Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Jim Gaffigan, Stand-Up Comedy
Likes: Manatees, Good clean comedy
Dislikes:
Hates:

The Show
Jim Gaffigan has done tons of television commercials and shows, but nothing is as worth watching as his uniquely good-natured stand-up comedy. Much like Brian Regan's family-friendly act, Gaffigan's jokes would barely raise an eyebrow at a PTA meeting, outside of some barely risque bits. But despite his lack of swearing or sex jokes, Gaffigan is funnier than just about anything seen on "Def Comedy Jam." His strength is his ability to combine bits about everyday life with more absurdist ideas, while delivering them in a style that's very laid-back, and filled with funny voices.

Anyone who's caught his previous "Comedy Central Presents" special or his CDs, will be happy to know that this show, taped at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, is a mix of some of his older jokes and plenty of new material. Sadly, some of his funniest stuff, like his Manatee bit or the future Pope, doesn't get a repeat here, but that doesn't make this a weak set. In fact, his jokes are consistently funny, focusing mostly on food, before wrapping up with some bits about life and religion.

Gaffigan's way of telling a joke is unlike most comedians, in that he'll deliver a line, and then deliver an audience member's reaction to it, in particularly a curiously outraged ticket holder who speaks in a high-pitched, hushed voice and can't believe what he or she is hearing. This style of comedy makes his set almost bullet-proof if you enjoy the asides. In fact, frequently, the asides are funnier than the main act.

Though this show aired on Comedy Central recently, if you caught it, you missed much of the special, 26 minutes in total, that never made it on the air, including one of the best segments. The dominant food jokes fit Gaffigan's signature style, often mixing feigned surprise at something silly with a very skewed set of observations. Among the best bits here is his take on Cinnabons, which will resonate with anyone who's ever choked down one of the sugary treats.

More impressive is his legendary Hot Pockets routine. If you didn't think a comic could get 10 or so minutes out of the convenient snack product, Gaffigan will prove you wrong. Here, the aside makes the bit, as he changes the Hot Pocket's jingle again and again, making it increasingly funny. It's nearly guaranteed that, after watching this show, you will be repeating some of this section for some time.

Though the show takes an very obvious turn once the very funny food portion ends, the final 20 minutes of the special is still enjoyable. The jokes about his pregnant wife and his thoughts about the bible are practically a separate show unto itself. If I had written the set, I might have started with this segment, segued into food, and ended with his extremely strong Hot Pocket routine. But then, I'm writing this review, and Gaffigan is the one on DVD, so he's doing something right.

The DVD
The 72-minute set is packed on one DVD, which comes in an insert-less black keepcase. The disc has a static anamorphic widescreen main menu, with options to watch the show, select scenes, adjust the audio and check out the special features. The scene-selection menus are text lists of the chapters, while the audio options include both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 tracks, along with a Dolby 2.0 mix. There are no subtitles and no captioning.

The Quality
The 1.78:1 anamorphic video on this DVD looks great, capturing the show excellently, with spot-on color. The image is extremely crisp and clean, without a speck of dirt or damage. Whether showing the stage, or the darker crowd reactions, the video is top-notch.

I must say I was surprised to see a DTS 5.1 mix on this DVD, along with the Dolby 5.1 and 2.1 tracks. Sitting down to listen to the show, the difference between the DTS and Dolby tracks is quite obvious, despite presenting just a comedy show. The DTS track pushes stronger audience reactions to the surround speakers, while giving Gaffigan's voice a richer reproduction. It's a solid track overall, with clear dialogue and a quality surround mix that puts the viewer in the middle of the show.

The Extras
There's a pretty large amount of extras in terms of pure numbers, with six featurettes equaling 40 minutes worth of bonuses. Once you get into them though, the set isn't as impressive as it seems. It starts with "Mr. Chicago," a 13-minute piece following Gaffigan around town on the day of the show. It's no documentary, but unfortunately, it's not that funny either. It gets worse in the 6:30 "Eat Dinner with Jim," which simulates a...dinner with Jim. Slow and dreadfully dull, this one can be skipped.

Worth it for the historical value, "Jim's First Stand-Up Performance" runs just over seven minutes, and reveals a Gaffigan his fans probably haven't seen before, as his act features several impersonations, instead of his usual bits. It's followed by another half-baked featurette, the eight-minute "How to Break into Stand-Up Comedy." Directed by Gaffigan, it looks relatively old, and doesn't contain much in terms of laughs. Then there's the 78-second "A Short Cartoon of Jim," which is OK and more in line with Gaffigan's comedy, and finally "Jim Makes the News," which is three minutes of Gaffigan invading a WGN (Chicago) newscast, along with Gilbert Gottfried. It's cute, but nothing special.

The Bottom Line
Jim Gaffigan is one of the funniest comics working today, and absolutely one of the top "clean" comedians. This special shows him at the top of his game, bringing home a highly entertaining 72 minutes of laughs. The DVD presents it in excellent shape, but despite a lengthy list of extras, the supplements just don't hold up in comparison to the main show. If you're a Gaffigan fan looking for more of the man's comedy, this is a low-priced way to find it, even if the bonus features are a disappointment.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.