Martin Lawrence: You So Crazy

These projects have three components. Making the studio audience laugh. If they do, we are presumed to. Touching us in some way that matters. That's indicated by laughter but depends on deeper connections, usually with standup measured as "insight."

And then there's the film-related skills used to convey these two. In this case, they are amateurish, but it hardly matters. That's because this man has no talent for this sort of thing. He DOES make his audience laugh, but that uses a simple strategy: talk about things that are slightly outside the normal discourse: smelly vagina's and such. The audience titters, prebonded and rebonded. Black performers get a free ride for the first three- quarters of the effort when among black audiences because he belongs, so far as he establishes his bona fides.

But the question for you, dear reader is whether this will matter to you, today, in its video form. And I suspect for nearly everyone the answer is no. Its not just that this is bad, but there is so much better. I'm talking about Chris Rock.

Richard Pryor invented this form. Lawrence tries it and fails; Rock masters it. Its a s simple game: Gather a group who has ethnic identity, consisting of mainly stereotypes imposed and self-generated. Start out each joke sequence inside those stereotypes. Accept them, grow them, validate and celebrate them and then slyly turn the tables, showing how thin and ridiculous they are. Then segue into another set of stereotypical characteristics that seems to resolve this, or perhaps merely distract and start again.

Rock is essentially perfect in this. Clearly there was some conscious thought in this, and some professional writers. But it all revolves around intuitive timing.

I dare you to watch the two comics one after another. One is demeaning, the other intelligent and enobling.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

"You So Crazy" has to be one of the best stand-up acts I have ever seen. I laughed practically through the whole thing. I had never even heard of it until i saw it on HBO for the first time two years ago. I caught it in the middle and couldn't stop watching it. It was freakin' hilarious. I decided to go rent it and watch the whole thing. Everyone I know that has seen "You So Crazy" thinks its funny as hell. If you don't like Martin Lawrence, rent this movie and it will change your mind.

You So Crazy (1994)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Martin Lawrence followed in the footsteps of Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy and released this stand up show to theaters where it caused a storm of controversy. Due t its graphic language, the film was released unrated and this caused many theaters to refuse screenings. The film still did fairly good at the box office despite the various issues that it faced.

As far as the actual film goes, for the most part I thought it was pretty good, although it fell well short of reaching the standards of Pryor and Murphy. I think the first forty-five minutes are downright hilarious as Lawrence comes out with the jokes a firiing. They are all well-written and Lawrence's delivery is top-notch. There are some really hilarious moments where he talks about his child hood in the ghetto, tang sandwiches and perhaps the funniest moment deals with where a man should hide when the police are looking for him.

With that said, the second half of the film is where it pretty much starts to stumble. The laughs really do dry up and I think the concert film really drags on to the point where it gets really boring. The film probably would have been better as a hour special.

Man, when you thought that stand up comedy could only be so funny, then this movie comes along! My God, this has to be one of the funniest stand up comedy movies around! Martin Lawrence does an excellent job keeping his audience laughing out of their seats with his combined mixture of racy jokes, including prison jokes (you know how those go...dropping the soap, etc.), racism, sex, and relationships. And boy, Lawrence holds-no-bars as he goes all out and is totally RAW and UNCENSORED (as you can tell because of the NC-17 rating). If you're chillin with a bunch of friends and you're looking to laugh your ass off, then this one will definitely do it for you. Check it out, but don't expect Blockbuster or Hollywood video to carry this 'bad boy'.

Many people find Stand-up comedies tedious,but it ain't the fact cause not only some of them are not worthless,meaningless joke,but also they contain very handy,useful tips and advice which are very likely to lead us to a very sound,healthy,great life.

This one conveys a lot of good and moral things,like it gives you a lesson.We all know Martin Lawrence for movies like NOTHING TO LOSE,BLUE STREAK,WILD HOGS,etc.In 1994 he conducted this hilarious stand-up comedy in the way that came as a shock to everyone, I mean almost everybody liked it.

In this program he makes fun of White people and talks a lot about Racism,Relationship between girlfriends and boyfriends,the destructive influence of drugs and so on.