eXTReMe Tracker Canadian BullBLOG: DVD Review - McMahon

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

DVD Review - McMahon

(Since I apparently don't have a website to write this on, I'll just put this here, I suppose....)


I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. Were they going to paint Vince McMahon as an unappreciated hero, or were they going to let his colleagues paint a more realistic portrait of him? The answer, surprisingly, is "yes".

How "yes"? Because not only do the narrators put a tremendous spin on McMahon -- a "pioneer, loving family man, legitimate tough guy and great American patriot", but they also allow employees to take potshots at him. Personalities ranging from Jim Ross to Matt Hardy to Sgt. Slaughter explain that the Mr. McMahon character has a lot of similarities to the man himself, Shawn Michaels calls him an "idiot" and Linda McMahon even questions some of the business decisions he's made.

Actually, the kayfabe-breaking level here is probably at an all-time high. They acknowledge, for the first time that I'm aware outside of wwe.com and the mainstream media, that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are married. You've probably about the nixed "incest" angle by now involving Vince and Steph, but there was also a second one Vinnie Mac proposed involving Stephanie and Shane. Ewwwww.... In addition, they also talk about plans to show the wedding on PPV. As Triple H says "If Vince could have convinced us to put a webcam in the delivery room, he'd have done it."

So I like the balance. Unfortunately, it's still a PR job to convince us that Vince McMahon isn't the monster he plays on television. But as far as puff pieces go, this one is at least entertaining.

Also worth pointing out is the range of WWE guys they pulled in to comment in this, it's not just the usual collection of WWE Confidential rejects. Off the top of my head, I remember hearing comments by all four McMahons, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Dusty Rhodes, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Eric Bischoff, Sgt. Slaughter, Triple H, Matt Hardy, Greg Gagne, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock (using an old clip), Bob Costas, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Trish Stratus, Jimmy Hart and others. It would have been nice to use, even if they were recycled, comments by Bret Hart, Jesse Ventura, Superstar Billy Graham, Rowdy Roddy Piper or others who have criticized him in the past, but its already a fairly big group.

So overall, I'd rank the biography right up there with some of WWE's best (Bret Hart, Chris Benoit, The Road Warriors, etc.). And I haven't even seen the matches and all of the extras yet. Would definitely recommend this one....

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