The new three-disc compilation for Wrestlemania XX brings together the entire Wrestlemania experience,
showing just about everything you'd want to see surrounding the "granddaddy
of them all", along with a whack of extra features.
I won't go too much into the actual PPV event itself, as John Powell has already
told you all you need to know from his report on the live broadcast. What I
will note, however, is that the rumours of WWE over-dubbing chants during the
Bill Goldberg/Brock Lesnar match, from what I can tell not having seen the event,
seem to be false. Everything from "you sold out" to "this match
sucks" is in there. The match, IMO, ranks as one of the worst in 'Mania
history, with much stalling and very little action.
Now, without further adieu, onto the bonus features.
Interviews
These interviews have been a mainstay on WWE releases, and while they are ultimately
kayfabed, pre-fabricated hoo-hah, there is a certain, as Rene Dupre would say,
je-ne-sais-quoi quality to them that makes the pre and post-match moments something
cool. In particular, the pre and post-match interviews with Molly Holly work
very well, as we see the last moments of her with hair, and the first moments
without.
An interesting addition to the mix is Eddy Guererro's appearance on Byte This.
I'm somewhat surprised that this wasn't saved for the upcoming Guererro DVD,
and I'm not 100 percent sure it's really needed here. Yes, it's a cool, different
extra that we rarely see on WWE DVDs, but it could've been better used elsewhere.
Confidential
There are two Confidential pieces offered up here, the first of which is a
look at the WM press conference. While the substance is mainly fluffy, as was just about
everything on that show, it is admittedly a cool addition to the DVD, because
it adds to the atmosphere surrounding the event.
The second piece is dedicated to the Rock n' Sock Connection. While it starts
out being a promo for the upcoming match against Evolution, the piece quickly
evolves into a historical account of the teaming of Rock and Mick Foley. There
are a bevy of fun clips here, and you'd be hard-pressed not to chuckle a couple
times. The insight that both Rock and Foley give is tremendous, and makes this
extra a must-see.
Documentaries
Two previously aired documentaries complete the compilation. The first, and
one most of us likely have not seen yet, is the The Mania of Wrestlemania, which
aired on UPN shortly before WMXX. The doc focuses in on a couple matches going
into and coming out of WMXIX, mainly Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar and Steve Austin
vs. The Rock. The documentary is masterfully put together, showing the kind
of commentary from the wrestlers involved that just can't be beat. The narration
by Jesse Ventura is also tops, and works well with the images.
The second documentary, however, isn't quite as interesting as the first. Entitled
"Wrestlemania's Ten Greatest Matches Ever", the piece is a clip show
hosted by Ric Flair. This doc was heavily played on Spike TV, so chances are
more people have seen it. The list itself is a pretty good representation of
the cream of the crop, though there are a couple matches that should have made
the list (namely Flair vs. Randy Savage from WMVIII and Angle vs. Chris Benoit
vs. Chris Jericho from WMXVI). The list is worth a look-see, but it could've
been a lot better had even a couple of the matches had been expanded to their
full versions.
Matches
Dudley Boyz vs. Val Venis/Lance Storm
This match is from the Sunday Night Heat a week prior to 'Mania, which was
a qualifying match for the Tag Team World Title Fatal Four-Way.
Given that the end of the match is a forgone conclusion, as anyone who saw
the PPV portion of the recording already has seen, it's a mystery why this match
is included. This match could easily have been skipped for the aforementioned
full matches from the 10-best documentary, or maybe a match from the very first
Wrestlemania.
In any result, the match itself is pretty back and forth, and is a decent enough
bout; not tape-worthy by any stretch, but it's not a complete waste of time
either. Plus, depending on the extras for the Judgement Day DVD, this may be
the last time we see Storm on a WWE PPV DVD.
Winners: Dudley Boyz
Rating: 3 out of 10 - if you see it, you see it; if you don't, you'll live.
Other Extras
TV ads - not a bad little extra, but you don't need to go out of your way to
see them.
Facts and photos - Some cool info here on the first 19 'Manias, this section
serves as a proverbial encyclopaedia. Worth a look or two
Trivia - A fun and very challenging game, the depth of the trivia will trick
even the most die-hard fans (for the record, I scored 7/10 and 8/10 on my two
tries).
Overall
There's no question here; this DVD is a must-have for your collection. The
extras, while they could have been a bit better, are more than adequate. In
particular, the Mania of Wrestlemania documentary is a must-see, while the other
features are a mixed bag of should-sees and see-if-you-have-the-time. Don't
hesitate to pick up the Wrestlemania XX DVD box-set.
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Order the WrestleMania XX DVD
