Chris Rock: Never Scared (2004 TV Special) User Reviews

Funniest Man In The World !

[drzeusmonkey · 9/10 · 19 October 2004]

When i bought the DVD i was wondering to myself whether it would be better than his previous HBO specials ,"Bring The pain" and "Bigger And Blacker". Well i found it is was just as funny or even funnier.

The high points of this stand up were the hilarious jokes about the government and why drugs are illegal, oh and how much black people love rims. What makes this so funny is that the jokes are so TRUE.

The low points were well not many well actually only one, Chris Rock used a bit too much swearing to my liking and it made some jokes just not as funny.

All in all you have got to see this stand up. Never Scared came close but my favorite stand up is still Peter Kay : Live At Bolton Albert Halls. Well played though.

Rock at the limit

[tributarystu · 8/10 · 9 January 2005]

Now, I had only a vague idea Chris Rock existed as an artistic human being on this planet up to this comedy show. Actually, up to the point he was announced as the next host of the Oscars, but the two moments nearly coincide.

Whether Rock is better or worse than in his other shows, I can not judge, for I've, obviously, yet to have seen them. But I believe this here show is enough ground for me to state, that Rock is a damn good comedian. He's got what it takes to keep the audience in tears of laughter for minutes in a row, he's spontaneous, original, charismatic and, of course, hilarious.

In "Never Scared", Rock is being rather tough on a lot of rather nasty and scandalous individuals, from strippers, to Michael and Janet Jackson, to the American government, to Mr. Bush W. etc. Out of these, poking at Michael is most fun. There are other "issues" at hand in "Never Scared" too, some more brilliant than others, which I really enjoyed listening to. I did sometimes question the approaches to one or two of the themes, but it was still easy to swallow down the jokes without being overly concerned or insulted by the content.

I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Chris Rock in the future. Because he's still got one.

My least favorite HBO special, though worth checking out once or twice

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 19 September 2004]

Chris Rock is a very smart comedian, but he forgets something about what made Bigger and Blacker and especially Bring the Pain funny- he then ONLY brought the jokes, not applause lines. A good deal of what comes out in his latest special, Never Scared, is funny, but a good lot of it doesn't strike up the rousing, even enormous laughs that came out of some of his classic bits (i.e. N****ers and Black People, Tossed Salad Man, the Columbine/Bill Clinton riff from 99). He's on fire in spurts, and that's what makes the 90 minutes worth watching, as he does have some great stuff here and there, such as when he attacks celebrities (The Jackson family, R. Kelly, wealth and rich in the black community "Rims- they spinnin' and spinnin' and spinnin'"), describes the bad parts about marriage, and so on. If only some bits wouldn't drag in so many parts to little laughs as opposed to bigger ones....this being said, after seeing it more times on HBO (it pops up a lot depending on the time you might be up at night), some of the lines work much funnier, especially the part about defending rap music and what it's like when one couple meets the "perfect" couple. A-

Chris Rocks!

[jeffs9000 · 10/10 · 19 April 2004]

I always thought Chris Tucker was funnier, I may need to re-think that. Chris Rock is at his finest here. He goes where no other comics dare to go. Michael Jackson, affirmative action, George Bush, marriage, the US government, IRAQ, abortion, rappers. Controversial topics with many f-en-heimers. Serious topics with a very real and funny spin to each one of them. This guy actually makes sense, and is quite intelligent (also very funny, but you already knew that). I couldn't help but laugh my ass off for 75 minutes, however at times I felt I shouldn't be laughing (realizing that history was very brutal many years ago). Highly recommended and very hilarious if you don't mind the foul language. I gave it a 10.

Never Been Better!

[nycritic · 10/10 · 12 April 2005]

I've always been a fan of Chris Rock's humor, but this time he really pulls out all the stops in his no-holds-barred stand up comedy special which aired last spring on HBO. Gleefully making fun of rap music over the years, the Jacksons, Kobe Bryant, R. Kelly, Krispy Kremes, strippers "paying themselves for college and giving a smart lap dance while wearing clear heels," the dynamics of relationships between men and women, he also makes some very strong (but humorous) points when talking about how the government advertises approved medicines while maintaining a hypocritical attitude on drugs and weapons, and he drives the issue home as to the politics of wealth which draws a clear difference between Whites and Blacks (or non whites). Hilarious within an inch of its life, CHRIS ROCK'S NEVER SCARED is an excellent 90 minutes and maintains his own status as a strong comic presence.

