‘WWE Slam City’ DVD Review
WWE’s latest foray into widening its appeal is Slam City, an animated adventure. The Finisher has fired all the WWE Superstar on behalf of Mr McMahon, so now they have to all get regular jobs in Slam City. Alberto del Rio becomes a barista, John Cena becomes a car mechanic, Rey Mysterio is a crossing guard and so on. However, there’s more to the Finisher’s plan that meets the eye.
The first thing that really bugs me is that none of the voice actors are the actual wrestlers, as best as I can make out. I can’t find an actual cast list for love nor money but it definitely doesn’t sound like them, especially Brock Lesnar and Shamus, with the ridiculous accent. Even John Cena doesn’t seem to voice himself. It seems a bit odd that they couldn’t let (or make) the guys take a few days out of their schedule to do voice acting for a show that’s 2 minutes an episode. Granted Punk and Lesnar might have been a tough sell, but again, not even John ‘The Champ is here’ ‘Face of the WWE’ ‘just give him the belt’ Cena does the duty.
That being said, that’s me talking as a 25 year old mark who loved CM Punk’s speeches and misses the days people were allowed to bleed without taking heavy fines. This is a kids show and as a kids show it’s not actually half bad. Alberto the barista is fantastic, and Santino Marella and Damien Sandow are pretty funny. Some of the characters are captured pretty well, like Punk and Cena, and some not so much, like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Miz. The freeze frames when characters are introduced with their music are pretty cool (although Punk’s Cult of Personality is notably parodied – licensing issues perhaps?) but the ‘stretch move’ thing where a wrestler stretches a body part for something gets a little repetitive. Then again, I’m not playing with the toys.
All in all Slam City is not a bad show. Kids will love it, parents will hate it as it’s more or less as toy selling gig, and fans will enjoy it for what it is. I’m still a little bummed out that the voices aren’t authentic, but I can’t complain too much. At least I can go back and watch Cena get suplexed by Lesnar at Summerslam over and over and over and over…
Special features on the DVD include The Making Of Slam City, Mini Stories: Auto-Tude Adjustment; Between A Rock And A Pizza; Surround Pound Stadium Beating; Alberto The Barista.
*** 3/5
WWE Slam City is out now on DVD from FremantleMedia
