Image Entertainment presents

Jamie Foxx: I Might Need Security (2002)

"Whitney Houston said Bobby Brown was the King of R&B. The King of R&B!!?? Ribs & barbecue, maybe."- Jamie Foxx

Stars: Jamie Foxx
Director: Chuck Vinson

Manufacturer: Ritek
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for strong language
Run Time: 01h:04m:58s
Release Date: 2002-07-16
Genre: comedy

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B	C	A-	B	C+

 

DVD Review

Not long ago I praised Jeff Foxworthy for his ability to provide laughs while staying away from obscene and inappropriate humor. Yet, I felt his act was too "safe," as his jokes relied on tired and worn out humor to provide a more family friendly atmosphere. Perhaps I should be careful what I ask for, as Jamie Foxx: I Might Need Security provides what can best be described as the sort of evil twin to the Foxworthy special. Foxx is brash, offensive, and often vulgar, and I laughed despite myself.

Recorded in late February 2002 in Oakland, California, Jamie Foxx: I Might Need Security is an hour-long trip through Foxx's aggravations and observations where no topic is safe. Foxx's brand of humor is often off-putting, as he rails against nearly everything that many may well be offended by. At the start of the program Foxx voices his displeasure with people of Middle Eastern descent in a painfully uncomfortable rant against the terrorist attacks on September 11th last year. I may be alone in this, and god I hope I am not, but I find it tasteless to make humor out of this horrible act, and further more to milk humor from what is essentially stereotyping. Compared to this, a segment devoted to overly sexual paraplegics is wholesome when it arrives late in the comedian's act.

One might argue that the point of these ramblings on sensitive issues is to provide a shock value at the very thought of the subject being construed as humorous. This may be the case, as Foxx quickly abandons the topics with a change into more lighthearted fare, including his take on Shaq as president or his altercation with rapper/actor LL Cool J on the set of Any Given Sunday. These moments are where Foxx finds his stride; his often perfect imitations of celebrities and his skewed look at the Hollywood scene are nearly perfect.

Foxx does shine in several monologues including one about his trip to Africa while on location for a film or how former President Clinton may have handled the war in Afghanistan, but these are few and far between. These moments show some real humor, yet sadly others induce more groans than laughter. I liked the energy Foxx has in his performance as he bounds across the stage doing one perfectly rendered impression after another, yet the material is, on the whole, tasteless.

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: C

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Presented in a full-frame aspect ratio, Jamie Foxx: I Might Need Security appears to have been shot on digital video, providing a very crisp image transfer. Colors are vibrant with the deep blue of Foxx's shirt appearing crisp, while the brightly colored backdrop shows no signs of bleeding. Sharpness and detail are perfect throughout and theere are no scratches or grain. Overall, this is a very nice transfer.

Image Transfer Grade: A-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: A Dolby Surround track does a nice job of recreating the atmosphere found in the concert hall as the sounds of the crowd as well as Foxx blend together perfectly to make a very nice audio mix. At times it becomes somewhat difficult to hear him, but these instances are very few.

Audio Transfer Grade: B 

Disc Extras

Static menu with music
Scene Access with 14 cues and remote access
Packaging: Unknown
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extra Extras:

1. Outtakes
2. Bonus musical performances

Extras Review: Three mildly funny outtakes from the concert as well as two musical performances by Foxx make up the scant extra features. After viewing the musical performances I can say that if the acting/comedian thing doesn't work out for Foxx, he could make it in music.

Extras Grade: C+
 

Final Comments

In the end, the subtitle of the program is undoubtedly related to the subject matter found in Foxx's act and for those who find sensitive material humorous, this may be for you. Others stand warned.

Kevin Clemons 2002-09-09