George Lopez dedicates his first HBO special America's Mexican to Richard Pryor -- while that might strike some as hubris, it's more than fitting. In as much as Pryor paved the way for a generation of boundary-breaking comics (both in terms of material and language), Lopez is part of the Latin comedy vanguard, rising to prominence as Hispanic culture takes more of a hold on the American pop cultural landscape.

America's Mexican isn't Lopez's first crack at an hour-long stand-up special (that distinction would fall to 2004's "Why You Crying?") but it does highlight the comic's gregarious, fiercely proud style. Star of the landmark sitcom "The George Lopez Show," the comedian hits upon a number of topics during his 60 minutes onstage; most of them are ripped from the headlines, particularly those dealing with immigration and the role of Hispanics as an increasingly dominating cultural force. There are segments that are a bit overplayed -- I'm thinking, in particular, of Lopez's fondness for blaring bits of banda music to underscore his points -- but overall, his comedy is uplifting, enjoyable and most importantly, chuckle-inducing, despite its occasional hiccups or misplaced barbs.

Those expecting the relatively cuddly Lopez of his TV show might be a bit surprised by the frank, foul-mouthed comic taking center stage in this special, but America's Mexican is a great look at the unvarnished observations that fuel Lopez's stand-up.

The Video:

Presented as originally broadcast on HBO, George Lopez: America's Mexican bows on DVD with a razor-sharp 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that doesn't suffer from a single visual defect. It's crisp, clear and vivid; no complaints here.

Again, in keeping with the special's original HBO broadcast, George Lopez: America's Mexican is outfitted with a passable Dolby 2.0 stereo track that won't challenge your home theater set-up but gets the jokes across with no discernible distortion or other defect. I did have to turn the volume up a bit initially (which is when I wished that HBO had included optional English subtitles) but that was the only real quibble.

The bonus features are a bit on the inconsequential side, but for die-hard George Lopez fans, they might be worth checking out. First up is a two minute, 17 second "Conversation with George Lopez," followed by five deleted scenes, presented in non-anamorphic widescreen (playable separately or all together for an aggregate run time of nine minutes, 54 seconds).

Those expecting the relatively cuddly George Lopez of his TV show might be a bit surprised by the frank, foul-mouthed comic taking center stage in this special, but America's Mexican is a great look at the unvarnished observations that fuel Lopez's stand-up. Recommended.