet stylish design, while the scene selection menu is static with an animated transition. It's an appropriate look for this company's style. The deluxe edition of "The DC Video" comes in a standard keepcase, with a 14-page booklet that contains a preview of the 86-page hardcover book that comes with the limited edition version of this disc.

The Quality
Shot on a mix of media in a wide variety of cameras, "The DC Video" is hard to judge as one entity, but overall, it looks damn good, encoded at an average of 7Mbps. Occasionally, the image will become soft or lose detail, but that's mainly during direct sunlight in outdoor scenes. Even the footage shot handheld while on skateboard looks great, which is a real task considering the conditions. Colors and skintones can edge into the red or blue side, as can be expected with DV. The audio is simply 2.0 Dolby, but it's mixed almost perfectly. The sounds of the skateboards and the driving music maintain their own places in the mix, making for a real great aural experience, with some crisp delineation between the channels.

The Extras
DC Films went beyond the call of duty in putting together this new deluxe edition of their landmark video. There are eight sections of extras, and there's no overlapping in terms of content. First up are a two clip reels of bonus footage. In one, Danny Way (4:45) gets more prime time on the Mega Ramp, using some add-ons to "ramp" up the difficulty, including an arc of coping that he grinds on his way into a halfpipe. Throw in some wipe-outs and a righteous "Freebird" soundtrack, and you've got a part that would have fit in fine on the main feature. There's also just over six minutes of unused footage from the first disc and new material shot since then. Mostly it's freestyle street skating, but there are some great stair jumps that really impressed.

There's more Way to be found in the "Behind the Scenes: The Mega Ramp" section, which is broken down into "Building and Preparation" and Alternate/DV angles. Development of the record-breaking jump is covered from the construction to the practice runs in five minutes of "home movies." You can watch each portion separately or with a play all option. There are some interesting bits here, including Way riding a motorbike over the Ramp, but it's mostly just jump after jump once you get past the construction.

One of the most popular parts of "The DC Video" was the Dyrdek Security sketch involving Dyrdek and his security guard, Big Black. For the deluxe DVD, a follow-up was filmed, continuing their story. If you enjoyed the first segment, you'll definitely like this one, as the sense of humor is the same. This part can be watched on its own, or in combination with the first chapter. Funny stuff.

Two sets of outtakes are included, from the Dyrdek Security sketch and from the three fictional interviews on the disc, including Big Black, Dyrdek and "Jeff." There are 1:45 worth of Dyrdek outtakes, with a non-optional commentary by Big Black, which is cute, as he mainly narrates the on-screen action with amusement. The interviews, clocking in at a bit over five minutes, are less entertaining, as none of the three are great improvisationalists. What you end up with are clunky, awkward sit-downs.

A featurette about the world premiere of "The DC Video" at Grauman's Chinese Theater opens with a warning that the piece contains no skateboarding, and that DC Shows is not responsible for you getting bored. The riders are followed as they travel the globe promoting the video. Fast editing and some good music make the five minutes move pretty well, but it's probably the least entertaining bit on this DVD. Perhaps with the exception of the Ryan Smith Animation feature. This cut piece of crudely constructed cartoon art is provided in both draft and final stages. It was rushed and edited out, and in the end, it's just a bit too weird to work.

A commercial archive is included, but it's not too complete, with five ads for "The DC Video" and just two DC Shoes commercials. Considering this is essentially a DC Shows promo video, I wonder why they didn't promote their company more. The ones they deemed worthy aren't bad, but I've seen better. A promo for Point-X, the site of the Mega Ramp, is also found here.

The Bottom Line
If you've never watched a skateboarding video, this is the place to start, though after watching this, you'll be hard pressed to find a better video to follow it up. You aren't going to find the household names like Tony Hawk, but the riding is just as good, especially the world record-setting Mega Ramp tricks. As the film is just 40 minutes, thankfully the extras live up to the quality of the main feature, making for an overall superior DVD, If you've ever wanted to check out a skateboarding flick but couldn't convince yourself to slam down the cash, here's your chance to do it without concern over wasting your money.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.