Plot: What’s it about?
I hadn’t seen a single episode of Human Giant until a marathon was broadcast, which showed the episodes surrounded by clips of guests stars and musical performers. The show is a manic twenty minutes, a wild assortment of sketch comedy that never seems to slow down. Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer anchor the show and play almost all the roles, but some small roles and guest spots go to others. The trio provide a great base for the show, with good chemistry and a fearless approach to the material. The pace is so brisk, you’ll wish the episodes were twice as long. Human Giant is in a crowded pool of sketch comedy shows, but it stands out and deserves to be seen.
This two disc release includes all eight episodes from the show’s first season, plus footage from the marathon, deleted scenes, and more. Human Giant might not rank up with the all time great sketch comedy shows, but it holds it own and is able to entertain from start to finish. Not all the skits are hilarious, but most are and even the ones that aren’t home runs, still manage to make you laugh and hold your attention. The group is willing to take some bold chances, which ensures the material never gets dull, but the random, surreal nature might turn some folks off. But I think the show is quite good and while it is short, it packs a lot of laughs in and this first season is well recommended.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 non anamorphic widescreen. The case lists them as full frame, but they’re plain old non enhanced widescreen. I am unsure why the episodes are shown as such, but what we do have here looks decent, but unremarkable. I would prefer anamorphic editions to be sure, but given the show’s low rent visuals, I’m not sure how much would be gained. The image has variable quality, as some scenes look like a low end home movie, while others have a slick, polished look. In any event, the episodes look as good as when broadcast, at times even better. I’d still like to know why these aren’t anamorphic, but the episodes look passable as is.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is fine, but isn’t memorable. The music adds some life and that’s good, but the main focus is on dialogue and that drives the series. The vocals come across in clear fashion, so all the jokes are well presentation. The sound effects are good too, but the show’s sound design is rather basic, so don’t expect much.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The first disc is home to a slew of audio commentaries, at least one for each episode and some even have an additional one to spin. These are just what you’d expect, laid back and humorous sessions that look back on the episodes. Then things veer off into all kinds of issues that have nothing to do with the show, but are still humorous. So if you enjoy the show, you’re bound to find some laughs in these sessions. The rest of the extras fall on the second disc, headlined by over ninety minutes of deleted scenes that add so much value to this release. These clips are hilarious and most are good enough to have made the show, so make sure you check these out. You can also view over seventy minutes of bonus footage from the marathon, bonus Shutterbugs & Illusionators skits, and live footage from early in the group’s career.
