Search - Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Second Season on DVD

Still superior to all other TV comedy series...

B. Seigal | La Mesa, CA United States | 07/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I rated this four stars relative to the series as a whole; in relation to every other comedy currently on the air, it really warrants the full five stars. In short, I have to agree with other reviewers who feel Season Two is probably the weakest in the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" series. Still, this is worth the price of admission for the "Doll Head" episode alone, maybe the funniest 30 minutes ever aired in television history, even if the rest isn't quite up to the usual Larry David standards. And while I'm not generally a fan of DVD extras, shelling out 35 bucks for a no-frills five-hour's worth of viewing seemed a tad inflated compared to similar DVD sets on the market (really, all the HBO series DVD's are over-priced). It was still worth it in the end, as nothing makes me laugh harder than watching this poor shlub stammer his way through ridiculous situations of his own making. Priceless moments this season include an uncomfortably realistic bit with Jason Alexander suffering the slings and arrows of post-Seinfeld Costanza-typecasting; Ed Asner's hysterical turn as a gruff and horny old geezer on his last legs; and a horrified Larry encountering his shrink sporting a package-revealing thong at the beach -- not to even mention the nightmarish water bottle incident in the "Doll Head" episode.This is "Curb Your Enthusiasm" undergoing growing pains, unsuccessful in fully re-capturing the spontaneous greatness of Season One and not yet on the reliably steady legs that will later hallmark its prime. While the writing and guest spots improve markedly in subsequent years, this series is still superior to everything being served up by the networks, even in its weakest hour."

SMART AND VERY FUNNY!

RMurray847 | Albuquerque, NM United States | 01/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are two reasons I had never really watched CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. One, we don't get cable or HBO, and two, everything I heard about it was that Larry David was such a miserable, downer character. While I think SEINFELD was some of the funniest stuff on television, I figured I didn't need to watch this glum guy who isn't really an actor starring in a TV show as "himself."

Well, finally, my 17 year old son dragged me in front of the TV to watch some of the DVDs he had borrowed. I'm so GLAD he did!!

First of all, Larry David is far from a complete misanthrope. Granted, he's got a naturally whiny voice, slouchy posture and a natural cynicism that comes with intelligence. But he's actually a fairly warm guy. Unlike Jerry and his gang, he actually mostly gets himself into trouble trying to do something NICE, not nasty. A good example: In one episode, he's at a party that he's clearly not terribly interested in. He goes upstairs to find a restroom (cuz the lock downstairs doesn't work...that's a whole other subplot) and bumps into the young daughter of the family that owns the house. He uses the restroom and then he actually takes a moment to speak with the young girl in a friendly and genuine manner. He apparently feels for the fact that she's been made to be cooped up in her room while the adults chat and drink below. He talks with her about her doll, and as the two interact, she asks Larry to cut the doll's hair. Not having children of his own and not knowing better, Larry does so, and actually seems to enjoy his time with the little girl. Of course, five minutes later she's screaming and complaining to momma about the horrible man that cut the doll's hair! It's a frustrating situation that gets funnier as Larry tries to solve it...but the catalyst for the whole thing stems from Larry David being nice. Genuinely.

The show has lots of moments like this. And it's greatly helped by the delightful Cheryl Hines who plays David's wife. They have a palpable affection, but if feels like the affection of a couple that's been together for awhile. They can clearly annoy each other, but always with affection underneath. They understand each other's weaknesses, but never is the solidity of their relationship threatened. It's a believably happy marriage.

The show is in a very improvisational style, not at all like carefully crafted dialogue on SEINFELD. Yet the plots are neatly structured and the characters are rich. The episodes are sprinkled with wonderful cameos and appearances by many recognizable character actors. The show is pleasantly non-mean-spirited, and very funny.

In keeping with HBO shows, it can be fairly graphic in its language, so it's not for kids. But the humor isn't much for kids either. It's a grownup show for intelligent grown-ups, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Thank goodness for DVDs so I can finally see this show!!"