Customer Reviews

Weapons of Self Destruction (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I had the privilege of seeing this show live. We were originally supposed to see it in March but it was postponed because right before our original date because he had his heart surgery. As a result, we saw the show in October.

I had been laid off for the second time in a year the day of the show and I almost was too depressed to go. But I had been waiting soooo long to see him and spent so much money on the tickets that we went.

The show is definitely different than some of his earlier shows -- he worked in a lot of material about his heart surgery and aging in general and it made him seem more "human". However, in typical Robin manner -- it was so frenetic and off the wall that I still laughed so hard I ached by the end of the show. Most of the audience seemed like we were all around Robin's age so we are all on a similar journey in terms of aging.

Most of the material in this show isn't about the wild and whacky early days of youth where you act crazy because you believe you are indestructable. Rather the material comes from someone who has been through that stage and lived to tell about it and recognizes his own mortality and all that goes along with the natural aging process.

Maybe that doesn't sound like funny stuff -- but Robin Williams makes it funny and allows you to laugh at yourself and the aging process which is a relief. It is sort of like -- you can either whine and moan about getting older or your can laugh at yourself. I know I would much rather laugh and revel in the shared experience that all of us boomers are going through.

Other themes that he touches on are the economy (again, making you laugh at the absurdity that got us here just as Jon Stewart of the Daily Show makes you laugh), some politics, and just generally absurd tangents in a way that is Trademark Robin Williams...

If you have followed Robin Williams career from the days of Mork (which means you are old enough to have aged with him and lived through the decades with him), then I think you will enjoy this DVD. If you are expecting his previous style of "free association" comedy that you might have seen snippets of but where you don't know the "history", then you may be disappointed (as the first reviewer obviously was).

Great artists evolve. Robin Williams has evolved but he has definitely aged well and if you want a chance to laugh at yourself and the aging process -- you will find yourself worn out with laughter after viewing this DVD.

As I said, I was almost too depressed to even go to this show. However, after I left, I felt so much better because I had laughed so long and so hard. Laughter truly is the best medicine and Robin Williams is the best "practitioner" of this medicine in my humble opinion!!

[NCJAR]

A small side note to start this off: the CD/DVD combo includes the actual DVD of this product, not just highlights... so if you like comedy CDs, shell out the extra couple bucks and buy the CD/DVD.

The performance on this DVD is very good; this is Robin Williams doing what he does best, which is stand up comedy. I have seen many reviews about his post surgery shows all saying that he is toned down: wouldn't you be after having open heart surgery? Now that we have the no brainer out of the way, let's continue.

There is plenty of profanity as there ALWAYS is in a Robin Williams stand-up special, this is not a special you watch with your young children. The material is mostly fresh, besides a few jokes re used from his 2002 special, but he changed them a bit to where it wasn't simply old hat. He is still quick thinking and very energetic and any nay sayers need only look up the video of Robin on the Craig Ferguson show to quickly silence themselves.

Some 'special' camera effects are used during a part where he is discussing LSD... but how else is someone supposed to convey this, short of telling everyone in the audience to drop some acid. Robin may have had surgery but it does not take over his show, he has not become preachy or self righteous but instead he has molded his life experience to fit into his act, and he does a pretty good job of it, i.e. viagra jokes.

In terms of politics, Robin does not mince words about his political views... Bush, Cheney, Arnold, Palin, Clinton(s), etc. if you are a conservative of any kind then you should probably not watch or listen to this unless you have a valium handy, but then again if you're conservative you probably don't have a sense of humor unless it's Glenn Beck parading around the stage.

If you love Robin Williams then you will love this DVD... he is not weak, he is not mellow, there's plenty of sex, drugs, politics, and medical talk to make this a very hilarious one and a half hour show. Enjoy.

I saw this show live with my dad in November and couldn't wait to get the discs to watch and listen to it again. I ordered two to give one to my dad for his birthday last week also (perfect timing!). Robin's raw wit and energy are as fast and furious as they've always been, and he covers a broad range of current topics. The language and subject matter are a little cruder than his HBO-sponsored tour 7-8 years ago, but as long as you are not offended by his brand of humor you will not have any issues.

