The Movie

Comedians Dean Obeidallah, Ahmed Ahmed, Aron Kader and Maz Jobrani skewer themselves, their heritage, America and much more in The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour.

The weakest of the bunch is Obeidallah, who was basically invited along to give them four comedians, much like "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour" and "The Original Kings of Comedy" and "The Comedians of Comedy" and "The Kims of Comedy" and all the other foursomes of rogue comedians roaming the countryside.

Obeidallah seems like a warm-up comedian and while some of his ideas are funny, the follow through on "Bush is less popular than herpes" and "What people say when they hear I'm Arab" just doesn't hit the funny bone.

He saves his best for last, however, with a bit about why accents are dangerous when he describes how a Middle Eastern accent makes a party invitation sound dangerous.

Ahmed Ahmed is where the real comedy begins, poking fun at how Muslims are selectively religious, drinking and having sex, but not eating pork.

One thing Ahmed shares with the other comedians is the ability to compare and contrast life in America with life in the Middle East. Both he and Aron Kader, a Palestinian mormon, were raised in America and translate their experiences into comedy gold.

Kader's best bits are about the new American imperialism in the form of products. If the United States falls, we're taking the chicken nugget with us.

The biggest hit of the night is Maz Jobrani, who has recently been on "The Knights of Prosperity" with Donal Logue.

Maz is the most physical of the group, explaining how Iranians (or Persians) are different from Arabs. Persians are laid back while Arabs talk like they're on cocaine.

Possibly his best laugh of the night came when he said he is not the Middle East expert his friends think he is and cannot explain gas prices or predict the next terrorist attack.

There's no discount pump at the gas station for people of Middle Eastern descent, he said.

The Picture

Shown in a 1.78:1 widescreen, enhanced for 16:9 TVs, the picture is pretty dark, but that has more to do with the environment of the show. It's easy to tell the comedians apart and you can always see what they're doing.

The Sound

Available in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo, the sound is clear, but not extraordinary. It's a comedy act. You can hear what they're saying and that's all you need.

The Extras

A photo gallery, behind the scenes footage, outtakes and interviews with the audience are included, but none are really stand-out featurettes.

Parting Thoughts...

Race is a touchy subject, but the comedians in The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour turn it into a great show, for the most part. Aside from a lackluster set by Obeidallah, the show is very funny and eye-opening, as the comics play to a crowd of people who are mostly of Middle Eastern descent. If you get a chance to see it, this one is Recommended.