Robin Williams: Live on Broadway (2002)

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely Fantastic

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The acting in this movie is really good.

I feel bad that my main point of criticism about Robin Williams: Live on Broadway is that its pacing is too often breakneck and incredibly fast-paced, mainly because not a week ago I criticized Bill Cosby: Himself, arguably Cosby's most famous comedy special, for being too slowly-paced and long-winded. Watching Robin Williams' special just two days after was like flooring a car after you had been on the scenic route for about an hour; it's abrupt and causes for an incredible shock to the body and mind.That's not to say Williams' flow is flawed; on the contrary, I view it as a gift, to continue for an hour and forty-minutes, zealously spitting out subjects, some interconnected, some pretty out-of-the- blue, and picking them for their humor. I just wish that Williams would've slowed down a bit so that a point could be made more often, or an idea could be communicated delicately. However, Williams is on go mode, and has no interest in slowing down for us. "Keep Up or Get Lost," would've been a solid subtitle for this comedy special other than the painfully direct one HBO tacked on to it.Williams talks about everything in a rapid-fire, free-form performance akin to the kind he gives in his films, but with no set screenplay to stick to. He discusses the usual topics - politics, women, current events, pop culture, and so forth - but what is consistently interesting about Williams in his stand up special is the way he is vulgar and unfiltered. Whenever Williams obtained an R-rated film role, it was a role where he had to be in a state of gridlocked seriousness. There was nothing wrong with that; Williams is one of the few actors I can't say whether or not I liked him more in a comedic performance or a serious one. However, scarcely did Williams do a comedic film role that was R-rated, which allowed for his completely unrestricted, vulgar presence to be shown.Robin Williams: Live on Broadway is his quintessential stand up comedy special because we see what Williams is about from the moment he begins. He has about ten or twelve water bottles by his side, using maybe three of them during the entire performance. Hydration is a key component of his shows, being that he is constantly running around and talking a mile a minute. Any less than that number of water bottles would permit extreme exhaustion or unconsciousness on Williams' behalf. Director Marty Callner, the man behind the camera for many comedy specials, directs with a certain liveliness as well. Yet it's not like he has much of a choice in this department; Callner must keep up with the craziness unfolding before his eyes and Williams barely stops long enough to take a breath let alone take a solid, still-picture.The stand up special is a must for fans of Williams' work, and shows an artist as a commanding force over his audiences not only in material, but in zealous, incomparable delivery.Directed by: Marty Callner.

This show is so funny I couldn't stop laughing and was literally rolling on the floor laughing so hard I was crying. Look for the bits on golf and colonoscopies!! You will literally die laughing when seeing this and want to watch it over and over and over! This is Robin Williams at his uncensored stream-of-consciousness best. The issues he tackles are still funny 4 years later. If there are any golf lovers in your family, make sure they see this stand-up act. Same goes if anyone has ever had a colonoscopy. He comments on pop culture "Jane Fonda and Ted Turner broke up. Jane discovered God and Ted discovered it wasn't him."

I have to say I was quite surprised at the language Robin was using all throughout his standup act. It doesn't bother me as I'm quite used to it from other various forms of entertainment but the thought of it coming from him...well I found that to be rather disturbing. I don't mean to sound like a Sally but I guess I'm just not used to seeing an icon of family entertainment use such profane language. I mean I've heard him mutter a swear or two but to go in to graphic sexual detail was a little odd for me. The act was funny, don't get me wrong but some of the jokes did get a little repetitive after awhile. I thought that maybe it was a tad too long and that they could've cut 45 minutes of it and condensed it all down to an hour long special. Robin Williams is extremely talented and is probably one of the best improvisational actors out there. The guy is seriously able to just wing ingenious material off the top of his head and keep going a mile a minute. I'd be happy just to have a tiny smidge of his mental capacity. Also if politically incorrect material offends you then this might be one you'd rather sit out. But if you have some time to kill and are looking for some over-the-top slapstick humor then look no further! Your answer lies within.Final Laugh:Movies: Not applicable.DVD Purchase: Might be worth it for all the extras and different screen shots made available.Rental: I enjoyed it immensely!

Avoid eating before watching this. You will be laughing so ridiculously hard that you may experience stomach cramps. Robin Williams is absolutely fantastic in this performance that lets him go absolutely nuts with his full comedy skill. He uses a great combination of impressions, mockery of every group of people in the world, social commentary, singing, dancing, toilet humor and massive amounts of obscenities. His humor ranges from the profoundly deep to the basest level imaginable. His little bit on golf is probably one of the funniest things I have ever seen. At times, things slow down a bit like his whole deal on viagra, but these are more exceptions to this amazing piece. This is worth watching a few times.