I can't believe he's pushing 60 and still going this strong on stage, especially after coming off of open hear surgery. I hope he's still going strong for several more tours!

Robin Williams one-man show "Weapons of Self Destruction" is not only distasteful but unfunny. It is embarrassing watching a so-called comedian flailing around a stage using obscenity and crude material thinking that by being more outrageous and down and dirty that he's going to win over an audience. On the cover of the DVD he's wearing a tape over his mouth. He should have kept it on.
I thought "Robin Williams Live on Broadway" was truly hilarious and had a touch of genius. In this one he's trying so hard to be funny, his flop sweat is tangible. Robin Williams, you're no George Carlin. Carlin also uses blue material, but the roots of his comedy arise from a much more thoughtful and insightful source.
All in funereal black he riffs on the financial crisis, Sarah Pallin, drugs, the weather, his heart operation, Michael Jackson, California, Congress, former Vice-president Cheyney, Senator Craig, Governor Sanford, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, the English royal family, electronic devices like twitter and texters, the Chinese, his alcoholism, Pope Benedict -- you name it.
His delivery is hectic, frenetic, and hyper. He makes frequent visits to his water bottles which occasionally become props. He imitates various celebrities with accuracy. Congressmen should wear, he says, Nascar-like jackets with logos advertising the people (donors, lobbyists) who sponsor them. One of his favorite expressions is "Come to Daddy."
I hope that his future HBO shows will be better that this bomb.

To me and lot of my friends, Robin Williams 2002 "Live on Broadway" is a quintessential comedy DVD. The laughs kept on coming and given the time, we could probably (and sadly) quote the entire thing for anyone willing to listen. Robin was relentless as he bounced to and from every subject under the moon.

Skip ahead seven years and well, you find out that Williams is one of those comedians that hits a sour note when retelling or altering a previously successful joke. Simply put, there is way too much retread here, making for an inconsistent experience where there are occasional nuggets of gold. It's more like "Live on Broadway 1.5" only half as good as the original, so maybe it's "Live on Broadway 0.5."

In the end, it's a decent outing for a decent price. Still, it doesn't even come close to reaching the upper echelon of my favorite stand-up releases.

Robin Williams used to be funny. maybe he still is, but not in this video, which I caught on HBO. His use of the F word is not inherently funny, but he seems to think that he can use it instead of real content to get a laugh. Seeing him stride around the stage sucking on water bottles as if driven by way to many shots of expresso made me just a little sad for him. I hope he stays healthy. I do respect his body of work, and his ability to invoke other creative types like Jonathan Winters and go in new directions, but it sure doesn't work here.

robin williams is back and funnier than ever in his all new special. i saw this with my friends and we laughed our butts off. this guy is a true comic genius. i love robin williams he is the greatest comedian of our time. if you have not seen this movie then i recommend you do

If you are a big fan of his humor, then this will not let you down. He's as irreverent as ever. So, not for the PC minded, but then if you are PC minded you REALLY shouldn't be looking at Robin Williams' stuff because you WILL be offended. So, if you have a good sense of humor, then this is for you.

I will be the first to admit that I am not much of a Robin Williams fan, as far as stand-up is concerned. I never really found previous routines of his to be funny. However, after watching this one night on HBO, I was hooked on it. I ended up watching it several more times with other people, realizing that I just had to own a copy of it. Luckily, I found it here on amazon very cheaply and picked it up.

Since arrival, I have watched it two more times, and will be more. It is the funniest stand-up routine I have ever seen, and that is the truth. Literally, from the time you begin to watch it until the end you will not stop laughing. It is so funny that a family member had to run to the bathroom before they had an accident, and it was an adult. I very highly recommend this title to everyone. There is some very foul language, which was a little unexpected but made it all the more funny. You will certainly have lots of laughs watching this.

Robin Williams is hilarious. This is a must buy. It comes with a CD so you can listen to it while driving, and it has a DVD for when you are at home and want to watch it on TV.