The Attitude Era DVD Review by Jesse Berberich

Ah, the Attitude Era. No I’m not referring to my teenaged years, but to the era in World Wrestling Entertainment’s history when it was still called the World Wrestling Federation and, for a period of time, was at its highest peak creatively. It’s the era in which I first started watching WWE and pro wrestling, and I haven’t missed an episode of Raw or a PPV in over a decade now. As a kid, like so many others (young and old), I was mesmerized by larger than life characters such as Kane, the Undertaker, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and so many others that I found relatable and imaginative simultaneously. And these characters were always entrenched in fierce, dramatic battles with their enemies that were fought with monologues as well as brawling. Every week it was like watching a living breathing comic book, and I, like every other fan, could not get enough.



To commemorate and celebrate the Attitude Era, and to sell some merchandise, of course, WWE has released a three-disc DVD set simply called the Attitude Era. It’s set up like any of the collections released by the company. There’s a documentary focusing on the subject and a slew of special features that include memorable and/or important promos, vignettes, and matches consistent with the collection’s theme. Sorry if that sounds a bit boring, but that’s the formula. However, the Attitude Era is far from boring.



The documentary is very well done and put together. Through a marathon of classic clips and interview clips, it caters to both younger fans that may not have been into pro wrestling or alive, even, during this time and veteran ones who experienced it first hand. In my case, this chronicle was a total nostalgia trip. As I said before, I entered into the world of WWE with during the height of the Attitude Era. The Attitude Era documentary perfectly captures the excitement I felt when I first began watching every week.

My only gripe with the documentary aspect of the DVD is that I would have liked if more time were spent to elaborate on certain topics that were only briefly covered. Early on, there was a small spotlight on entrance music and their importance at the time. However, this segment lasted a little over five minutes, maybe. The music and entrances, specifically those were spectacles like Kane, the Undertaker, the Brood, etc., made such a huge impression on me. A little bit more time spent on the subject could have gone a long way like an interview with Jim Johnston.



There was also a point in the documentary where Big Show made a remark about how politics was huge backstage during the Attitude Era, how certain wrestlers did not care what they did or who they stepped on, as long as they got over. But that was it. No mention of backstage politics was made after that. It was very weird to be honest, almost like it had made it in by accident and no caught it. I find the backstage world of WWE and pro wrestling so fascinating, and I definitely felt teased by this slight pulling back of the curtain. However, they chose to gloss over the subject, which, in my opinion, is a huge loss.



The special features are a mixed bag of interesting choices. Disc 1 contained some nice, classic clips like Steve Austin throwing the Intercontinental Championship off a bridge and hilarious segments I remembered from childhood like the Rock’s promo on his five opponents in the 6-man Hell in a Cell match.

The standout special feature on disc one is a Jim Ross conducted interview with Goldust and Marlena from November of 1997. By the end of the interview, Goldust leaves his wife in dramatic fashion that perfectly sums up the initiative at the time for wrestlers to incorporated aspects of their own personalities and lives into their characters. Having read Dustin Rhodes’ autobiography, this clip was like watching an unhindered presentation of the man’s life and pain. I can’t think of any promo or interview past or present that has matched this one’s melodrama.



In my opinion, Disc two contained the most disappointing special features. That’s not to say they weren’t quality clips, because they were. It’s just that the majority of the disc is devoted to material that has been so overexposed by previous WWE efforts. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen Tyson joining DX, DX mocking the Nation, Steve Austin dowsing the Corporation with beer, and the debut of Chris Jericho. Of course these clips are classic, I’m just not very interested in seeing them so much anymore, and I feel like WWE would have been better served with showcasing material from the time that they haven’t used as much.



Disc three rectifies that problem. There are some matches here that I haven’t seen in years, excellent quality matches, too. For anyone looking to pick this collection up, or already owns it, Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Guerrero for the European Championship gives you your money’s worth. That and the very first TLC match featuring Edge & Christian, the Hardy Boyz, and the Dudley Boyz battling over the Tag-Team Championship. I am always astonished by the precision and athleticism displayed by the six wrestlers in this match, which really set the bar for TLC matches and all other matches of its kind.



Lastly, I was especially happy to re-watch the six-man Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship from Armageddon 2000. As a kid, I anticipated this match like kids did Christmas, and it lived up to the hype. In hindsight, In hindsight, In hindsight, In hindsight, it also represents something that is sorely lacking in today’s WWE programming, intelligent long-term storytelling. This was even covered in the documentary. The writing during the Attitude Era was most successful in crafting complex arcs that played out over many months and years. The Hell in a Cell match from Armageddon 2000 brought several of these arcs together into one intricate story of drama, mystery, and intrigue, something most of the films released by Hollywood in the ‘dumping grounds’ months between Oscar season and the Summer Blockbuster season fail to achieve. Despite what personal opinion may say about the match, it does represent, to me, all that was exceptional about the Attitude Era.



The Attitude Era DVD achieves what WWE set out for it to do. It tells the story of this, the true Golden Age of WWE. It pulled on the nostalgic strings of my heart, and reminded me not only why I love pro wrestling, but also why I love the WWE. I fell in love with the WWE when it was, arguably, at its highest point in history. Everything else came later. I have fond memories of the Attitude Era. This collection reminds me of them. And it reminds me why I’ve kept tuning in for Monday Night Raw and ordered every monthly pay-per-view event for the past 11 or so years. For this reason, the Attitude Era is a definite must-have for me and for anyone who experienced the WWE during the Attitude Era.