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Impractical Jokers: The Complete First Season
R1 - America - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (13th December 2013). |
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The Show
 Most men can relate to being relentlessly egged on by their friends, maybe being put in an uncomfortable situation for the sake of a good joke, and all the general slightly-good-natured ribbing that is part and parcel of “hanging out with the guys”. For whatever reason, we just love to push buttons to see if and when our closest buddies will crack. All part of the male bonding experience, I suppose. That’s the general conceit behind TruTV’s “Impractical Jokers” (2011-present), except the show (obviously) goes one step further in broadcasting the shenanigans for all to see. There’s nothing highbrow about this humor, either; these guys get their friends to do the lewdest, crudest, most shameful stuff imaginable… or else they face the possibility of losing the episode’s challenge, forcing them to perform an even more embarrassing act of shame. It might help to know a little background on the foursome. Shot in New York City, the show follows Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, and James Murray, four friends since childhood (or, at least, for a really long time) who have turned fart jokes and scatological humor into a career. Bravo! Joe, the wild man of the group, is your typical loudmouth who is absolutely fearless when performing challenges. In fact, it’s his cocksure, unwavering demeanor that makes his jokes go over the best, because he’s so damn committed to them. Brian Quinn, known as Q on the show, is a hulking boob of a man who typically has the hardest time with challenges because his approach is awkward, stilted, and abundantly creepy. He’s like Lenny from “Of Mice and Men”, trying not to scare off a potential win so badly that he winds up killing his chances instead. Sal takes a go-for-broke approach, willingly making himself look like a massive a** just so he won’t lose. But the guy has set limits, and if any of the other guys try to make him do something that goes against his strict personal code, the guy breaks down like a small child who knows he’s about to get beaten. Finally, James Murray, known as Murr, is a wiry, bald creeper who gets his laughs by displaying a willingness to do and say just about anything he can to get a win. Since he comes across as the least threatening of any of the guys, most people tend to let him get away with his antics. Individually, each of these guys are pretty funny, but put together on this show allows them to really get into top form. The rules of “Impractical Jokers” are simple – one of the guys is placed in a situation where he’s interacting with members of the public, and the remaining three are hidden off site watching everything the fourth person is doing. They all have microphones linked to an earpiece, with each of them taking turns telling the public lackey what to do. It would do their skits no justice to repeat them here in text; this is the type of show you just have to see. And once you do, your sides will hurt within five minutes due to the outrageous situations these guys find themselves in. For instance, let’s say Murr has to strike up a conversation with a total stranger, pretending that they know each other. In order to jog this person’s memory, the guys will tell Murr what to say to this guy and he has to say it or else he loses the challenge. So, he might be forced to say “Don’t you remember me, I was the guy who met you at Denzel Washington’s son’s sweet sixteen party? I used to smuggle cocaine in my b***hole”, all with a straight face. A big part of what makes the humor work so well is that these guys really do act like a group 13-year-old kids, trying to one-up and out-gross each other every step of the way. It’s not like they just jammed a bunch of random comedians together and had them get as vindictive and nasty as possible to embarrass the others for the sake of ratings. The preposterous stunts and streams of insults are pretty damn genuine. These guys have ball busting down to a science. I give every single one of them major props for getting through sketches that are uncomfortably hilarious just to watch. This is one of those shows where you have to continually look away from the screen because you feel overwhelmingly embarrassed for the guys. But you can’t stop watching, either. This Complete First Season DVD set contains all 17 episodes from their inaugural crack at television. The show is now on its third season, and hopefully it sticks around for many seasons longer. There aren’t enough shows on TV today that can make your sides hurt and your stomach churn in knots, and this one manages to do both. Effortlessly. And it’s all because of the natural chemistry between all four of the jokers. Their comedy is a mix of hilarity and horror, leaving you almost afraid to see what they can come up with next.
Video
The 1.78:1 16x9 anamorphic widescreen image looks very much like a TV broadcast. This isn’t a good or bad thing; just don’t expect anything too impressive on a visual level. Detail is on par with what DVD can offer. The show was probably shot in HD, and a Blu-ray release likely would yield much better results. But you aren’t watching this for technical acumen; you’re watching it to see a grown man make fart noises in public.
Audio
Like the video, there’s nothing particularly noteworthy about the English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack. Levels are good, dialogue is clear. Every awkward, crawl-inside-yourself-to-die moment is perfectly audible. Subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
Thankfully, “Impractical Jokers” isn’t a joke in the supplemental department, hitting DVD with a solid selection of extras that are worth checking out, including audio commentaries, deleted scenes, behind the scenes, and more. DISC ONE: The only extras on this disc are audio commentaries by cast members Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano and James Murray on the episodes "Pay It Forward", "Drawing A Blank", "Out Of TP" (there are two for this episode), and "Who Arted?". Each track features all four of the guys, each of whom offers a little more insight into how each gag went down, approaching the marks, what they were thinking, etc. The atmosphere is fun and loose with these. DISC TWO: There is an audio commentary by cast members Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano and James Murray on the episode "Charity Case" and is much of the same as seen of the previous disc. A handful of deleted scenes (1.78:1, 16x9) are included for the following, which can be played individually or all at once. Each adds a few more beats to sketches that were seen during the season, nothing here was cut entirely. They include: - “Bullhorn” runs for 2 minutes and 3 seconds. - “Big Dork” runs for 1 minute and 21 seconds. - “May I Quote You?” runs for 1 minute and 1 second. - “Karate Web” runs for 45 seconds. - “Information Booth” runs for 43 seconds. - “Fries Freeze” runs for 1 minute and 7 seconds. - “Fat Ceiling” runs for 1 minute and 31 seconds. - “Double Bogeys” runs for 3 minutes and 4 seconds. - “Do Not Tip This Man” runs for 50 seconds. - “CPR” runs for 48 seconds. - “Checking For Guns” runs for 1 minute and 19 seconds. - “Q’s Home Party” runs for 1 minute and 29 seconds. There a collection of behind the scenes videos (1.78:1, 16x9) focusing on each of the cast members. Really, it’s just a quick montage of some of their best moments and lines from the season. They include: - “Brian Quinn: Q Up for Laughter” runs for 1 minute and 35 seconds. - “Larry! It’s the Best Joe Moments Ever” runs for 1 minute and 56 seconds. - “James Murray: Off the Couch” runs for 1 minute and 23 seconds. - “Delicious! The Best of Sal Vulcano” runs for 1 minute and 54 seconds. “Meet the Stars of Impractical Jokers” are four featurettes and has each of the group’s members provide an overview of their thoughts on the others. It’s a little candid, but mostly humorous: - “Totally Shameless” runs for 1 minute and 36 seconds, focusing on Murr. - “Totally Fearless” runs for 1 minute and 36 seconds, focusing on Joe. - “Rough Around the Edges” runs for 1 minute and 5 seconds, focusing on Q. - “Mr. Hopeless” runs for 1 minute, focusing on Sal.
Packaging
The two-disc set comes housed in a standard clear DVD case, with one disc on a swinging hub and the other in the standard position. An insert is included with brief episode descriptions and titles. A slip-cover fits over the set, featuring matching cover art.
Overall
Hilarious, period. If uncomfortable humor and a strong sense of schadenfreude are your thing, then this is going to be right up your alley. These guys know how to be genuinely funny, consistently, and it never gets old seeing what they force their friends into doing. It’s irreverent, often disgusting, and usually just plain weird. You’ll be laughing so hard that repeat viewings are a necessity. Highly recommended.
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