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Jim Breuer: Let's Clear The Air
Studio: Paramount / Comedy Central
Year: 2009
US Rating: Not Rated
Film Length: 71Mins
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, English Stereo
Subtitles: English for the Hearing Impaired
US Release Date: July 28, 2009
Review Date: July 26, 2009
The Film - :star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star:
"To me, success was, right of the bat - Leather Pants!"
Jim Breuer is a funny, funny man. His onstage exuberance, endless energy and vocal and facial contortions brought him much fame and many fans through the years. He is perhaps best known for his stint on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1998 where he introduced, among others, his bizarre ‘Goat Boy’ character; a character fueled by his Olympic vocal talents. And on film he is best known for his stoner character, Brian, in 1998’s Half-Baked.
Breuer has been off the radar for a few years. He popped up a couple of times in Dave Chappelle’s Comedy Central show, was the host of VH1’s Web Junk 20 and that’s about it. Nothing of real substance for years which is a little unusual for a comic or entertainer. With Let’s Clear The Air, Breuer performs about an hour’s worth of material in which he uses to ‘set the record’ on what he has been up to and explains where he has been. The results are mixed.
What works in this new stand-up set is a reminder of just how much energy Breuer has. He quickly paces the stage as he discusses his career and his new focus, family, and breaks into some very physical liveliness to really send his jokes home. His talents with impressions haven’t faded or jaded either. While he does not perform his Joe Pesci impersonation (where has Joe been?), he nails Tracy Morgan, Sylvester Stallone and Norm Macdonald in some of the funnier moments. And his final bit about being the kind of father he is to his beautiful daughters’ ends the show with a real smile. But something is amiss.
Breuer, despite his energy, has mellowed as a comedian and I wonder if the time away has taken a bit of a toll on his ‘game’. The first portion of his show is a reminder to the New York audience of his resume – recalling only mildly entertaining stories about his time on Half-Baked and SNL. He transitions well into where he has been (being a husband, helping with his elderly parents and raising his cute daughters), but these parts of his life now would really have been better as the primary focus of his comedy. His delivery isn’t always as smooth as I recall him being able to do in previous stand-ups, and I wonder if he and his material were ready for that stage and that audience on that night.
None of that diminishes what this truly funny man can bring. When he hits the right note on stage here, he is extremely funny. He just seems inconsistent. I will say this though, when the DVD fires up and you begin watching the menu sequence, the ad-lib skills and range of Breuer’s impersonations are on full display and you may find yourself doing what I did, watching the entire rotation as he begs and berates you for not selecting an option, giggling the whole way though.
The Video- :star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star:
Comedy Central presents Jim Breuer: Let’s Clear The Air with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio enhanced for widescreen televisions. In short, this looks as good as it should good. A bright presentation with good amount of detail, good solid colors and clean throughout. It’s hard to make a mess of a recently filmed stand-up comedy shows and Breuer’s return to stand-up won’t disappoint in that regard.
The Sound - :star::star::star:
out of :star::star::star::star::star:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound option gets the job done just fine. Breuer’s voice is clean and clear dominating the center channel and mostly the appreciation of the audience filters to the surrounds. It won’t wow you but it does what it needs to.
The Extra's - :star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star:
Photo Shoot - (00:60) – Less than a minute of a Jim Breuer Photo Shoot montage.
Fireside Chat with Dad - (5:36) – Jim and his father answer a couple of questions in an informal chat (not by a fireside). A little odd but Jim seems to enjoy himself.
Final Thoughts
Breuer hasn’t exactly fallen off the face of the planet – he just disappeared from most of the circuits that brought him to his fans. He has been hosting his own show on Sirius Satellite “Breuer Unleashed” recently, but with this stand-up show he seeks to remind us all just how funny he is and perhaps get back into the bigger game. He partially accomplishes that goal with this performance – though fans will recognize his downshifted delivery and the lack of his usual comedic level. I do, though, look forward to seeing him grow further into this parental/son observer comedian with that signature dash of wildness from a perpetually high looking man.
Overall Score - :star::star::star:
out of :star::star::star::star::star:
Neil Middlemiss
Kernersville, NC
Kernersville, NC
