It's funny to see two former main event wrestlers play "curtain jerker", but Kane and Randy Orton's loose, enjoyable brawl is a decent way to start off the show. Brodus Clay and the underused Dolph Ziggler keep the momentum going during their short but entertaining match. Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show will be more known for its winking non-ending than anything else, but it's short enough to earn a pass. From there, Extreme Rules 2012 alternates between excellent and forgettable, as neither Ryback's jobber match nor the disappointing Divas belong anywhere near a pay-per-view. Or regular TV, for that matter.

Luckily, the three main events more than make up for most of the other distractions: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan is a well-paced and satisfying "2 Out of 3 Falls" match, while CM Punk and Chris Jericho serve up a red hot Chicago crowd-pleaser during the evening's longest brawl. The returning Brock Lesnar even participates in a different but enjoyable match that involves John Cena getting smacked around. What's not to like, besides for a slightly rushed ending? On the technical front, WWE's DVD package pairs up a decent A/V presentation and another lack of bonus features...so whether you already enjoyed Extreme Rules 2012 or it sounds like your kind of rasslin', give it a spin. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9 displays, Extreme Rules 2012 looks about as good as other recent WWE DVDs. Colors are bold and bright, onscreen graphics are razor-sharp and black levels are typically solid. With that said, there's a notable and expected amount of compression artifacts and digital combing on display here, most likely due to the fast action, wide crowd shots and smoky pyrotechnic displays. It's a decent presentation of tricky material; nothing more, nothing less.

The audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround; likewise, it's similar in quality to recent WWE releases. Crowd reactions and play-by-play commentary come through loud and clear, creating a rich and satisfying experience overall. As expected, a Spanish play-by-play track is included during the show.

Though not without a few rough patches, Extreme Rules 2012 is a better-than-average PPV with plenty of entertaining highlights...and more often than not, these matches make pretty good use of their respective gimmicks. This release is right on target with other recent WWE DVDs (for better or worse), from the decent technical presentation to the lack of bonus features. Since no Blu-Ray option is available, this low-priced disc should appeal to those who didn't catch Extreme Rules 2012 or plan to watch it more than a few times. Recommended, but everyone else should be happy with a rental.