Directed by: Joe DeMaio
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld
I enjoyed Seinfeld, I really did, though I have not placed it in such an exalted status as others may have. The show was quirky, cute, and its characters did not change much in the show's ten-season run. I liked Seinfeld without loving it. If I were to pass it while channel surfing, I may pause and watch for a minute before checking to see if Friends was back from commercial yet. Now that I've written my mini-review of Seinfeld, on to 23 Hours to Kill, a meandering and unmemorable Jerry Seinfeld comedy special streaming on Netflix.
Jerry Seinfeld finds humor in everyday things others wouldn't think to find humor in. He has never seemed as approachable as a Rodney Dangerfield, Chris Rock, or a George Carlin. I sense a thin, invisible wall separating Seinfeld from the audience. There's a hostility coming from Seinfeld as he discusses restaurants, texting, family life, etc. He seems to approach this special with a curmudgeonly edge. His earlier stand-up reflected a puzzled bemusement at mundane items we take for granted. Seinfeld attempts to recreate the same effect, but to little avail, because he seems a bit less patient than the guy we first met forty years ago. He reminds me of the formerly energetic old friend who complains constantly now about his arthritis.
23 Hours to Kill is a one-hour special leaving me to wonder if one hour is too long these days for comedy specials. Seinfeld seems to strain to find material to fill the time (this is not an issue exclusive to Seinfeld), and once in a while finds a laugh. Who among us doesn't find "K" an annoying text response? Like Jerry pondered, is it really that much of a Herculean effort to add the o? How much time are you actually saving by excluding the "o"?
There are a few amusing observations in 23 Hours to Kill, but not nearly enough of them to justify an hour-long special. I found my attention waning, and that's not the desired response for a comic's act.
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