A traditional wrestling match consists of 2 men competing in a 16' x 16' ring, surrounded by 3 ropes, with the winner being the man to score a pinfall or submission on his opponent. Wrestling promoters put 6-10 of these matches on a given card that people pay to see. Shows are put on almost every single day in different cities. Thus, it should seem pretty obvious to even the most novice wrestling fan that different types of matches would be created over time. Some have been successful like the ladder match and steel cage match. Others have failed like the Punjabi Prison match and anything involving a prize on a pole. None, however, match the innovation and devastation of the Elimination Chamber match. Created in 2002 by Eric Bischoff (at least that's what we're told on TV), the match was to separate the men from the boys. The cold steel structure wrapped with miles of chain links were specifically created to provide a torturous environment for those who enter. Merely looking at the structure screams pain, as does the newest WWE DVD release, Satan's Prison: The Anthology of the Elimination Chamber. While the matches were innovative and unique, this DVD was about as standard as it can get.
Much like previous WWE DVD releases, this presentation comes as a 3 disc set. The packaging looks good, and the opening video package gears the viewer up for the carnage to follow. That excitement is curtailed as soon as the opening package ends though, as Todd Grisham appears on the screen. It isn't so much that Grisham lacks talent as a broadcaster, but his delivery and energy on this DVD fail to deliver the excitement behind such an innovative concept. Couple that with the fact that he has logged the same amount of time inside the chamber as everyone watching the DVD, and you know right away that the host will not provide any insight in regards to the matches.
Those hypotheses turn out to be correct, as the DVD flows seamlessly through each Chamber match. Every Chamber match in existence appears on the 3 disc set, from the debut match in 2002 to this February's dueling Chambers that saw John Cena and Chris Jericho emerge victorious. In between each match, Grisham recaps the previous match and introduces the next with the occasional participant of a Chamber match stopping in to give some short insight. Such commentators include John Cena and Edge, among others. The comments provided are tepid at best, and it is tough to tell whether the comments are supposed to be provided in character or as performers outside of the character base. Either way, they are there to recap the events just seen on the DVD, but something just feels off about these contributions.
The only special features to speak of on all 3 DVDs are 4 video packages that have appeared to promote different Chamber matches. This is perhaps one of the most disappointing parts of the DVD because this is often what separates a good DVD set from a bad one. If you remember back to a couple of weeks ago, the Ricky Steamboat DVD had numerous extras that had range and gave you a lot of different ways to view Ricky the man and the performer. This DVD provides none of that. I expected interviews, promos from shows leading up the Chamber matches, and more in this section, but we were provided with a minimalistic approach at best.
This DVD set is basically only attractive to those who want all the Elimination Chamber matches in one place. For those looking for a behind the scenes look at the structure's creation, a story behind the creation of the concept (we all know Bischoff didn't actually come up with it behind the scenes), and the progression of the match as told by those who created and appeared in it, this is not the DVD set for you. It is more a video compilation than a 3 disc story of one of the great creations in the WWE over the last 10 years.
For me, this was an utter disappointment. I have seen most, if not all of those matches, so to have them on DVD is no big thing. When I watch these sets, I'm looking to learn something new, to get something I won't get from watching weekly WWE programming and pay per views. This DVD provided me with none of that and I advise that unless you are obsessed with this match, stay away from this DVD set. If you feel the need to sample it, please rent and do not buy. Buying this DVD set is like buying a 12 pack of beer with 4 beers inside, there's just no value in it. Thus, when this DVD set is released tomorrow, I advise you to stay away from it. Even if the rest of your day is muddled with bad decisions, you will have made a good one by saving yourself that money.
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