Featured DVD Review: Chris Hardwick: Mandroid

January 20, 2013

Chris Hardwick: Mandroid - Buy from Amazon

The latest stand-up comedy concert DVD to hit my desk is Chris Hardwick: Mandroid. This is his first comedy special for Comedy Central, which aired last November. However, he is far from a rookie and has a number of projects, including The Nerdist. As you can probably tell from than name, he's a bit of a nerd and his comedy tends to cater to that crowd. Will nerds be into the set? Will others enjoy it?

The Set

It doesn't take long for Chris Hardwick to get into nerd culture and how it has changed from when he was a kid. Although he does take a little time to mock sports fans. (I consider myself a nerd and a sports fan. I think there are very few differences between memorizing sports stats and being able to quote episodes of Star Trek.) He also spends some time making fun of Ghost Hunter shows and Hipsters. I agree 100% with his opinions. The godfather of nerd culture is also a center of a lot of jokes, the internet, specifically social media. The later half of the set does get a lot more racier; there's a reason it is labeled uncensored. However, Chris Hardwick is able to talk about things like strippers and the like in a way that he's still charming and never perverted.

Not every bit works, needless to say. There is one bit that starts with a discussion of ligers and other hybrid species that goes a little too far, but he quickly recovers.

The Extras

There are two extra songs with Mike Phirman, who is his comedy partner, Abraham Lincoln and El Corazon. There is also a Totally Hidden Easter Egg, which involves a technical problem.

The Verdict

Chris Hardwick: Mandroid is a very good set where nearly every joke hits its mark. There are better than average extras and it is absolutely worth picking up, nerd or not.


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