Ricky Gervais Live - Animals [2003] [DVD]

There's no need to spend ages talking about just who Ricky Gervais is. Unless you live under a rock you've heard of the guy, and perhaps heard the term 'Comedy Genius' thrown about as well. That may be going too far but still.
I admit I got this DVD purely on the success of 'The Office' in which he plays David Brent and the famous 'Boxing Fight' with Grant Bovey. I was a little surprised when I put the DVD on to find it wasn't a typical stand-up comedy performance, but more a hilarious lecteur on the topic of 'Animals'. Okay he does deviate from the Animal world once of twice which is great.
I must admit to having fits of laughter at certain comments and jokes he told. I have come to the conclusion that Ricky Gervais is immune to himself as he doesn't like most performers feel the need to laugh after his own jokes. I can't recall him laughing at anything he says, yet do recall him waiting for the audience to stop laughing to he can continue. When he mentions certain subjects like Rik Waller having the same Fat content as a Pork Scratching or how Darwin's Theory of Evolution is false because a good book available in all good book shops called 'The Bible' says how the world really came to be, will have you laughing. Some people may take offense to some of his comments certainly on the subjects of the wars in history and comparing one conflict to fighting vertical challenged people. Also for some reason he decides to have a rant about Stephen Hawking that borders very closely on being insulting and possible offensive.
At the end of the show you will be sat there wondering what you've just seen and heard. I'll admit I wasn't expecting what I saw, and am more used to the stand-up routines of your Peter Kay's and Jim Davidson's. Ricky Gervais has his own style and it works for him, but I doubt anyone else could have pulled this show off and got the laughs he did. Okay a lot of the laughs will come from people thinking, "It's David Brent saying these things." I do recommend this DVD to anyone who's a fan of Ricky's or a fan of the 'Office' and certainly Office fans should look for the gag during the whole 'How the World Came to Be' joke comparing the Bible's 3rd chapter to a 3rd Series of the Office. "The first two chapters were good, you knew he'd get slated for the third so why'd he bother?"
Buy this DVD you are certainly getting your money's worth.

This is an excellent DVD, and all the better for upsetting anyone who is a pretentious bible-basher. The parallel with Eddie Izzard is very accurate, as they both have that ability to give the audience a little 'knowing' glance before delivering the 'punch line'. Superb!!!

You're all having a laugh. Peter Kay is undeniably funny (although the Bolton Albert Halls DVD is a poor follow-up to Top of the Tower). However, this is Gervais on top form and his routine beats Kay hands down. True Office connoisseurs will appreciate the subtleties of his humour here - I was in stitches from start to finish. Even Gervais' monologue commentary in the extras had me "cracking up". As any Office fan will attest to it is the little foibles that provide the biggest laughs in the Office and they are in large supply here.

This is a must for any true aficionado of the Office. (As is the slot on Xfm on Saturday afternoons).

One final thing, Office fan or not, this stands up by itself as first-class comedy.