Jim Breuer: Let's Clear The Air DVD Review

Posted by Randy Harrison on 07.30.2009

Most know Jim Breuer as "Goat Boy" or Dave Chappelle's stoner friend from Half Baked, but he's also an accomplished stand-up comedian on his second one-hour stand-up special. Check out Randy Harrison's review of Breuer's newest stand-up DVD, "Let's Clear The Air".

Though mostly known for his three-year stint on Saturday Night Live and his co-starring role in the Dave Chappelle-headed stoner cult classic Half Baked, Jim Breuer is also a stand-up comedian that has had his own one-hour special on Comedy Central called Hardcore, back in 2002, as well as a CD release "Smoke n' Breu". Seven years after his first special, Breuer is back with this Comedy Central special and DVD release entitled "Let's Clear The Air". Breuer is probably best known for the Goat Boy character that he created and used to great effect on Saturday Night Live, a character that pretty much overshadowed anything else he did during his three years on the show outside of his Joe Pesci impersonation, but he isn't just a one-note comedian when it comes to his stage act. With influences like George Carlin and Richard Pryor, Breuer has some comedy pedigree, so let's take a look at his new release and see whether he stacks up with his mentors or if he's coming up a step short.



Buy Jim Breuer's "Let's Clear The Air" DVD


The Set


To be honest, I was a little leery of reviewing the DVD as the previous couple of times that I've seen Breuer doing stand-up, I haven't been a big fan. To me, he just seemed a little haphazard and unable to stay on one topic long enough to be able to get the laughs from it that it deserved. "Let's Clear The Air" sees Breuer showing an evolved game where he's able to talk extensively on subjects like family, fatherhood, his time on the sets of Half Baked and Saturday Night Live, and his father's advancing age and decreasing ability to control his bowel movements with greater detail. He turns into part-comedian, part-storyteller and relates things to the audience in such a way that it's nearly impossible not to laugh. The only slow portion of the set comes with Breuer talking about the trek from Long Island (where he grew up) to New York City (where the performance was filmed) as a lot of the comedy seems aimed at the local audience and seemingly misses the mark a little with the DVD audience. The material is good, but it's probably a little too "inside" for non-New Yorkers to fully enjoy it. As with most of Breuer's stand-up sets in the past, his uncanny ability for impressions is on display to its fullest effect here as he does a great bit aping Dave Chappelle during their time filming Half Baked. Breuer also relates a hilarious story about his father meeting Sylvester Stallone while filming Saturday Night Live, complete with a spot-on Stallone impersonation that makes the story that much funnier. The best bit of the entire special for me though, was his take on being a father and the problems that ensue when you party the night before you have to watch the kids all day. If you're a parent yourself, you feel Breuer's pain and if you're not, it's still funny because you know that you did the same thing to your parents when you were younger.

Here's a clip of Breuer in action with his aforementioned impression of fellow funnyman, Dave Chappelle;

Let's Clear the Air - Chappelle



The Presentation


As with most every comedy DVD, the set is simple with Breuer onstage with a stool and a microphone, though there is a nice touch in that the backdrop has two large screens that show pictures throughout the show that change depending on the topic. Seeing Breuer in his younger days when he talks about filming Half Baked, as well as his daughters and his father as he tells stories about them is a very cool touch and definitely added something to the experience. The DVD is presented in the usual 16:9 widescreen format with Dolby 5.1 Digital, so everything looks good and sounds good, with the mix between the audience and performer being especially solid as it takes nothing away from Breuer, while still showing how much the fans in attendance enjoyed the show.


Special Features


The Menus: Normally, I wouldn't even include the menus in the special features as there is usually very little going on in them, especially for comedy DVD releases which tend to be notoriously bare-bones. This disc is an exception however as Breuer welcomes you to the disc himself before offering you the choice to click on various buttons to play the feature or the bonus materials. The menu material runs over five minutes and features Breuer in a variety of hilarious impressions including the Dave Chappelle and Tracy Morgan ones from the special, as well as some impressions unused in the comedy set like Lars Ulrich from Metallica and Joe Pesci. There's also at least a few minutes of Breuer just talking to the viewer in some great candid stuff.

Photo Shoot: This is pretty basic stuff, just the photo shoot for the DVD cover art. Nothing terribly funny or interesting here, but it only lasts a minute or two so there's no harm in it.

Fireside Chat With Dad: This is a five minute segment that looks to be filmed backstage at Breuer's comedy special taping. Breuer's father is quite funny and Breuer is great at pushing his buttons, much like every son seems to be with their fathers. Again, there's nothing terribly redeeming or earth-shattering here, but it's a fun little piece that gives a face and personality to Breuer's father, who plays a big role in the final act of Breuer's set.


Final Thoughts


As I said previously, I wasn't expecting a lot out of Breuer's stand-up set, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much he's matured as a performer. The back of the DVD says that the performance "chronicles his transformation from childhood to ultimate family man" and I would agree with that completely. The only caveat that I would add is that it also shows the transformation from occasionally funny actor/comedian to full-on stand-up comedian that has begun to find his voice as a true performer.

The 411: This isn't the place you would go for comedy that's going to be full of biting social commentary or earth-changing views of important political topics, but Breuer delivers a solid hour of funny material with only a couple of slow spots. The extra features may be lacking a little bit, but don't let that stop you from picking up this DVD as the hour flies by and leaves you smiling.

Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]