Plot: What’s it about?
It seems that the “…of comedy” series is picking up a bit of steam. A few years back, Spike Lee dazzled us with his “The Original Kings of Comedy” and then was followed by “The Original Queens of Comedy”. While these aren’t works of fiction, per se, they are full of drama and most of all – comedy. This time around, we’re given the Latin version of the aforementioned two films. While I don’t think they would feature an all-white version of this (and what would it ever be called), Cheech Martin, Paul Rodriguez and George Lopez headline the act. While Latinos have had a long way to come, it’s certainly a sign of the times when a release like this hits the shelves. Originally a Showtime special, this has found its way onto DVD. We all know Cheech Martin as “Cheech” from the “Cheech and Chong” movies. The constant stoner (or one of them, anyway) a new movie is even in the works. George Lopez has found success as his television show is a critical favorite. Of course, this follows the formula for its two predecessors and why deter from what is already a hit?
Now granted, there’s really not much of a plot here. Essentially it’s just five comics on stage and behind stage as well. We get to see what the show is like, before and after. The cover makes no doubt about who the real stars are, as two of the members of the group are brand new. Additionally, this is an ongoing tour, with two or three of the members (not the headliners) going from city to city doing the show on their own. So while this might not be in the realm of Eddie Murphy’s “Delirious” or “Raw” or Richard Pryor’s “Live on the Sunset Strip”, suffice it to say that you’ll get your share of chuckles here. It’s not really a question of how funny these guys are as they all are. But if you want to see Cheech Martin at his funniest, I’d check out some of the old “Cheech and Chong” movies instead. Still, this is bound to have its audience and the wait is over for “The Original Latin Kings of Comedy” on DVD.
Video: How does it look?
Paramount has provided a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer for us and it appears to be pretty good-looking. Naturally, there is a lot that can be said of men on stage telling jokes. It’s not that visually challenging and the way it looks is pretty consistent throughout the film. As we can expect, the quality is better than that of when it aired on Showtime, but not by much. Black levels are on target and there’s not really a lot that can be said here. Essentially it looks as we expect it to look – good.
Audio: How does it sound?
Though a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is provided, we don’t get a lot here. There is a depth that wasn’t present on the aired version, and thanks to the Dolby Digital track, we get to hear all of the jokes in true digital sound. Naturally, this won’t light up your living room, but if you want the best sound possible then this is where you need to be. Surrounds are used only occasionally and though you see a 5.1 on the menu, it’s not that much of a listening experience. Again, you get pretty much what you expect.
Supplements: What are the extras?
No extras have been included.
