Robin Williams Live on Broadway (2002 TV Special) User Reviews

ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS

[bsinc · 9/10 · 20 September 2004]

The hardest thing in the acting business is to make someone laugh. And laugh hard! Robin Williams succeeds with what seems like ease, he just fires one joke after another and around 20% are so amazingly funny you wonder if you ever saw a funnier stand-up performance in your life. He made me realize one other thing - comedians are the philosophers of modern time, they are hardcore critics of current state of politics, drugs, sports, environment, just name it, they have witty and to the spot anecdotes for every subject. Without them we would be so much emptier, they realize stuff that's true just no one else sees it.

A brilliant and amazingly funny, (repeat this about 5 times to get the idea just how much), an unmissable performance. 9/10

Robin's Best

[caspian1978 · 8/10 · 11 January 2004]

20 years ago, Robin Williams had his best live stand-up on Broadway. 20 years later, Robin returns (live) to give an even better performance and equally funny. 52 years old and not slowing down for a second, Robin Williams is non-stop for almost 2 hours as he tackles terrorism, sex, drugs, family, golf, drinking, cats, the gay mafia, and everything else you can think of. Less poetic as his first stand up show 20 years before, but Live on Broadway (2002) is one of the best stand up shows of the year, by far!

You'll laugh until you cry

[MovieAddict2016 · 9/10 · 8 November 2005]

Robin Williams used to be a very unique talent (as far as comedy goes) - and his standup was great. But it seems the awkward shift from comedy films to dramas like "Dead Poet's Society," "Awakenings" and "Good Will Hunting" - no matter how good they may have been - severely altered the public perception and he became something else.

Twenty years after his last performance on Broadway, Robin returns once again for his best standup routine - ever. As disappointing as his recent cinematic comedic endeavours may be, this proves he's still got it - at least as far as standup goes.

He spits out the jokes faster than you could imagine. He careens from one to the next and before you have the time to stop and laugh at one, he's launching into another.

Each time you think you've found a new favorite joke in the program, he tops it. One reviewer on an external site said it's some type of "fake controversy" - an old, expired comic pretending to be daring when he's really just under the cover of HBO. Whatever - all I know is that this is hilarious, and really raunchy.

The last joke - an extended bit revolving around the topic of a sexual act - is absolutely hysterical and the entire audience can hardly control themselves.

If you like Robin Williams, you'll love this. If you don't like Robin Williams - the actor we've come to known through cinema - you'll definitely love this, because it shows a very different side to a man many people consider to be spoiled milk in the comedy-film biz.

funny as hell

[personguyman · 10/10 · 28 November 2002]

While I like seeing Robin Williams explore his darker side in "Death to Smoochie" and "Insomnia", it is still nice to see him do what he does best: be funny as all hell. The special is essentially one sentence. I saw this because he never really finishes a thought. He starts on something, goes on about whatever topic and then once he reaches another topic, he launches into that one, leaving the previous topic behind never to return to it. It is always nice to see a comedian at the top of his game and this is certainly that. 10/10

A non-stop comic romp.

[mhasheider · 10/10 · 29 January 2003]

The legendary comedian-actor knows how to deliver stand-up comedy in such a way that just leaves you laughing non-stop. Williams is the type of comic who can easily tickle the audience's funny bone to the point where you the viewer can't stop laughing. It's impossible to say the least.

Where ever Robin Williams has appeared in movies or talk shows like Letterman, Leno, Carson, Inside the Actor's Studio, and in this case - on Broadway. And here, Williams shows why he's one of the best in the generation and the large variety of topics - ranging from world and national politics, the church scandal, the Winter Olympics, and being 50 is certainly beyond belief.

Just watching Robin taking some hilarious shots at some key members of the Bush cabinet and of course, Bush himself are among the best ones delivered. The joke about Ted Kennedy being "Jabba the Hut" was a nasty one, too.

The show is a non-stop comic romp even though some jokes might offend some people and is definitely one not to let the "ankle-bitters" watch.

It Was All And More Than I Expected

[Katie_Ann970 · 10/10 · 1 September 2006]

Already being a huge, lifelong fan I was very eager to view this show/movie. I could not stop laughing the entire time. It was non-stop comedy. Robin Williams is a total comic genius. His jokes ranged from pop-culture, drugs, politics, sex, crazy foreigners, and all those water bottles with minds of their owns. I was never bored waiting for the next joke; it was like one big joke with boundless and endless humor. Not only does it appeal to many audiences and is painfully clever, but he is so physically connected to his spread that he is not only telling his jokes...he IS his jokes.

Well done Mr. Williams, well done!

I saw Robin Williams in concert when he came to Portland.

