Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger

Edited from three performances delivered by the former Saturday Night Live star during his 2008 comedy tour, this uneven one-man show finds Chris Rock delivering some great material in his usual high-octane fashion, marred only by an overreliance on political material that essentially amounts to proselytizing on behalf of then candidate Barack Obama. Rock's show is still full of his trademark coarse epithets (with a glut of F-bombs), but his tirades are dulled by his unexpected grandstanding for the Democratic candidate. Rock skewers Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mercilessly—even daring to question the candidate's revered war record—but treats his man with kid gloves. In previous outings, Rock attacked racism from all sides, not only calling out narrow-minded whites but also citing hypocrisy on the part of blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and other groups. By allowing his own political leanings to influence his topical humor, Rock unfortunately moves away from the take-no-prisoners style for which he is justly famous. Still, even somewhat watered-down Chris Rock is good for a lot of laughs, making this sure-to-be-popular title a strong optional purchase. [Note: Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger: 3-Disc Collector's Edition, featuring extensive DVD extras, is also available for $29.98.] Aud: P. (E. Hulse)