Review by L. Soto
Rating:
First I have to say how happy I am that this set was even released. Ever since Bret Hart’s DVD set was released in 2005 (a great set by the way), I have been waiting for another Bret Hart or Hart family DVD release by the WWE. Thankfully the long wait has for the most part been worth it.

Let me start out with what is good about the Hart & Soul 3 disc DVD set. For one, the documentary included on the set is excellent. The doc. tries to cover a great deal of the Hart family history, including Stu Hart, Helen Hart, Stampede Wrestling, and the unfortunate deaths of Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, and other Hart family members. The documentary handles all these topics with class (especially the untimely deaths of those I mentioned). I was very surprised that so much was covered and just how many Hart family members were interviewed. Almost everyone of the Hart brothers and sisters including Bret and Diana Hart (Davey Boy Smith’s wife), participate in the documentary. At about one hour and thirty six minutes the documentary covers a lot of ground. Personally I wish it was longer, but that just because it is so good and leaves you wanting more.

Now I have to point out one thing about the documentary that is important. If your like me and have read Bret Hart’s autobiography and own his WWE produced DVD set, then their might not be a lot of revealing material on the Hart & Soul documentary. Don’t get me wrong, it is still worth watching, especially for the perspective of the other Hart family members, but expect some overlap from Bret’s book and DVD set.

The matches included on disc 2 and 3 are also a highlight of the set. I will not go into too much detail since I could spend a day writing about these matches, but it is worth mentioning some including: Bret Hart and Owen Hart Vs. Rick and Scott Steiner, Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart (Great Cage Match that is just over 30 min.), Owen Hart Vs. British Bulldog (To crown first ever WWE European Champion) and so on. I should also mention the amazing SummerSlam 1992 match between Bret and Davey Boy Smith, but that brings me to one of the problems with the set. This match between Bret and Davey Boy was already on Bret’s 2005 DVD set, so I can’t help but complain about it being on this set again. Now I realize that many of the matches on this Hart and Soul DVD set have been on other WWE DVDs, but it just does not make sense to repeat a match from another Hart family members previous release. I can understand repeating matches from other sets (like the cage match between Bret and Owen) since that is bound to happen with all the DVD releases the WWE has so often. However, the Summerslam match could have and should have been replaced by another match.

Another problem related to the matches is how few there seems to be on the set. Don’t get me wrong I will always prefer quality over quantity, and that seems to be the case with this set. However, on disc one of the set there is enough room for at least two more matches. Between the doc. and the extras, disc one has about 2 hours and 10 min. worth of content. There is no reason why at least two more matches could not have been included on that disc, after all the set is listed as being approx. 9 hours in length (it is actually about 8 hours). I know this sounds like nitpicking, but so many people have complained about the low number of matches and yet there is space for at least two more matches.

In all fairness there are very few negative aspects to this release. In fact I would say this is one of the best recent releases by the WWE. As someone who has been disappointed by the last couple of WWE DVD’s (the Jeff Hardy 3 disc set comes to mind) I really enjoyed this Hart & Soul set. The only thing keeping me from giving the set 5 stars is the lack of at least two more matches, and the repeated match I mentioned before. Despite that, the excellent matches and doc. really make this a definite purchase for fans of the Hart family.

Review by Thomas Briggs
Rating:
After finishing Bret Hart’s autobiography, I’ve taken an interest in all things Hart family. Specifically, I wanted to know more about Stu and his Stampede organization. I also wanted a more focused look at one of the most underrated superstars in the history of the WWE – Owen Hart. In this way, Hart & Soul is a fine addition to any fan’s library. Still, there are a couple of omissions that would’ve been nice to see.

The feature documentary here is very good. If you’re at all familiar with the Bret Hart documentary released by the WWE a couple years back, you’ll be in familiar territory. Stu, Helen, Stampede Wrestling, and all of its key players are covered to a satisfying extent. I would have liked the documentary to have gone a bit more in-depth on the countless restarts of Stampede Wrestling, but what was covered does give a good account of the fledgling franchise. There’s also mention of some of the lesser known Hart’s, like Dean, who Bret Hart considered his hero, before his life spiraled out of control. It becomes obvious that the Hart’s aren’t your typical family, but the documentary portrays them as survivors, seeing the daylight after countless struggles.

If you’re one of the millions who will be picking this up thanks to it’s coverage of Owen Hart, Davey Smith, Jim Neidhart, and Bret Hart, you’ll also be very satisfied. Owen Hart in particular is given plenty of attention, and you’ll love the various stories about him on the road.

Anyone familiar with the Hart family knows that there are plenty of personal demons to cover, and many are gone over in this dvd. Unfortunately, not enough attention is paid to the role the business played in some of the biggest tragedies. This, of course, is thanks to the WWE production of the dvd. Still, it’s interesting to get an inside look on the family and how it reacted to the fame brought along with Bret’s success.

I’ve read some complaints regarding the matches selected for this dvd, but I think an excellent job was done. The entire sibling rivalry between Bret and Owen is covered, including the classic SummerSlam cage-match between the two. That match is worth the price of entry alone. The best of the Canada vs. USA storyline is also present.

Hart & Soul may not be the most complete WWE collection out there, but sitting alongside the Bret Hart collection, it represents a near perfect tandem. Everything that you loved from the Hart era in wrestling is accounted for, making this a perfect companion piece for any fan of the wrestling business.

Review by Timothy G. Beeman
Rating:
The matches are great but, of course the real attraction is the behind the scenes on the entire family and how they all talk of each other and support, even when there were dissension. Great set.