cameronzargar

"Ben and Kate" may not have a particularly original premise, but, in comedy, that is not necessarily a weakness.

The new Fox series not only provides laughs but a positive mood, something "Parks and Recreation" proved can carry a series for years.

Nat Faxon plays Ben Fox, an unemployed, big-hearted, emotionally-unstable bachelor. Faxon's humor is effortless and infectious. His character is comfortable being the object of mockery, having made the conscious decision to live life to its fullest (or rather, funniest), even though that may mean, in the eyes of some, he has no life at all.

Dakota Johnson plays Kate, a single mother who manages a bar. While she is infinitely more responsible than her brother, she believes in Ben enough to follow him into his path of zaniness.

The supporting cast does a superb job of providing laughs while not trying to steal the spotlight. Lucy Punch in particular stands out with her over-the-top-advice and inability to understand Maddie, Kate's daughter (played by Maggie Elizabeth Jones).

The show, like producer Dana Fox's other endeavor, "New Girl", is fast-paced and provides enough one-liners to deserve a look.

'The League' gained inspiration from 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' (like most shows that strive to simulate realistic humor while incorporating celebrities in an unconventional manner) as well as 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (in terms of visual style, cast and breed of humor) though the scenes are not as seamlessly integrated as the former while the humor is sharper than the latter.

The cast has good chemistry and the show is successful in allotting a fair amount of plot to each character.

The plot does include a lot of football references (many of which are forced) but, for the most part, manages to produce true laughs out of situations that are (in a less extreme form) well-known to all who have experiences the madness of fantasy football. Yet, the jokes are strong enough to keep any fan of comedy entertained.

There is a good amount of scantily-clad women as well as jokes concerning genitalia that seem aimed at the football-watching audience which, as this show is a superior enough product to surpass the goal of garnering an audience of 40-something year old couch potatoes, could easily be done away with.

Overall, it is funnier than most comedy and the natural flow of the show as well as the charming improvisation of many of its characters give it great potential (if the two aforementioned problems are fixed, namely: being less obvious with the football references and trying to appeal to a broader audience by cutting down on the sexist images of women and offensive humor).

Perhaps the best written comedy of all time, "The Jerk" is unrivaled in terms of the timelessness of its jokes. What really sets this movie apart, though, is its gags. This movie consists of original gags with perfect delivery on Steve Martin's behalf. Being completely serious, if Oscars are to be awarded for craft in acting, Steve Martin was snubbed. He plays Navin Johnson, an idiotic (he had to be told he was white as a 30-something year old man), simple (taking pleasure in things like "Pizza In A Cup"), optimistic (assuming a would-be assassin whose shots fall off target is out to get the tin cans of oil they mistakenly hit instead of him), naive (he supports any cause that asks for his financial support, including putting a stop to cat juggling), happy-go-lucky (as displayed by his serenade, "I'm Picking Out a Thermos For You") yet, aspiring (a life goal of his was to have his name in the phone book) orphan.

The plot really isn't bad, it's just, one doesn't really have time to even consider criticizing it as one finds himself surrounded by a cloud of humor. Other than Martin, the rest of the acting is sufficient for the most part. Bernadette Peters stands out and produces a few laughs of her own.

As with all movies of its time period, one might not realize the gem it is at first as its visual limitations and older style mean it does not jump out at you at first. But, with a little patience, one will find himself basking in some of the best comedy written by man.