Who's That Jumpin' Out The Sky?

R-E-Y Mysterio! Here we go!

Finally, one of the greatest high-flyers in the world of pro-wrestling gets featured in his own DVD. The "Mystery King," as his name translates to in English, has been dazzling fans with acrobatic moves since his professional debut in 1989. Only fifteen years old at the time, young Rey was destined for greatness in the squared circle.

You think you know me?
At first, I didn't expect much after purchasing this DVD. Sure, I thought there'd be a few interviews with Rey Mysterio and perhaps even a short behind-the-scenes look at his career. And of course, I expected some of Rey's best matches. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the DVD not only contained those matches, but also had a documentary about the man behind the mask (so to speak, since his face is never shown). The documentary is very well done, covering Rey's humble beginnings, his family, his career, and even his home a la MTV Cribs. Rey narrates almost everything, and there are many interviews with his family and fellow wrestlers.

The DVD opens up with a match between Rey Mysterio and Albert (now known as the A-Train). This leads to the knee injury Rey suffered at the end of the match, thanks to Albert's cold acts of violence. Footage is shown of Rey going to a doctor for surgery. That's when the documentary goes into full swing, and it's revealed that Rey began training at a very early age (9 or 10, if I remember correctly) and that he was previously known as Rey Mysterio Jr.. He adopted the name from his uncle and trainer, the original Rey Mysterio. There is more fascinating information within the documentary, which is sure to please and intrigue Rey Mysterio fans.

Can you dig that?
One thing I noticed about the documentary is the incredible way it weaves fantasy and reality seamlessly together. Rey Mysterio reveals a ton about himself without actually losing the character he plays on TV. The mask stays on for a majority of the segments, and for the times that he's maskless, Rey's face is blurred to prevent us from seeing him. In Mexico, the mask is everything for a wrestler. To lose it in front of the crowd is both humiliating and dishonorable. By preventing fans from seeing his face, the WWE has done an excellent job of preserving Rey's character and mystique, as well as his rich roots in Lucha Libre (the Mexican style of wrestling).

Many of the interviews are also done in the same way. Kurt Angle praises Rey Mysterio's innovative style in a candid manner, but he maintains his snobby, olympic attitude by proclaiming that he beat Rey Mysterio to prove that Rey can't go far with fan support alone. Rey himself often goes into character, stating that he'll get even with Albert after his surgery (when, in reality, Albert didn't cause the knee injury).

It's time to play the game.
After being treated to an awesome documentary on Rey's life, the DVD offers many extras to keep the action going. The DVD contains 10 of the most exciting matches that Rey Mysterio has wrestled in. One of those matches is his WCW debut at the Great American Bash PPV against the "Ice Man" Dean Malenko. You can feel the excitement of the fans who attended that event every time Rey performed one of his trademark hurricanranas. Back in the 90's, the high-flying lucha libre style of wrestling was relatively unknown to the mainstream fans of WCW and WWF. Seeing Rey hit spinning hurricanras and corkscrew planchas was (and still is) a sight to see.

Also included is one of his early matches for the AAA (a Mexican wrestling organization) back in '94. He teams up with popular luchadors Heavy Metal and Latin Lover to take on the legendary Fuerza Guerrera, high-flyer Psicosis, and the late, great, Louie Spicolli. It's amazing to see how much Rey's style evolved from this early match to his later matches against big name opponents, such as Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero (probably the best match on the DVD), Kurt Angle, and Chris Benoit. Rey's debut on WWE Smackdown! against Chavo Guerrero is also included, as well as several other top-notch matches against Psicosis and Jamie Noble. I should mention that a special Confidential segment is also on the DVD, which reveals how Rey Mysterio developed and named his new finishing move, The 619.

The matches are presented as they were first shown on TV, which includes the original commentators. For Rey's WCW matches, Tony Shiavone, "Iron" Mike Tenay, Dusty Rhodes, and legendary color commentator, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, do the honors. For the WWE, the duo of Michael Cole and Tazz call all the action.

Break it down!
I cannot recommend this DVD enough. The documentary gives an in-depth look at the life and career of Rey Mysterio, and the ten matches included are sure to amaze any pro-wrestling fan. Rey Mysterio helped to revolutionize pro-wrestling with his incredibly creative moves, and he puts his heart into entertaining the masses. This DVD captures all of that, and shows how one man became a household name by "jumpin' out the sky."