"Escape The Undertaker": WWE interactive feature review
Escape The Undertaker has debuted on Netflix, in a somewhat different role for the Deadman than what we have grown accustomed to.
The Undertaker appears to be playing a Jigsaw-esque version of himself, toying with the New Day as they attempt to retrieve the legendary urn in order to achieve further glory. The concept is for all intents and purposes, very bland, weak, and slightly devoid of sense given New Day's success, but if this is the one way we see the New Day and the Undertaker feud then so be it.
On the face of it, the project is very watered down and feels like a parody of what we have come to expect from the characters involved. But? WWE TV is starting to lean in that direction anyway... so that can be forgiven.
What "Escape The Undertaker" does do to shy away from the vanilla concept, is apply an interactive element, with the viewer given options as to what paths the New Day should take.
Interactivity teases the potential for alternate endings and plots, but Escape The Undertaker follows a linear path set-in-stone, with only a select set of scenes playing out from a different perspective but all leading to the same eventual point. In this way, interactivity feels exactly what it is, a failed attempt to add flair to a fairly one-dimensional affair.
Granted, there are some fun tidbits throughout Escape The Undertaker. Such as the prevailing concept that New Day is better off as an assembled unit, as well as a significant focus on the prospect of Kofi abandoning the team.
We see footage of Kofi and Vince McMahon, where the latter informs Kofi that he is "not championship material" and that "you are a very good B+ player" before Kofi is tempted by the supernatural to take the urn for himself and leave Woods and Big E.
The only way to foil the Undertaker, however, is by battling him, together and destroying the urn. This can be interpreted as a plot-line where the urn represents the temptation for the New Day dissolution, but by remaining strong and together they stand a better chance of not losing their soul.
While the depth of that concept is admirable, it does little to consolidate the fact that the majority of the experience feels very flat and difficult to enjoy.
We see cameos from the late Paul Bearer throughout, which makes sense since the urn was a shared gimmick of Bearer and the Undertaker, and we also find the corpse of Isaac Yankem in the Undertaker's morgue, a previous gimmick of Glenn Jacobs, who went on to become Undertaker's half brother Kane. Does this mean that in WWE canon Undertaker murdered Isaac Yankem?
The good does little to outweigh the bad, however.
The New Day working with the Undertaker exciting, but...
It's spooky season and only you can help @WWEBigE, @TrueKofi and @AustinCreedWins "Escape The @Undertaker" in @Netflix’s new interactive film, available to watch beginning tomorrow! @AsburyParkPress
app.com/story/entertai…
While there appears to be the right ingredients for success? The assembly is somewhat off and leaves everything feeling flat, vanilla and soulless.
Whilst you can't view "Escape The Undertaker" and expect Scorsese levels of story-telling, it has to be said that given the potential and the ability involved in the feature, this feels more like an extended WWE Halloween commercial.
It's a hard pill to swallow for the die-hard audience, but this is a project largely designed for younger audiences, as is the general WWE product right now.
the undertaker is fighting the new day using his lightning powers, which he very rarely used in an actual match https://t.co/pxCO3TcM9U
It works in the capacity of delivering a mediocre plot akin to something seen on Nickelodeon riding on the popularity of everyone involved.
It would be nice to see some of the concepts shown in the film emulated in WWE, with the play on a Kofi heel-turn, a New Day dissolution and out-and-out prospect of the New Day vs the Undertaker. Maybe WWE could run this back as a WrestleMania cinematic match?
Whatever comes of it? As it stands, the world is no different with "Escape The Undertaker" as it would be without it.
"Escape The Undertaker"... FINAL VERDICT: C
What did you think of the Netflix interactive film, 'Escape The Undertaker'? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!