Great show!!

[raverg · 10/10 · 4 March 2005]

Oh my gosh... this show is great. After watching it for the first time I couldn't help watching 2 more times in the same day. My personal favorite's is "Niggaz vs. Black people". But this one was great too.

Chris Rock makes fun of rap music, the Jacksons, the president of the U.S., strippers, married people, couples and a few other things. Anyhow, it's hilarious.

I simply loved the STRIPPER MYTH: "I'm stripping to pay my tuition" :)))))))))

I recommend it to anybody who is over 18 and likes stand-up comedy.

10 out of 10

Haven't really lost his touch

[IrockGswift · 15 May 2004]

After a four year absence from stand-up,Chris Rock still know how to make the audience laugh. He is very brilliant and is up-to-date with the social issues that's going on today. He is now a father,and I don't think anyone can say that he is truly happy about marriage because he describes a lot of stress-related situations towards the matrimony. But a lot of comics hide their pain through their jokes and he does in a way that the audience can relate. Chris admits he is 39 ("that's right New Jack City was a long time ago")and still enjoy how hip-hop has evolve through a different art. He has a youthful intelligent outlook on life and gain respect from people of all ages. This is not his best stand-up but Chris will sure leave you in tears. A 8.5 out of 10 as compared to Bigger and Blacker.

Chris Rock is the Man...and don't you forget it!

[Isaac5855 · 9/10 · 8 January 2007]

Chris Rock once again commands the stage in his fourth HBO special, NEVER SCARED, which is just as fall-on-the-floor funny as the previous three. Chris is a bold and polished presence onstage and has become to HBO comedy what George Carlin used to be. His concerts have become "Must-See TV" and I'm sure they will continue to be so for a long time to come. Though his themes are similar, Chris never really repeats material. As always, he covers a myriad of subjects here, including the war, the president, sex, marriage, Michael Jackson, drugs, relationships, strippers, and rap music. Another thing I love about Chris is that he's never afraid to push the envelope where his audience is concerned. There is always at least one joke that generates as many uncomfortable "Oooooooh's" as it does laughs. Chris also never forgets that he's a man and every concert also contains at least one joke that only gets laugh from the men in the audience, but Chris doesn't care. He says what's on his mind and what people think, be damned but he never leaves the stage without a standing ovation.

Follows the formula

[dosanjh1 · 6/10 · 2 August 2004]

Chris Rock is a poet and a preacher, to watch him in full swing delivering his chisled lines is always wonderful.

If you've seen Bring the Pain and Bigger and Blacker, you'll know exactly what to expect as Rock pretty much continues where he left off, covering the same ground of politics, relationships, the black condition and his interpretation of celebrity crimes.

His delivery is smooth, forceful as ever and very confident. This particular act falls down when he tries to discuss Iraq. Not intending to make a joke but a serious point, he literally wastes 10 minutes of airtime not being funny. I think this may be in homage to his Hero Bill Hicks. (Very spookey listening to BH discuss Iraq 10-15 years ago today)

Watch Bring the Pain, then Bigger and Blacker and then if you have time watch this one.

One of the finest stand-up comedy shows ever.

[Marco_AGJ · 10/10 · 18 May 2009]

It's been a while now that I've been having increasing interest in stand-up comedies. I've already seen some good ones from handful of comedians, with Chris Rock being one of them, and I got to say that Never Scared is currently my favorite stand-up comedy show and is certainly one of the best showcases of what this genre can offer to entertain.

It's all about jokes and how you perform them. Chris Rock not only has some amazingly funny jokes, but also has a natural charisma in portraying them to the audience. He often makes weird faces, imitations, and changes on his voice into a harsher tone to make the jokes even funnier. That's how he forged a personality for his method of presentation. Chris Rock deals with subjects like popular culture, celebrities' scandals, rap music, politics, war, love relationships, African American related themes, among others. Be sure to find various topics about things that were happening in the world and especially in the United States at the time it was recorded, which I believe was in March of 2004.

This might pretty much be Chris Rock's finest recorded moment. If not, one of the finest, that's for sure. With Chris throwing several hilarious jokes, non-stop, from the beginning to the very end. All accompanied with Chris's singular way of doing it.

