The Feature:
For over a decade, I have followed the career of Martin Lawrence very closely. The first time I recall seeing him was as the host of HBO's late night comedy show "Def Comedy Jam." A few years later, he would leave that show to do another one; appropriately titled "Martin." The next stop was Hollywood, and the various films he had starred in (is it just me, or does Martin Lawrence play a cop in every movie he does nowadays?). But, within the last two years, something had gone completely wrong. Martin Lawrence was arrested for possession of a firearm, went through a messy divorce, and later on, slipped into a coma while training for "Big Momma's House."

"Runteldat" (Run Tell That) is Martin Lawrence's most recent standup comedy movie (his previous one was called "You So Crazy", and was released in 1994). Packed with more expletives than all of Quentin Tarintino's and Kevin Smith's movies put together, "Runteldat" is Martin's way of addressing all the issues he's dealt with in the last few years, while trying to make an audience laugh.

Unfortunately, most of the jokes are completely lost on me. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I find him entertaining, but honestly, I didn't laugh once during this standup movie. He does have some interesting ideas and opinions, but they are lost in a sea of uninspired cussing. I must say that this is less of a stand up film, and more like him performing his life story in front of a crowd. The feature does get more interesting once he gets passed his hang-ups about divorce; especially when he admits his recent mistakes.

Overall, I've seen much funnier stand up comedy (especially his earlier work). Martin is an entertaining person, but I felt that "Runteldat" was just his way to milk some money out of his fan base. On a side note, the only thing I learned from this movie is that Martin Lawrence hates critics. I guess he's not going to enjoy this review of "Runteldat" then.

Video:
Paramount presents "Runteldat" in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1. Everything looks sharp, with little grain apparent. Martin's beige outfit looks detailed, especially against the drab blue-and-green background. Overall, another good effort from Paramount.

Audio:
The audio is presented here in Dolby 5.1 and Dolby 2.0. Paramount has done a really good job with the audio on this DVD. It's all dialogue driven, so I expected it to sound great. The audience's laughter and applause sounds great through my surround system. Overall, everything sounds crisp and clean.

Menus:
Static DVD menu offers the choices of "Play", "Set Up", "Special Features", and "Scene Selection."

Extras:
The first extra on this DVD is a running commentary with director David Raynr, executive producer Robert Lawrence, and producer Michael Hubbard. For the most part, they are very quiet and subdued, which makes for a pretty boring commentary. My major gripe with the commentary was the fact that Martin Lawrence wasn't on it (the three do lots of speculation on things that Martin could answer easily if he were there).

The DVD also a deleted scene entitled "Boxing" (not that funny), a "Backstage Pass" featurette with Martin Lawrence, and the "Theatrical Trailer" for "Runteldat."

Final Thoughts:
This DVD is for fans only. If you're looking to laugh, you may want to look elsewhere. If you're looking to learn about all the trouble Martin's been in for the last couple years, then you should check it out. The audio and video are really good here, but unfortunately the extras leave a lot to be desired. Therefore, "Rent It" and decide for yourself.