Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill (2020 TV Special) User Reviews

You could expect more from Jerry

[mck-20739 · 6/10 · 27 November 2021]

Seinfeld is one of the most hardworking professionals in his industry and for that reason I will be deducting points from 10 rather than looking for pluses.

10 - 1 = 9. Because this was rather unfunny or as funny as you could expect a funny friend to be and not someone who makes a living out of being funny.

9 - 1 = 8. Because the material is extremely outdated and I could only imagine someone finding it amusing if it was done in the late 90's or early 2000's.

8 - 1 = 7. Because even though Seinfeld set the bar higher for observational comedy in the past, all of this seems to be a parody of himself or something performed by some hack attempting to imitate Seinfeld with a very lame performance. Improve yourself, be better than your past self, don't be a pathetic shadow of your golden years.

7 - 1 = 6. Because the delivery was very bad. I don't know what happened, but I found all that screaming very annoying. At times I thought he was trying to sound like Jerry Stiller acting as George's father. It wasn't his usual delivery and it sounded forced, especially since the material was far from innovative or outrage-inducing.

Jerry's still one of the greatest, but he should avoid resting on his own laurels and up his game or retire.

Pick up your trash, Jerry!

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 6 May 2020]

Some scattered thoughts on another solid Jerry Seinfeld standup special:

1. Jerry looks really good for 65 years old.

2. I don't know why it's called 23 Hours To Kill.

3. That helicopter stunt was pointless but admittedly pretty cool, especially considering his age.

4. 99% of this standup special will be exactly what you expect it to be. So if you like Jerry Seinfeld's comedy you'll enjoy it, and if you don't really like his style, then you probably won't like this special. Thankfully, I generally enjoy his standup, and so generally enjoyed this.

5. Jerry looks like he could do this in his sleep he's so natural. I won't argue he's the funniest standup comedian, but he might be one of the most skilled. His style and delivery remains incredibly natural and I often find myself forgetting it's a well-rehearsed, painstakingly panned performance.

6. Pick up your stupid trash when you're in a movie theatre, Jerry. It's probably a joke but if that's his genuine attitude that's pretty petty, not gonna lie.

Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill

[wbuttle · 7/10 · 8 May 2020]

Is this Jerry Seinfeld's best comedy special ever? No. Did I enjoy it? Yeah, I guess.

I've been a massive fan of Jerry Seinfeld since I first watched Seinfeld. It's my favourite sitcom and probably one of the most brilliant and best written shows ever! Definitely the best in comedy.

It must be hard to create new material when you have had one of the most successful and lengthy comedy careers ever!

The man still looks great for 65 and I hope he continues to make comedy for many more years, Jerry is still a hilarious man and his show Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee is still probably the best talk show.

I feel with this show, let it slide if you thought it was weaker because the man is legend. One of the greatest living comedians ever.

Not his best work

[rzajac · 6/10 · 9 May 2020]

Jerry can range. And what I mean by that is he doesn't always, uh, "soar".

And I would suggest that he doesn't soar, here.

Here, he showcases a predilection for "observations" that don't really work. They're the kind of stuff that, under the tender ministrations of Larry David, often got lampooned in the old Seinfeld show.

It was a little disappointing to see. I wanted to see Jerry soar, here. He too often falls flat.

Welcome Relief from Pandemic and Trump

[drednm · 7 May 2020]

First off, Jerry Seinfeld looks great! It's hard to believe he's 65 years old.

He starts the show off with a helicopter stunt that is pretty amazing, though it has little to do with his set.

His hour on stage is what he's always done: observational humor. If you don't like it, don't watch it. He's not a prop comic. He doesn't really do characters. He won't break out a banjo and sing a song. Yes, he moves around a lot but that's because he's in a big theater, not a cozy night spot.

He sticks to what he knows best, which is everyday annoyances, life, and family. There's nothing political (thank god!) and his language is pretty clean. And that's just fine.

If you expect something else, don't bother. Jerry is Jerry. Always has been. Always will be. And that's just nice and good!

Why all those negative reviews?

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 31 July 2020]

I'm very surprised by the amount of negative reviews on here. There are much more reviews than for most other stand-up comedians, which proves that Jerry Seinfeld is quite famous, and I think people are too critical for this specific show. It's like people expecting watching Seinfeld the series, one we almost all loved, but this is his stand-up comedy and I thought he had some clever well thought of jokes, certainly well brought as it all looks very natural with him. I saw better stand-up comedies, that I agree, but disliking this show is something I don't really get. It's an hour of easy entertainment about daily things we don't really stand still at, but where Jerry Seinfeld thinks about and in some cases his analysis is spot on. Good enough for me.

Seinfeld is Seinfeld.

[a_man_who_bats_are_his_focus · 9/10 · 5 May 2020]

Is this special great ? Like always, with Seinfeld, you get the highly polished, meticulously delivered observational humor. In this one he focused a little bit more on the human condition and his personal life, compared to his previous material, which I think is refreshing. His observations are sharp and relatable providing for a lot of quotable bits and an overall very enjoyable experience. I think you would love it !

