Seen on: February 10, 2008

The players: Director: Ari Sandel, Writer: Ari Sandel, Cast: Vince Vaughn, Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst, Sebastian Mansicalco

Facts of interest: Ari Sandel won the Oscar for best short film in 2005 for "West Bank Story."

The plot: Vince Vaughn accompanies four stand-up comedies on a 30-day comedy tour across the United States.

Our quick thoughts: For once, Vince Vaughn is not necessarily the funniest guy on the big screen. In the moderately entertaining “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show,” he leads a group of talented stand-up comedians and movie stars through a 30-day comedy tour across the country. From Hollywood to the heartland, they deliver 30 exhausting shows in 30 different cities, hoping to delight the crowds and have a blast. Hosted by Vince Vaughn himself, the shows feature decent performances by comics Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst and Sebastian Mansicalco, and select appearances by actors Justin Long, Peter Billingsley and Keir O’Donnell (in case you were wondering, he’s the guy who played Christopher Walken’s gay son in “Wedding Crashers.”)

The comedians offer a variety of satisfying jokes, and they deliver most of them with refreshing energy and enthusiasm. More often than not, however, their material remains simplistic and is limited to typical issues of gender and race. Ahmed Ahmed, for instance, talks mostly about his experiences as an Arab in the United States, mocking everything from airport security to common stereotypes. Some jokes will provoke big laughter, others will crash, but judging by the variety of the shows, chances are most cinemagoers will find something to their liking. 

The movie, however, is not limited to on-stage comedy. Director Ari Sandel often takes his camera off stage and straight into the tour bus, taking the pulse of the stars in between shows. He also gives the comedians enough opportunities to reveal more about themselves and their work, digging deeper into their passions, ambitions, dreams and lifestyle. Sufficient applause and laughter, as we find out, is crucial for stand-up comedians to succeed, and failing to entertain the audience properly can severely damage their morale. A variety of interviews and anecdotes inject the plot with new juice and help keep it moving at a steady pace. 

Freaky quote: "Make me your Egyptian princess." - Ahmed Ahmed

The final word: Hardcore fans of stand-up comedy will most likely rejoice when walking out of the “Wild West Comedy Show,” but spectators who seem indifferent to primitive and profanity-laden jokes may want to think twice before hopping on Vaughn’s tour bus. This reviewer had a decent time and quite surprisingly caught himself laughing more than once. That’s a good start.