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Release Date: September 29th, 2006 (Village East Cinemas) DVD Release Date: October 10th, 2006. Directed by Ray Ellin. BASIC PREMISE: A documentary about three Latin legends of comedy, Joe Vega, J.J. Ramirez, and Ángel Salazar, who perform their routines at Comic Strip Live on 2nd Ave. & 82nd St in Manhattan. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: The Latin Legends of Comedy feels engaging thanks to the three lively comedians, however, for the most part, their jokes aren’t laugh-out-loud funny. Joe Vega, J.J. Ramirez, and Ángel Salazar each have plenty of energy when presenting their comic routine, but their content simply doesn’t feel original. They all include sex jokes and ethnic jokes, i.e. when Joe Vega asks “Who keeps immigration on the run? Down at the Alamo, who really won? Who keeps Chevy in business year after year? Who can dress in rainbows and not be a queer?” and the crowd shouts back “Latinos”. J.J. Ramirez continues with ethnic/sex jokes and adds some racial jokes as well. What makes his routine lose its comic momentum is that he laughs at his own jokes—not a good habit for a stand-up comedian, although Chris Rock does it too. The highlight, though, is Ángel Salazar who is not only a comedian, but also had a small role in films such as Scarface, Sylvester and Carlito’s Way. Out of all of the three comedians, he has the most comic energy and performs an outrageously funny routine which includes dancing in tight undies to a wide variety of songs that won’t be spoiled here. Just the way he looks while dancing is funny. His catch phrase “check it out!” gets old and annoying quickly, though. More footage from each comedian’s comic routine back when they were younger would have helped to give a broader sense of what makes them so legendary. Nonetheless, director Ray Ellin definitely shows his appreciation for these comedians, especially by including brief interviews that allow them to explain their influences and how they ended up as comedians. Be sure to stay through the end credits for additional scenes as well as a reference to Lord of the Rings. SPIRITUAL VALUE: None is required or desired. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Repetitive humor. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 2 IN A NUTSHELL: Engaging and lively, but only sporadically hilarious. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: VHS/DVD Main Page Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu The "L" Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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