Even if you don’t know anything about wrestling, you know who Bret “The Hitman†Hart is. You know, the cool dude with the pink Geordi La Forge lookin’ visor that won basically every championship in WCW and the WWF in the ’80s and ’90s. The same thing goes for his family, which together, forged a legacy that no family in the sport will ever be able to compete against.
Chronicled in “Hart & Soul,†this three-disc, nine-hour DVD compilation by WWE home entertainment is packed with tons of matches and a brand new documentary that sheds more light on the Hart dynasty than ever before. In spite of that however, this collection fails to live up to the same standard as the family it’s based on.
The documentary portion of this set is an interesting one, but ends up taking a nose dive when it becomes more about the family and less about the family’s involvement in wrestling. Sure, the little side stories are heart-warming and show how close they all were and still are to this day, but the majority of wrestling fans want to hear something else. As well, the introductions to every member of the family, many of whom never stepped in the squared-circle, hurt the overall fan appeal of the set. That doesn’t mean that it’s not enjoyable to watch as a whole, it’s just not as engaging as it could have been.
While a weaker documentary isn’t a horrible thing, the matches featured on this set have their problems as well.
Aside from the Owen Hart matches, that have never seen the light on DVD, many of the matches included in this collection have been seen before and are featured on other boxed sets. Take the infamous 10-man tag match or the Bret Hart/British Bulldog battle for the Intercontinental title. Hardcore fans of the sport and this family’s work over the years most likely own the other box sets these matches are featured on, so why the WWE chose to have some of the same matches on this set is puzzling. Also, considering the fact that the family made a name for itself in the STAMPEDE promotion before hitting the WWE, it’s also mind-boggling that more of those matches weren’t included.
As well, there wasn’t one Stu Hart singles match on the entire collection. With all of the footage the WWE owns, they couldn’t find one of his matches to include on this set? Instead, the set feels more like a tribute to Owen, as nine of the 12 matches include the youngest member of the Hart Clan.
Because of this, if you’re a huge fan of “The Rocket,†“Hart & Soul,†is a must buy. Those looking for a more complete history of the family however, appear to be out of luck.
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