01st Dec2014

‘WWE: True Giants’ Blu-ray Review

by Paul Metcalf

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You don’t have to be a fan of WWE for too long before you notice that they tend to like their superstars to be larger than life.  Some of them aren’t just large in attitude but also have the appearance of being huge monsters, often towering over other superstars and using their height and strength to dominate matches.  With WWE: True Giants we take a look at some of the larger behemoths.

Featuring some superstars you would expect, and lacking a few that should really be there the main documentary is a good look at some of the wrestlers from the past and present that we’ve come to love (or love to hate).  Some of them have been “faces” often others were “heels” but they still had their place in the history of the squared circle and have also many made their way into the Hall of Face.  From Andre the Giant to Big Show, Big John Studd to Ernie Ladd, Kevin Nash to Psycho Sid the WWE have looked through their library of matches and taken a trip back to remind us of some of the greats.

Some omissions that surprised me were Kane and Undertaker, though they do appear in the actual included matches (including an appearance by Isaak Yanken D.D.S.  To see some wrestlers you also have to make sure you buy the Blu-ray version where you’ll find parts on Abdullah the Butcher, Earthquake and Bam Bam Bigelo.  The matches range from not only WWE and WCW but also WCCW, Mid-South Wrestling and UFW, so it is fair to say that this is a release for the old school fans.  This is especially shown with matches including grapplers like Ted DiBiase and Bruno Sammartino, not as giants of course but as the rivals the giants battle against.

One thing that is noticeable for me is how the earlier matches are better than the more modern ones.  Mark Henry isn’t a bad wrestler but I tend to not really take with him as a character, where seeing Vader in WCW was much more entertaining, especially battling against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson.  Watching Sycho Sid vs Bret Hart in a match before Wrestlemania 13 when Steve Austin was in full on vendetta mode against Hart showed WWE at its best and most chaotic.  Even Giant Gonzales vs. Undertaker in the Rest in Peace Match was a nostalgic reminder of what made fans fall in love with WWE in the first place.

One thing you notice when watching WWE: True Giants is that they are much more than we tend to remember them.  Often brought in as just a monster heel to go up against the champions like John Cena, they tend to have a short shelf life.  Behind the masks of the characters they play though many are nice guys who have hearts of gold, and the way the documentary allows this to be seen is a nice touch.  I do prefer the documentary style where the wrestlers are out of character and not trying to feed storylines from us.  Some of the tales of their past are interesting and make for better entertainment than just seeing in ring action.

Even with some omissions WWE: True Giants is a very good release that not only has an entertaining documentary but a very diverse selection of matches that are taken from a wide range of eras.  Instead of just trying to sell the wrestlers that are on-screen at the moment we get to see some of the truly greats of the past and see them at their best.  A good history set, I’m sure many fans will enjoy WWE: True Giants just as much as I did.

****½  4.5/5

WWE: True Giants is available on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK now.

Review originally posted on PissedOffGeek
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