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 14 July 2005]

I saw Robin Williams in concert when he came to Portland in April, 2002. By the end of the concert, I was hoarse from laughing; you just can't imagine how hilarious he is unless you hear his monologue.

"Robin Williams: Live on Broadway" contains most of the same jokes that he made in Portland, but it's still just as funny. I think that my favorite part was his solution to the 2002 Winter Olympics scandal. But also his comments about nuclear bombs, drunken Scottish men inventing golf, and other such things.

You gotta see it just to understand how funny it is. You just might die laughing. This proves that Robin Williams does best when he's doing his own stuff.

Funniest thing I've seen in a while

[TheEtherWalk · 10/10 · 20 June 2003]

Wow! Just when you thought he was past his prime, Robin Wiliams is back with one of the funniest stand-up shows in years. Surprisingly though, the funniest moments come when Robin swears. And by god does he ever swear (check the quotes section to see what I mean). As for content, he does everything from improv funniness to jokes about Steve Irwin, Tiger Woods, sex with gorillas, politics and breast implants. This is the funniest thing I have ever seen. Definitely check this out.

Can it get funnier

[iwatcheverything · 9/10 · 4 January 2004]

Robin is great. Always has been and probably always will be. I have watched everything that I can get my hands on with him in it. This is got to be the best comedy routine I have seen in ages. Not many comedians can keep an audience interested for an hour and a half and also keep them laughing till the very end. If this film gets many more votes it may end up in the top 250 here on imdb. So watch and vote. You will not regret it.

Robin's past his prime

[drdave · 6/10 · 4 July 2003]

Do yourself a favor - rent or borrow before even considering buying. While amusing, this is nowhere near the quality of Robin's earlier material and, as others have mentioned, the profanity gets a bit old after a while.

The funniest stand up of all time

[argimlumani · 10/10 · 26 February 2020]

I watched this when it came out as a kid it was hilarious than still funny as heck now robin Williams to me is the goat in terms of comedy and doing improv all these voices on stage for over an hour this a special that me and my cousins quote all the time from ghandi jeans to bush him talking about business ethics is kinda like a leopard giving you a facial I could on all day about this special the amount of times it's made me laugh I also bought the 2 disc set to listen to it on CD imho no other stand up comes close to the hilarity of this one RIP Robin Williams thanks for the laughter

He's all washed up. Sad. Grim. Pathetic.

[retrodaze · 4 February 2003]

I want my time back. I'll even pay for it, which gladly I didnt do for this garbage, thank God. Robin Williams in the old days - funny. Robin Williams on TV guest appearances - funny. Robin Williams in interviews or talk show appearances - funny. Robin Williams resorting to the tactics of washed up, dried out losers ala Andrew Dice Clay to buy laughs - not funny. Pardon me that supplanting half of every sentence, with the word "F**k" to squeeze out laughs from the audience, or even worse, using it as the punchline to every other joke is just plain tired. *yawn* It's not as though he isnt talented enough not to do it, either; just laziness, I guess. Then the making fun of *ahem* "retarded people"?? Yikes! Wha? Et tu, Robin? What's next?, the arrow through the head like Steve Martin of old?, or perhaps Knock-Knock jokes? Puh-lease.

Not Your Parents' Robin Williams

[frankwhat · 7/10 · 23 November 2004]

I have to say I was quite surprised at the language Robin was using all throughout his standup act. It doesn't bother me as I'm quite used to it from other various forms of entertainment but the thought of it coming from him...well I found that to be rather disturbing. I don't mean to sound like a Sally but I guess I'm just not used to seeing an icon of family entertainment use such profane language. I mean I've heard him mutter a swear or two but to go in to graphic sexual detail was a little odd for me. The act was funny, don't get me wrong but some of the jokes did get a little repetitive after awhile. I thought that maybe it was a tad too long and that they could've cut 45 minutes of it and condensed it all down to an hour long special. Robin Williams is extremely talented and is probably one of the best improvisational actors out there. The guy is seriously able to just wing ingenious material off the top of his head and keep going a mile a minute. I'd be happy just to have a tiny smidge of his mental capacity. Also if politically incorrect material offends you then this might be one you'd rather sit out. But if you have some time to kill and are looking for some over-the-top slapstick humor then look no further! Your answer lies within.

Final Laugh:

Movies: Not applicable.

DVD Purchase: Might be worth it for all the extras and different screen shots made available.

Rental: I enjoyed it immensely!

Robbin Williams is one crazy motha f**ker...

