Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired

Although Wanda Sykes has become as hot as a firecracker over the last few years, her comedy is not for all tastes—although you'd never know that from audience reactions to her material in this 70-minute special. Sykes tries her hand at topical humor, but her political rants are shrill and loaded with predictable, cheap-shot gags, and she occasionally takes potentially funny bits to ludicrous extremes, as in her riff on racist dolphins. Sykes' heavy reliance on vulgarity and profanity also lessens the impact of the few genuinely witty comments she incorporates into her long, tedious routines. Of course, rapid-fire delivery often helps to carry audiences along (once people start laughing, a skilled performer can keep them laughing—even when the jokes are mediocre—by virtue of clever timing), and in this respect, Sykes proves to be adept. Presenting a set filled with so many lame gags, she has to slam them across in staccato style to make them work. Granted, fans will enjoy this HBO performance special (which boasts 12 minutes of previously unseen footage), but viewers unacquainted with Sykes aren't likely to be impressed. DVD extras include a Q&A with the audience and an interview with Sykes. Optional. Aud: P. (E. Hulse)