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Like
all foreign entertainment if you're willing to keep a
wide open mind and are willing to be open to something
completely new and off the wall, then "Flight of the
Conchords" is the series for you. Admittedly, the New
Zealand sitcom about two folk singers slowly working
their way to music fame in the New York landscape is an
acquired taste, and one that I had a bit of a time
adjusting to, especially considering the series will
screech to a halt to switch to musical numbers sung by
either of the two gentlemen here. HBO Home Entertainment
has released a 5-Disc boxed set of the entire "Flight of
the Conchords" hit television series along with a thirty
minute live concert and for anyone looking to see what
the hubbub is about, they'd be wise to crack open this
new release to see what this has in store for them
beyond the typical sitcom doldrums.
While
in the first episode I was admittedly hesitant to give
this series a chance, considering the boys are just
finding their footing, the series really hits its stride
on its second episode grasping its concept fully with a
show presenting themes about foreigners trying to hit
their fame as we saw with "Extras" and "Da Ali G Show."
Jermaine and Bret are hilarious as the singing duo whose
aspirations don't exactly push them in to total fame and
world domination but just survival and that's thanks to
their inept agent Murray who is not above coming up with
the most idiotic diatribes to convince the two to stick
with him and follow his rules. |
Rhys Darby constantly holds his own against Bret and
Jermaine providing a sense of insanity for two men
who know what they want but have no idea how to get
it. While the show does tend to border on the grim
at times with looks in to their poverty that drives
Bret to taking food left on the street, cue a
hysterical reaction from Jermaine, but the show
never loses its focus on showing the unabashed
delusions of grandeur of these men who will come up
with just about musical number they can even if it
means drawing awkward expressions from the folks
they're encountering. In the pilot Jermaine responds
to a break-up with a ballad, Bret becomes "The Boom
King" when meeting a hot girl while holding up a
sign, and the Rhyme-nocerous makes an appearance
when Bret and Jermaine are robbed by two Italian
thugs. One of the funniest and most subtle gags
involves the running joke of people confusing their
nationality for other wild ones and upon learning
they're from New Zealand immediately boast about
"Lord of the Rings."
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also the gags involving the
misunderstanding of terms and phrases
because of their heavy accents including
Murray's pronunciation of the world
"Dead." The adorable Krysten
Schaal is also a scene stealer as the creepy Mel, a
neighbor of Jermaine and Brent who stalks them
relentlessly and will wait as long as it
takes just to have only five minutes of
awkward conversation between the two. "Flight of the Conchords" is
something of a brilliant anomaly, a very unassuming
and unpretentious little gem that doesn't really try
to change the world, but only strives to display
much of its very subtle and easily memorable humor
revolving around the various personalities that
clash among the New York landscape. |
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Jermaine and
Bret are two really fascinating characters both of
whom possess a unique bond that keeps them at odds
more often than not, and watching them argue over
jobs, and relationships and their own quirks makes
for some of the best material of the series. The
musical numbers are off-putting at first, but once
you adjust, it becomes a seamless and very fluid
element of the show that adds much more flavor to
the plots and inspires a raucous laugh or two.
Paired with the show's two seasons is a half hour
live concert for HBO, and a slew of extras like
deleted scenes, and outtakes, and commercials for
the show's infamous pawn shop that are quite
hilarious. For anyone willing to explore Bret and
Jermaine, or are interested in re-visiting their
favorite New Zealand two man band, "Flight of the
Conchords: The Complete Collection" is a crown jewel
for anyone to own. Or you could just stick to your
laugh track mediocrity on network television. Your
choice.
8/23/10 |
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