This is of course a DVD release of the live show that Robin did for HBO in 2002 on Broadway, in full ranting-and-swearing mode. And when Robin Williams gets worked up and starts swearing, there’s no stopping him.
The Film
Covering 90 minutes of manic comedy and absolutely hysterical views on life, Robin returns to his comedy roots (minus the coke �” I hope, although you never know with him) and does a stream-of-consciousness set that has more in common with Tourette’s Syndrome than traditional stand-up comedy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, especially when his disconnected rants float into comic genius like his explanation of how the Scottish invented golf due to extreme drunkenness or how he almost got TOO close to a female gorilla while visiting a zoo.
Some of his frenetic comedy here is definitely more on the “miss” side of “hit and miss” (much of it ethnic humor) but the stuff that clicks is amazingly funny, leading up to a routine about the effects of Viagra and why it’s a danger to men everywhere. Besides, the bad stuff gives you a chance to breathe. The chapter breakdown valiantly tries to classify the performance into sections, but that’s a hopeless cause for the most part. Robin covers the Pledge of Allegiance, the Olympics (you mean snowboarders SMOKE POT?), executions in Texas, cats and dogs, security announcements from the CIA which amount to little more than “Something bad is going to happen”, piercings, priests and pedophilia (drawing his first uncomfortable silence of the night), Homeland Defense, George W. Bush, Holy Crusades, dropping Pop Tarts on Afghanistan (it’s hard to call for a Jihad with peanut butter in your mouth), Fundamentalism, translation problems with the Koran (raisins or virgins?), Osama Bin Laden in Heaven (“Did you call a cab, Jesus?”, which prompts groans from the PC portion of the crowd), Puritans, using rats to flush out the Taliban, the Jews making their escape from Egypt (“Don’t eat the shellfish, I’ll explain later “), Jesus’s younger brother Jerry, transitioning Easter from Jesus to bunnies and chocolate, Gandhi’s secret life, France v. America, Jamaica’s secret weapon, drinking habits of various cultures, the famous Scottish golf story (“FUCK NO!”), Tiger Woods invading the white man’s world, drugs, Koalas f*cking, the gorilla story (“DO NOT GO TO PHASE TWO!!!”), prostates, Viagra and going down. He barely even stops to take a breath throughout the entire show, and goes through about 10 bottles of water by the end of it.
Mork and Mindy this ain’t �” Robin Williams is not the family-friendly Disney star on display here, and in fact the easter egg on the disc compiles two minutes straight of him saying “Fuck” during the course of the show. This one is rated Mature for a good reason, so buyer beware.
For those old enough to enjoy it, however, prepare to laugh your ass off.
The Video:
Originally shot for an HBO special, this is presented in standard 1.33:1 full frame, and looks pretty much perfect. It’s Robin Williams on a stage, so it’s not like there’s much range of color anyway.
The Audio:
Available in either Dolby Digital 5.1 or uncompressed PCM stereo at 48KHz, I actually preferred the PCM stereo, which my receiver was able to turn into a pretty amazing surround mix, giving you the impression of being right there in the theater with him. The 5.1 mix is centered heavily on the center channel, as you might expect, and sounds good if you don’t want the whole crowd experience while you’re watching. Both feature excellent clarity in the performance itself and do a great job of presenting the show as it was intended to be heard.
The Extras:
Couple of cute additions to the show here:
– Director Marty Callner interviews Robin in a bonus bit that runs another 20 minutes or so. More of Robin’s funny off-the-cuff humor here.
– A couple of minutes of Robin waiting around backstage and improvising little bits to amuse the crew while he waits.
– “Noises”, a 2-minute compilation of his various sound effects from the show.
– An easter egg (Bonus features, move down to “Resume” and hit the right arrow to highlight the “explicit lyrics” graphic) featuring, as noted, all his cursing edited into one 2-minute blast of vulgarity. Hide the women and children for this one.
Final Ratings:
The Film: ****
The Video: ***
The Audio: *****
The Extras: ***