[pinokiyo · 4/10 · 20 April 2003]

After watching this I'm sick of hearing the 'F' word so many f**king times. Oh great he's making me use it now... He must of said it like 50 times literally. I admire his effort for trying really hard especially to remember his jokes and saying them without pausing too much (even though he jumps around stories a lot) to a big crowd for over an hour. But 90% of his jokes were not that funny. The crowd sounded like they were forcing their laugh. Only when they're really cheering loudly is when it's actually funny. Like out of the hour and 38 minutes of the total show, only 10 minutes or less was some what funny. He likes to talk about balls a lot and other human organ/sexually related stuff which is I guess the idea of it having a 50 year old talking about this is already funny? Uhh, He also talked trash on a lot of people (which most comedians do) like the French, celebrities, religions, and so on.

I still like Robbin Williams for his movies like Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, One Hour Photo but this performance didn't impress me. I didn't think the jokes were worth the time but it was surprising to see yet another kind of side Robbin Williams has. If you don't know Robbin Williams (where have you been?) too well then you will definitely be saying after you watch this, "Is this the same guy in 'Dead Poets Society'?". People look back at his career and remember all those funny moments he has done so even at the end they will still see Robbin Williams as one of the best in comedy. But I'm sure immature teens will laugh their ass off on this as they are easily amused by swearing and sexual content. To me this was just some lunatic 50 year old swearing and jerking off on stage and not the Robbin Williams I've known to see.

It's not bad but it's not that great either.

Overall Rating: 4/10

This is simply hilarious...

[paul_haakonsen · 8/10 · 25 April 2020]

I have always liked Robin Williams and I have seen this 2002 stand-up comedy show "Robin Williams Live on Broadway" five or six times already. Granted, it is with a handful of years in between.

But that just proves that the material in his show can sustain multiple viewings, and his jokes and performance is so good that it is always fun to return to watch this show.

Robin Williams has a great scene performance and he feels very much at home on the stage in the spotlight. His jokes are funny and brings me to laugh quite often. And the show is quite diverse as it goes wide and far.

The amount of energy that fuels this guy on stage is just fantastic. And it shows on the screen, because he is very dynamic and animated in his performance, not just standing rigidly in front of a microphone.

This is definitely a show that is worth sitting down to watch if you enjoy stand-up comedy. And if you haven't already seen this 2002 show from Robin Williams, you definitely should do so if you are given the chance.

I am rating "Robin Williams Live on Broadway" a well-deserving eight out of ten stars.

Pure Comic Insanity!!!

[tekkerzfan · 9/10 · 14 February 2021]

This set might not go down well with the woke society we have now but a lot of us know Robin Williams was a superb comedic and dramatic talent and this show is a pure example of why the world lost one of the American entertainment business greats. Some of the highlights from the special are Robin's routines on Golf, Michael Jackson and Keith Richards. As a golf and music fan, it never ceases to make me laugh!

Live ... in the past

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 24 January 2016]

Live shows or comedy/stand up material can be too topical, too local and/or not timeless enough. There are jokes here, that over 10 years after the show was made might not work with some (especially if they don't know the area and or some ex-celebrities mentioned). But overall Robin does a great job keeping it just funny. That is if you're not easily offended and can follow his crazy pace and trail.

It gets sexual and it does, Robin also ad-libs at times, when he almost loses his train of thought for example. He's good like that. And that's why it's obvious why some people are missing him. Any decent comedian would have a field day with someone like Donald Trump (though let's keep politics out of this). This is evident if you hear him bash George W. Bush in some of his jokes.

On the DVD there's one outstanding extra, the interview with the director of the show. Something you wouldn't think of while watching this, but this was hard to actually "direct" - if you could actually direct Robin W. on a live show, which seems impossible. But still a great job (not only the camera placement, but also how he handled one specific audience section to get the most out of it and make this TV special ... really special).

better than I expected, and re-watchable

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 23 February 2006]

In watching Robin Williams's comedy specials from the 80's, I was struck by how much I didn't actually laugh. Considering it was his prime, a lot of the time I didn't quite 'get' or really just take in most of the jokes he was doing, as a lot of them had him going out into the audience and just ragging on random people's items. Ironically enough he shines in this special, taking on so many topics it would make your head spin for me to list them all. But he's constantly moving here, like in his 80's specials, while still giving the audience some room to breathe here and there, without pounding over the head. He goes after plastic surgery, South American Soccer, the French, (a bit before it started churning up) the US and the Middle East/Iraq, and very memorably a tale of Jesus and his forgotten brother, Jerry. Even when one isn't laughing, it's still putting-a-grin kind of material he's working with. In the year last when he was really on fire (he at least had one good film among three, Death to Smoochy, Insomnia, and One Hour Photo, the latter two in my top 10 of 2002), for me he delivered his best in quite a long time, a wonderful comeback with enough sarcasm, energy, and curses to float a sinking boat.

