Review of WWE: The New & Improved DX (3 Discs)

Introduction

In 1997, the formation of the D-Generation tag team of Shawn Michaels & Triple-H, was a part of a grand ploy to "stop insulting the fans` intelligence", those being the words of WWE head-honcho Vince McMahon. He was referring to the changes that he was implementing into the direction of his company`s programming, which would take a much more risqué format in the future. DX would be an integral part of that plan.

Behind the scenes, the direction infuriated many old-school wrestlers, most notably Bret Hart, who decreed that this type of television was not suitable for children. But McMahon was determined to push the boundaries, and by the end of 1997, Hart was pushed before he jumped to the rival WCW company.

With McMahon`s backing, DX brought crude humour, foul language, and sexual references aplenty to the show. Fans, who had never seen this type of behaviour before in wrestling, generally ate it up.

When Michaels` suffered a serious back injury in 1997, from which he didn`t return for four years, Triple-H continued the DX mantle, and brought The New Age Outlaws and X-Pac into the group. But he dropped the gimmick in 1999, and although reunions had been teased since Michaels` return, it was not until 2006 that the duo reunited as comedic good-guys, quite the opposite from the obnoxious bad-guys of their beginning.

"The New & Improved DX", then, is a look at DX since their reformation in June 2006, covering all the events from that point until November`s Survivor Series.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL and is very good for a DVD of this genre. All of the high production values that we associate with WWE are on show here, and the transfer to DVD itself has also been kind, with no discernable artefacts.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is also very good for a DVD of this genre. Much like the video, this is everything we have come to expect from a WWE release, with everything from wrestler entrance music, to in-ring action, to commentary easily audible in the mix.

Features

There are a few extra features available here, four of which are preview vignettes for pay-per-view matches which are available in the main feature. As always, the vignettes are tremendously well put together.

Otherwise, there is an interview segment from the New Year`s Revolution pay-per-view event, the commercial from the Summerslam show, and a look at DX`s random acts of vandalism against nemesis Mr McMahon.

Although all of the footage has been available before on either DVD or TV programming, for fans of DX, this is further great material to have compiled together.

Conclusion

It may seem terribly easy to say, but with well over nine hours of D-X related shenanigans available here, if you are not a fan of this side of Michaels and Triple-H, you aren`t going to enjoy this set. Conversely, if you have enjoyed their recent antics, this DVD is going to be for you.

The DVD basically covers every television and pay-per-view angle that DX have been involved in, since they began teasing their reformation in June 2006, right up until November 2006. Within that, there are some good bouts with Umaga, and Randy Orton & Edge (including some exclusive during-the-break footage from the Raw TV show), but much of the content here consists of interview segments and skits involving DX, such as having midget impersonators of The Spirit Squad, and dumping excrement (sic) on Vince McMahon`s head. If, like me, you prefer to find sources other than pro wrestling for your comedy, get ready for disappointment.

One other notable thing about this programme - which stretches over the entire three discs - is that unlike so many recent releases, all of the interviews etc are done "in character". That means that there are no behind-the-scenes references, and also guarantees that everyone sounds positively ridiculous trying to pretend that DX and Mr McMahon are arch nemeses. I have no problem with DVDs such as this following storylines, but the interviews have to have a different format from the real-life interviews, as seen on the likes of the recent "Spectacular Legacy of the AWA" release. As it stands, the interviews here actually detract from the overall product.

Overall, "The New & Improved DX" is a real try-before-you-buy product. Whilst this release is a DX fan`s living fantasy, many will not see the point in a wrestling title which contains so little wrestling, and so much third-rate comedy. That is especially from Michaels & Triple-H, two of the stellar performers of WWE`s recent history.