Lets make one thing clear. If youre easily offended by jokes about fat people, gays, being Scots, Welsh, Irish or German, Hull, the sex lives of the royal family, incest, child abuse, rape, disability, domestic abuse or animals, do not buy this DVD.
Chances are you already know this. Jimmy Carrs reputation as one of Britains best known stand up comedians owes itself in large measure to his prodigious comedy output. True, as he admits here, he has largely abandoned his only moderately successful film acting career and his TV appearances are now largely restricted to occasional panel show guest slots on the likes of Have I Got News For You and Q.I. But he performs live almost endlessly with a new gargantuan tour being announced every year. This is his sixth stand up DVD release since 2004. In all likelihood, youve already seen him live yourself.
Demonstrating again his ability to churn out endlessly quotable one liners, rather than embarking on the storytelling or surreal flights of fancy favoured by other comics, Carr doesnt disappoint here with an impressive two hour stint taken from the Glasgow stage of his tour this year.
By maintaining an air of middle class respectability (and a speaking style sometimes oddly reminiscent of politician Peter Mandelson), Carr again manages to get away with material that would shame Frankie Boyle. The Q and A session at the end of the first act is largely just two way abuse between him and the audience. But his cleaner jokes (Liverpool is the only city in Great Britain where JD Sports has an evening wear department) work just as well.
The bonus features include a short set of jokes about famous people (the Queen, Jordan and Michael Jacksons death) for some reason spliced from the main show. The Meet and Greet section showing Carr signing autographs after the show demonstrates his apparently endless tendency to switch between obscenity one second proposing threesomes, accusing fans of incest and genuine politeness the next. The Just For Laughs clips are taken from Carrs 2003, 2006 and 2007 Montreal performances, and if nothing else show how he is a thinner man now than he was seven years ago.
Overall, while there are quibbles (does Carr really need sketch cartoon to boost his punch lines? And his brief shot at singing is mildly excruciating) this is one of Britains top stand ups still at the top of his game.
Overall Verdict: Obscene. Offensive. And enjoyable as ever. Not the most imaginative title though.
Special Features:
Famous People Featurette
Meeting and Greeting Featurette
Just For Laughs Clips
Reviewer: Chris Hallam