Does this suck ? I don't like how it was filmed/ edited. There are too many shots from behind Jerry, the stage is too light and the side stage lights are in the frame a lot of times. All this took me out of the zone. There aren't a lot of haha funny moments.

So I don't know if it's great or if it sucks. Personally I think it is what it is .

Sucks and Great are the only two ratings.

[swordsnare · 7/10 · 11 May 2020]

"Sucks and Great are the only two ratings that people give to anything anymore" - Jerry Seinfeld. Pretty much sums up the majority of the reviews on IMDb nowadays.

Amongst all Seinfeld's usual pitchy voice crack-ups, there are some pearls of observational humour. I for one enjoy his work, so I found this quite humorous. It's a one-hour stand up special, it served its purpose.

Haters and trolls are gonna hate for the sake of it. If you don't have something constructive to say, watch something else. The trolls will most likely find this 'Not helpful', which will pretty much attest to this theory.

Laughed out loud numerous times

[mary-179-677383 · 10/10 · 9 May 2020]

Was very entertaining. I had such a good laugh. It was really relatable and I loved it. Jerry has still got it.

It was great to see Jerry on stage again!

[jonedwards-830-644740 · 7/10 · 21 May 2020]

I was excited to see Jerry in a one hour special! I laughed out loud multiple times, and he delivered comedy that stayed true to his art. I only wish that we saw more of his true comedy and less of the obviously staged arm flailing theatrics. I actually loved the higher pitched voice throwbacks that reminded me of 'Bee Movie,' because I love that movie; however, the high pitched voice was slightly overused, which made it seem planned to illicit the classic Seinfeld yelling voice. Either way, i'm happy to see Jerry commit to this stand up. It's been a long time coming, and I hope there is another special cooking up soon!

Meh

[mscard-13295 · 4/10 · 6 May 2020]

There are some funny parts but the rest is kind of flat. I feel like his high pitched voice thing for punchlines has just gotten worse and worse.

Still the best

[nicholasgmaggio · 9/10 · 6 May 2020]

He still has it. Jerry walks on stage, muses about life, how we're addicted to phones, port a potties, marriage, getting older, and everything in between. And, he's as funny as he's ever been. One of the best comedy specials out there.

A third of it is new material based on married life, which saves the whole deal

[muratmihcioglu · 7/10 · 27 April 2022]

Jerry's style has a hard-earned kind of gravitas. Hence, even when he sucks, he is kinda great.

More than half of the bits in this special are stuff that have made their way into the legendary TV series carrying his surname. Still, they work. Maybe they work in part because they remind of us scenes from the relevant episodes. And maybe that was even intentional. Smart cheat, if so.

The fresh bits are all piled up close to the ending. That is where Jerry-the-husband speaks up. That is where we confirm once more that, even if you have millions and fame, you still are bound by the very same chains with other married men. It comes as kind of a relief to hear from the man that his great marriage sucks like all marriages do. Who knows, maybe it is not really so and he just made those problems up for the special. Still, it helps us identify with the guy on stage. Smart cheat, if so.

Don't expect too much from this special. It is Seinfeld, nothing new. It sucks. But it is professionally managed, has been tested and proven to work, and you won't be losing too precious a time given you already consider watching something for an hour. It's like a pop tart. And that is what makes it great.

Mediocre at best

[warturtlewhale · 3/10 · 7 May 2020]

If you laugh while reading the New Yorker cartoons, then this is the special for you. Compared to "disgraced" comedian Louis CK's new special this year, it's not even close. 23 Hours to Kill comes off as a bitter old man making jokes about observations that are dated and not really funny unless you are old enough to remember what it was like. Great sitcom, bad special. I think he gets laughs just because of who he is.

Genius as always...

[mdewey77 · 7 May 2020]

Don't let the reviews of jaded depressed peoples stop you from seeing this... He is one in a billion...Enjoy him while he's still around. Funny people don't stop being funny (why would they?) - but many lose their ability to laugh at funny - too bad for them!

"Nobody wants to be anywhere!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 13 May 2020]

Come on haters - give the guy a break - it's Jerry Seinfeld! Okay, this wasn't his best stand-up routine, but his observations on every day life are what made him popular, and there's much to be gleaned from this stand-up special filmed at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Jerry makes his appearance via a helicopter jump into the Hudson River right nearby, hustling to the venue because there was no place for the pilot to park. Jerry tweaks annoying friends, people addicted to texting, the postal service, and utilizes the second half of his show to expound on marital life. His bit on the invention of pop-tarts reminded me a little of the Hot Pockets guy, Jim Gaffigan, who's own routine is funnier than Jerry's, which I conclude might be a personal preference. Jerry has a unique take on the derivation of the word 'golf'. For him, it translates as 'Get Out, Leave Family', which isn't very far removed from another colloquial but misinformed observation that states 'Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden'. It works both ways.

