World Pro Wrestling from Japan Vol. 1
- Video
- 1987
- 1h 28m
YOUR RATING
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Storyline
Featured review
Boring set of matches
My review was written in February 1987 after watching the show on Dusty Woods Entertainment video cassette.
This first volume of wrestling matches compiled from shows aired by Tokyo's Asahi tv network misses the point: wrestling is popular again live, on tv and on video cassette because it's fun and colorful; with a dead-serious voice-over commentary by Gordon Solie, these matches are impersonal and boring.
Novelty value of the cassette is that the matches are from Japan, so that the U. S. wrestlers on view are the opposing team rather than the good guys for a change. As a result, we see popular stars such as Jimmy Snuka as the nominal bad guy and hear the Japanese fans roar in approval when they are defeated by local talent. However, who is an American video viewer to root for?
Format of original sound set at a hushed level so that the viewer can hear Solie's overly detailed hold-by-hold descriptions (it sounds as if he's doing a radio broadcast at times, leaving nothing to the viewer's imagination) fails, because we can't hear the physical impact of the wrestling action. Worse yet, the camerawork is mainly aloof and the wrestlers always remot, never conversing, exchanging insults or warnings, or otherwise becoming the personalities we know from local matches.
Other than Anthony Inoki, an imposing champion who once wrestled/boxed Muhammad Ali in an exhibition bout, the Japanese talent is nondescript and undifferentiated. A bit of humor and some of the "show" that makes pro wrestling part of show business would have helped.
This first volume of wrestling matches compiled from shows aired by Tokyo's Asahi tv network misses the point: wrestling is popular again live, on tv and on video cassette because it's fun and colorful; with a dead-serious voice-over commentary by Gordon Solie, these matches are impersonal and boring.
Novelty value of the cassette is that the matches are from Japan, so that the U. S. wrestlers on view are the opposing team rather than the good guys for a change. As a result, we see popular stars such as Jimmy Snuka as the nominal bad guy and hear the Japanese fans roar in approval when they are defeated by local talent. However, who is an American video viewer to root for?
Format of original sound set at a hushed level so that the viewer can hear Solie's overly detailed hold-by-hold descriptions (it sounds as if he's doing a radio broadcast at times, leaving nothing to the viewer's imagination) fails, because we can't hear the physical impact of the wrestling action. Worse yet, the camerawork is mainly aloof and the wrestlers always remot, never conversing, exchanging insults or warnings, or otherwise becoming the personalities we know from local matches.
Other than Anthony Inoki, an imposing champion who once wrestled/boxed Muhammad Ali in an exhibition bout, the Japanese talent is nondescript and undifferentiated. A bit of humor and some of the "show" that makes pro wrestling part of show business would have helped.
helpful•00
- lor_
- Apr 17, 2023
Details
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
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