Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met (1986 TV Special) User Reviews

the best of Williams

[chrissyafrica · 7/10 · 18 November 2006]

why oh why won't they release these early Robin Williams appearances on DVD?? if you are very very lucky, you might catch this or An Evening with Robin Williams on late night comedy central. robin Williams is unbelievably funny back in the old days. his humor may have been run by too much cocaine and liquor, but it was spot on--touching, sharp, and intelligent, happily devoid of an abundance of ethnic character voices. Williams was just as ridiculously manic running around the stage and up and down the aisles. He poured sweat and expletives, but he some how had a lighter touch.

who owns the rights to these shows?? release them and we will buy them!

Outstanding

[jasong-3 · 9/10 · 11 April 2003]

By far, one of the greatest stand-up performances ever captured on film. It showcases Robin at the peak of his stand-up career. If you enjoyed his more recent "Live from Broadway", it pales in comparison to this film. This should place Williams on the same level as Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor, when looking at stand-up legends.

How does a performer like Robin Williams get to the Metropolitan Opera House? "Money. Lots and lots of money."

Those were the days weren't they

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 29 July 2000]

Nowadays, while Robin Williams is still entertaining and a good actor, his comedy and humor isn't up to his standards (honestly, his most recent funny movie was Mrs. Doubtfire). His standards, well, this special shows him with his standards and then some. Williams in this special is all over the place, crazy and improvisational, but very funny. Williams may not have many jokes, but he definately is entertaining in his way and that makes him good. Since then, he has made a turn for more dramatic roles. And while that might've been to his advantage (and an Oscar), I like to look back at his humor days once in a while. Humorous. A

"Like a baby in a blenderrr!"

[KillMe666 · 10/10 · 23 November 2002]

Classic stand-up from Robin Williams, this should make anyone laugh (hard).

Ahh the good ole days (yawn), I remember seeing this as a nipper and although I didn't get many of the jokes back then I still thought it was damn funny! Probably due to Robin's crazy voices and schizophrenic style of delivery.

On seeing this again at a slightly more mature state of being, it is downright hysterical. As the cover says, More LPM (laughs per minute) than any other comedy, and it's right. I've never seen anyone so quick at delivering, Williams just goes crazy (or actually IS for that matter), and there is some truly great improv.

I mostly only review the best stuff I've seen and this is no exception, closely followed by the late Bill Hicks this is the greatest stand-up routine I ever have, and probably ever will see.

Best Stand Up Comedy I've seen in Years

[bunny-14 · 5 January 2000]

I remember when this first aired on HBO where I laughed so hard my ribs ached.I had taped it then and played it so often that wore out my tape.Got another copy which has also worn out. It is a shame that such a great performance has been taken off the available video list. Shame.

Absolutely brilliant - where did this side of Robin disappear to in the '90s?

[MovieAddict2016 · 10/10 · 26 November 2005]

This was recorded at the Met in 1986 and from the very beginning Robin Williams has his audience by the throat and never lets go - even when a heckler in the first five minutes begins to taunt him he manages to make a joke out of it on the spot and continues on.

He careens from one topic to the next with free abandon and none of it really makes sense if you stop and think about it - for instance he goes from discussing sex and male genitalia to suddenly discussing why women would never create nuclear weapons, and from there he jumps into female presidency, which then leads in to Ronald Reagan, then Nixon, then Disney...it just keeps going and going.

It's almost exhaustive to listen to and if I didn't know any better I'd say he was still on drugs when he recorded it. He wasn't, though - he quit coke after John Belushi's death. However, this doesn't stop him from joking about alcohol, drug abuse and other risqué topics - all in all it's a really hilarious performance and it's a pity we wouldn't see anything this good from Robin again until his 2002 stint on Broadway (which is even better in my opinion, and more frantic).

If you love comedy, give this a go. If you love Williams, this is a must-own. If you don't like Williams, you've got to see or hear this because it might change your mind about him - he really did have talent once; it's just a shame he gave so much of it away to appear in lousy movies.

Quite simply, the funniest stand up routine I've ever seen.

[Fletch F. Fletch-2 · 10/10 · 1 September 2000]

The fact that Robin Williams was once producing comedy of this calibre puts him up there with the greats, Bill Hicks, Ryan Stiles, and Eddies Izzard and Murphy. Around this time, when was magnificent, Williams was producing material like "The World According to Garp", "Dead Poets Society" and even "Good Morning Vietnam". It's just a damn shame he's not anymore. But "Live at The Met" is quite simply the funniest stand-up routine ever performed. It will always prove how incredibly funny Robin Williams can

Good but inconsistent

[grantss · 7/10 · 19 October 2020]

Some skits and jokes are hysterically funny, some fall quite flat. Part of the problem is Robin Williams' stream-of-consciousness delivery: it is hard to keep up with the joke his mind is moving so fast. Generally this is a good thing, but he does lose you, and himself, at times, I think.

Easily one of the best stand up movies you'll ever see.

[carydog · 19 September 1999]

In all honesty,this has to be one of the best,if not the best stand up special by a well known comedian.Outranking even Eddie's Delirious and Chris Rock's latest,"Bigger and Blacker",you can be sure that you will have a pain in your side when this is over;and don't be surprised if you feel the need to immediately rewind it and watch it again. Robin's talent comes shining through,with impressions and observations that will have you crying in your seat. Trust me on this,if you are a Robin Williams fan,and you haven't yet seen this performance,you really don't know what you are missing.