DVD Review: Loving Tribute in ‘The Royal Wedding: William & Catherine’

CHICAGO – According to reports, billions of people watched the wedding of the new century last month when HRH Prince William and Catherine Middleton were united on April 29, 2011. If you didn’t get enough coverage and don’t have the actual event saved in your DVR for the rest of time, BBC and Warner Bros. have put together a solid tribute to the event called “The Royal Wedding: William & Catherine.”

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

Reviewing a title like this one is pretty difficult and kind of useless. The only question that matters is will it satisfy the fans. Considering the amazing amount of footage out there related to this event — it was one of the most-covered around the world in history — some fans may be a bit disappointed by only 120 minutes on the DVD. I guess they’lll have to wait for the box set, director’s cut.

Personally, I think two hours is enough and that this is a nice, restrained look at the monumentous event without going too far over the top. There’s also a full documentary as a special feature, a piece callled “William & Kate: A Royal Engagement.” This is the exclusive, 50-minute version of the documentary about their “magical love story” and it might actually be of more interest than the bulk of the DVD.

The Royal Wedding: William and Catherine was released on DVD on May 24, 2011
Photo credit: BBC

What is there to say about the Royal Wedding that hasn’t been said. Do you really want my thoughts on the wedding dress? (It was nice but not too memorable.) Or a commentary on my concern that this kind of over-exposure is exactly what led to Princess Diana having to speed away from paparazzi? It’s not the time or place for that. Or how about my love for the fact that Kate was seen just a few days later doing her own grocery shopping? (The Royals could use someone down-to-Earth in their stratosphere.) Let’s just enjoy this beloved moment for what it was, now available for you to watch again and again.

Synopsis:
The royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton will be a event to remember for a lifetime, and BBC Video will have this amazing, commemorative DVD of the event on sale just four short weeks after the April 29 event! This wonderful keepsake will capture all the pomp and pageantry of the historic occasion like no other memento. The DVD will include the complete ceremony plus highlights from the official BBC pre- and post-wedding coverage, and the bonus program, “William and Kate: A Royal Engagement,” presenting the story of William and Kate’s relationship via interviews with colleagues, friends and family. Lovers of the crown will want to own this special, commemorative DVD of this most delightful of events, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

[9]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [10] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [9]