The funniest man alive! Spoiler alert

[btrojak · 10/10 · 14 April 2003]

Need I say more?...Robin Williams is the funniest man alive! I haven't laughed OUT LOUD over a comedian in so long! He can talk about the most everyday things (golf, the World Cup, the Olympics in Utah), but his commentary is drop dead right-on. I especially loved his use of water as a prop (ha ha). A must see for everyone who recognizes how funny the "human condition" is...

The funniest stand-up I have ever seen.

[jaggirl718 · 10/10 · 21 October 2002]

This was the funniest stand-up I have ever seen. Robin Williams was hilarious. He had me rolling in the floor. I couldn't even catch my breath I was laughing so hard. He is an extremely creative person and can make the most boring thing in the world so funny like golf. I was amazed at how long the show was and how it slowed down. The show was funny from beginning to end and everywhere in between. If anyone has the chance to see this, I highly recommend it because it will definitely brighten your day. Robin Williams is definitely one of the funniest men of all time.

Really Funny! 7/10

[leonblackwood · 7/10 · 25 August 2014]

Review: Due to the sad passing of this comedic genius, I deceived to watch some of his old material, including his live performances. This particular performance, which was filmed in New York in 2001, is really funny and it shows the fast talking, amazingly witty, Williams at his best. I didn't get some of his American political jokes and he does make fun out of some touchy subjects, but it's all in jest and it really does work. The different elements that his stand-up covers is amazing but you might miss some jokes because he talks so fast. Anyway, this movie is definitely worth a watch, even if your not a fan of his work, because it's funny and extremely entertaining. A Great Watch!

Round-Up: After watching the bonus material on the DVD, it's obvious that Robin Williams finds it hard to have a normal conversation without bursting into comedy. I have seen him to some straight roles like the great Insomnia and The Butler, but he really does shine when you let him loose. It's not as good as Delirious, which is an all time classic, but it's still a great watch. He will be greatly missed!

I recommend this movie to people who are into there stand-up comedies which covers everything from politics to sex. 7/10

Fantastic stuff

[santtu-saari · 9/10 · 12 October 2006]

Some of the best stand-up comedy I've ever seen by a man who undeniably is a comical genius. If you have seen and liked any movie or TV show featuring Robin Williams, I tell you, this stuff will surely make you laugh! The material in his show might seem offensive to some (maybe to all) and it cannot be viewed politically; it is supposed to be fun, a laughing matter.

The world has become a serious place and laughter is one of those things that help us through the day. Mr. Williams amongst several of his peers are the very best people to do just that.

Considering the fact that the man is in his fifties making a live show with both verbal and physical humor, making satirical comments on just about everyone and everything, he is doing a job many of us would only be dreaming of doing at his age.

Bless you Robin and thank you!

Not very funny

[ccotter444 · 5/10 · 21 May 2007]

It was disappointing to hear the F*** word every fifty or sixty seconds, or more. What's Robin's problem? Does he think that he needs to cuss, cuss, cuss to be funny? It would have been a lot more funny if he didn't say that word or a variation of it all the time. It's like he had a bet to see how many times he could say it. I'm just a normal, beer drinkin' American, but I didn't find it amusing. I didn't even finish watching the whole thing. Maybe I would have liked it more back when I was a teenager or something. He is one of my favorite actors and I really like a lot of the movies and other things that he has done, but then it was disappointing to watch this and wonder "Where is that nice, respectable, funny guy that was in the movies that I saw before?"

I nearly soiled myself

[RedemptionSong2 · 10/10 · 21 July 2007]

I didn't know i could laugh that hard. My lungs hurt.

This is by far the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. I've seen it over 10 times, and know almost every joke he's gonna tell. I've been quoting him for the past 3 years, and even when i watch it today its still hilarious. I never really knew robin williams was funny until i saw this. All his jokes are offensive but you have to sort of move past that to really enjoy its laughs. He goes into all aspects of comedy drugs, religion, getting older, sex, sports, and the olympics, he even fits in a little something about martha stewart. And you always have to have some sort of bush jokes.

Robin - and just Robin

[daedia · 10/10 · 11 October 2002]

He´s a great comedian, he´s a great actor, he´s a nice guy - but would he be able to go back to the roots? Just a lonely figure on an stage - and the only things to play with are about 20 bottles of water....

He suceeds - in a way that will surely make you laugh tears. I had to stop the tape about ten times during my first view, because i had to catch breath.

Robin the standup-comedian is a great mix between the obcenitys of a guy like Andrew Dice Clay and the "little guy"-appereance of f.E. the early Steve Martin. And even if he gets really rough at times, there´s still this "hey, its just me - Robin"-feeling he gives you with just a little grin.

His ability as a character-actor helps his performance a lot - this is Standup-Comedy the way it has to be: Crazy, fast, over the top and with a little bit more deepness you would expect. A sure winner!!