Wrestling Inc.'s "The Resurrection Of Jake The Snake" Movie Review
"The snake will always bite back."
Hearing that quote from Jake "The Snake" Roberts, I'm not sure when, was one of the first times I ever felt fear in my life through a television screen. Roberts didn't look like the typical pro wrestler by any means, even though he's six and a half feet tall. When anyone is standing next to Hulk Hogan or The Undertaker on TV, they look normal.
Jake Roberts' gimmick thrived on fear. He toted around a snake, spoke in whispers, and played mind games. None of the horror that Roberts' conveyed through a television screen could rival the journey that he experienced off of it.
Roberts, along with Scott Hall, were two of the saddest stories in professional wrestling. Two all-time greats who had issues with drugs and alcohol, and couldn't straighten things up. In a business where young deaths are unfortunately commonplace, it was surprising to see either of them alive. Today, in 2016, they're both thriving.
That started with the help of former WCW Champion Diamond Dallas Page, who has found fame and success outside the ring with his DDP Yoga program. Being a follower and a customer of the product myself, hearing news that Jake Roberts and Scott Hall would be using the program and working with DDP excited me. But let's be real, few were naive enough to think DDP could turn around these two men, who'd had personal lives that developed into train wrecks.
He did.
I was able to check out The Resurrection of Jake The Snake, which chronicles Jake Roberts' battles against alcoholism, as well as his own health. DDP visits Jake in a home not many would expect to see a WWE Superstar in, and drags Jake back to Atlanta to his accountability crib. With the help of DDP and wrestling fans, Jake Roberts pushes forward and tries to make his transformation. You know the story, from rags to the riches of the WWE Hall of Fame. But it didn't come without hiccups.
Jake had issues, lots of them, and they were on display in The Resurrection of Jake the Snake. You hear from talents such as Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Ted Dibiase, all of which worked with and knew Jake Roberts. We're shown uncomfortable footage of Roberts performing under the influence, and then trying to justify it to WrestlingInc's own Raj Giri over the phone.
Roberts and DDP also reach out to help Scott Hall, known as Razor Ramon earlier in his career. Hall's sometimes abrasive attitude clashes with Roberts' emotional side on more than one occasion, causing a breakdown between the two.
The only negative to this film, and I'm picking it out because I have to find something, is that the intro seems a few minutes too long. That's my only gripe, in a film that you can watch with wrestling fans, or someone who's never even heard of the WWE. The Resurrection of Jake the Snake gives new fans ample description of things they need to know to catch up on the story, but doesn't bore you by spending too much time on that.
I own Beyond the Mat, as I do WWE's production that focused on Roberts. Two sad stories that had no resolution, because Roberts refused to live his happy ending. The Resurrection of Jake The Snake gave me a sense of closure, something the two aforementioned productions couldn't do. They couldn't because Roberts wouldn't let them, he wouldn't change. Seeing this production feels like a miracle at work. If Diamond Dallas Page had never stepped foot in a pro wrestling ring, he'd probably still deserve a Hall of Fame nod for helping turn these two lives around. The Resurrection of Jake the Snake is a must watch.
You can purchase The Resurrection of Jake The Snake on VOD at this link. Also don't forget to download the DDP Yoga Now! App on your smartphone or tablet device.