It's a luxury to watch Jerry Seinfeld

[Kingslaay · 7/10 · 9 May 2020]

You've got to savor every moment when you get these stand up specials from the king of stand up. After some years we have another special with Jerry. This was started off strong and had some good moments towards the end. There were some jokes or lines that didn't sail all the way home. Jerry really commits to his jokes so if its not funny then tough. But its enjoyable if you find it humorous. Overall grab a beer and sit back to enjoy a quick hour of stand up.

Classic Seinfeld

[ellenjkane-24643 · 10/10 · 7 May 2020]

I was belly laughing! Thanks, Jerry! We needed this tonight as we stay home & stay safe!

Still Amazing

[thermann9-174-160328 · 7/10 · 9 May 2020]

So many talented comedians just don't evolve and adjust with the times. Jerry stays true to his observational humor roots here but has made it a bit edgier for the times.

His timing and delivery are impeccable and the physical humor was great. Not sure why there are so many disgruntled viewers but if you weren't laughing at Jerry, he's laughing at us. Because only one of us is a billionaire and it's Mr. Seinfeld.

I agree, he looks great for 65 but I don't think that's him. His face looks much different, I dare say he's had work done.

Anyway, I'm certain he spent thousands of hours writing and rehearsing the material. An incredible hour of non-stop, funny rants. And I'm certain his wife filed for divorce after this.

Very Funny

[faithless4734 · 10/10 · 5 May 2020]

Spectacular and hilarious. I was never a die hard fan of his TV show but I have always liked his comedic style. This is worth the watch and is truly a funny show. Still a comedy genius and he does it all so smoothly and easily. It feels like you are just having a chat with an old very funny friend. Watch and enjoy.

A few misses but still pretty funny

[grantss · 7/10 · 21 April 2022]

A Jerry Seinfeld stand-up comedy special filmed at the Beacon Theatre in New York in October 2019.

You know what to expect with Jerry Seinfeld: wry, absurdist observational humour, complimented by dramatic motions and voice tone changes. It's all there in this special and generally works very well.

However, not all the observations hit the spot. Sometimes the targets just aren't right for a "What's the deal with...?" humorous discussion or he just takes the joke down a dead end. Sometimes it just feels like he's exhausted all the possible things to poke fun at.

Still, overall it's funny enough, just not as funny as most of Seinfeld's routines.

Not very timely!

[madcitybobkuehn · 3/10 · 7 May 2020]

Jokes about cellphones and texting? They sound like they were written years ago when these jokes were more relevant.

All of a sudden, he's become very physical. Very un-Seinfeld like.

Finally! Something to Cleanse the Glut of Bad Stand Up Specials

[genious-35413 · 9/10 · 6 May 2020]

Everyone is getting them now: the Hannah Gadsby special (and she has an equally unfunny one coming out soon), the girl from Broad City has an applause special... no actual laughs... just all applause. The annoying little guy from Workaholics. The most recent dud from Chris D'Elia. There's a lot of mediocre stuff out there right now. This is not part of that. Ignore the inane reviews that gripe about his delivery, or the guy who clearly dislikes Seinfeld and even says as much. This is a master of what he does and you can tell that a lot of thought goes into what he says, how he says it and the order that he says it in. The funny thing about the negative reviews - they're the same things said about George Carlin a few years after he became huge. And then were said about him again 5 years later. And would come up about every 5 years for the rest of his life. And looking back - those specials were gold as well. If you don't like Seinfeld, and especially if you DISLIKE him - then don't review it. I don't like shows for children, because I'm not a child so there's no reason for me to review it. I don't like shows like Big Bang Theory because I'm not an idiot that enjoys contrived rehashed jokes from 30 years ago - set to a painfully exaggerated laugh track. So there is no reason for me to review that deplorable show.

Just an OK stand up.

[iwatchibinge · 6/10 · 8 May 2020]

Main thing is like a classy man Jerry kept it clean, no abusive words, no racial fragment artifically woven into content. It was just as "Seinfeld" was - comedy/jokes about NOTHING (in particular, just everyday stuff) - but the thing is for this we already have a full series of "Seinfeld". Many of the things which were said in this session and taken as a joke(s) earlier, are not now (it would be good for him if he can get his jokes vetted by her 18yo daughter before doling them out). So a bit dated content which would be less appreciated or even not liked by younger audience (that is from where bad ratings of show are coming).

Looking great at 65 but...

[Brad_G35 · 4/10 · 6 May 2020]

I think Seinfeld has run out of interesting things to say. I won't totally bash him because there were a few funny moments in this special but for the most part it didn't seem like the same Seinfeld.

There were a few moments that seemed like he was testing new material. If you're a Seinfeld fan, give it a try. Unfortunately, it won't be a special I'll be revisiting in the future.