Rock's delivery makes up for some hit and miss writing

[MassDistraction · 7/10 · 25 March 2014]

For his fourth special for HBO (third full-length), Chris Rock returns to Washington, D.C. Rock's grown a little since the last we saw him. His delivery resembles that of a preacher's more than ever before, with more inflection in his speech and the increased use of repetition. While his previous specials contained some casual sexism and mild misogyny, Rock's now confronted with the birth of his daughter, which one thinks may challenge some of his old viewpoints. Sadly, there seems to be little change in his archaic views on relationships or his often combative approach to women. Fortunately, Rock handles politics and cultural commentary with a more progressive viewpoint, adding his own spin on the issues without fear of crossing any lines. On the issue of pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs, Rock's razor-sharp insights confront some hypocritical truths. Rock's support of gay marriage is a welcome development, even if he does make marriage about as appealing as getting waterboarded. Rock's charm and charisma does a fair bit to overcome some narrow mindedness, being able to land jokes that would be groan-inducing by other comics. A mixed bag of material with a million dollar delivery.

Funny, but not his best

[saiyahog84 · 8/10 · 28 May 2007]

Chris once again delivers laughs, especially in the beginning when he talks about keeping daughters off the pole and the stripper myth ("I'm stripping to pay my tuition" "If that's true, then how come I never got a smart lapdance?!"), rap music, getting with murder (Shoot him in the head and put a demo tape in his pocket), and celebrity scandals. However, when he starts talking about politics (The war in Iraq, patriotism, favoring white people over black people) it turns more into a speech/sermon rather than a stand-up routine. He seemed more focus about getting applause from the crowd, rather than laughs like in Big Ass Jokes, Bring The Pain, and Bigger & Blacker. However, it's still funny and worth a watch.

CR4

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 30 January 2022]

Chris Rock's fourth HBO special comes with a little more consciousness, but he hasn't abandoned jokes about p---y and BJs. It was like he was in a transitioning phase. He had the fame and name recognition enough to bring up issues like "rich versus wealthy," "patriotism turning to hatredtism," and "it's alright because it's all white," yet he didn't want to forget those who liked him because of the uncut raw vulgarity about intimacy. As always, he jokes about current affairs such as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson (Super Bowl), R. Kelly (peeing vid), Kobe Bryant, Siegfried and Roy's tiger, and the war. He starts off really strong and ends a little anemically with jokes about marriage, love, and sex. I'd grade it a B overall.

Disrespectful

[ldm-39328 · 1/10 · 30 March 2022]

I have no respect for Chris Rock! Why is a man being punished for standing up for a woman's honor? I am hopeful that chivalry is not dead. I support Will Smith 2000%!!!! I have no respect for Chris Rock as a man. As a woman, I am tired of men being praised for disrespecting women!! ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not his best, but thoroughly entertaining

[bigjoenuss3 · 18 April 2004]

While not nearly the epic performance of comedy-God proportions that was '96's "Bring The Pain," or even a show as good as his relaxed (by Chris Rock standards) '99 follow up "Bigger and Blacker," "Never Scared" is Chris Rock doing once again what he was meant to do. Rock, as demonstrated by his uneven movies, doesn't quite dominate any other medium like he does stand-up, and if anything it's great to see him at it again after a 4 year layoff. The material is somewhat more serious (abortion, gay marriage, the war in Iraq and a pointed defense of affirmative action are amongst the topics), and some of the lighter stuff has been covered in past shows (relationships, to name one) but to hear Rock's patented gravelly voice/shouted delivery is sweet music to the comedy ears. He rants better than anyone in the entertainment industry, and his frequent swears are anthemic when they would be perceived as simply overkill from anyone else.

Rock is not quite as over-the-top as in past performances. At a few instances his exasperation seems a little forced, but throughout the show it's relatively unnoticeable. I won't ruin any one-liners, but there were a few classics. All in all a great way to spend 80 minutes, even if it doesn't quite compare to the high standard Rock has set for himself.

Bring The Pain: 10 Bigger and Blacker: 8.5 Never Scared: 7.5

Worth watching but not his finest

[jmbwithcats · 8/10 · 4 May 2004]

I'm going to disagree with you Mr. Stanton when I say this show was enjoyable.

But Chris Rock, can do great things and can say some great things, so it wasn't as vapid as you suggested.

There are times Chris seemed to fall on old standby concepts too often: the sexual vulgarity, didn't quite pull that off as well as Bigger and Blacker, I couldn't tell whether Chris was committing treason or comitting murder, but some things just did not fly.

Overall I enjoyed the show, though it wasn't Chris at his best.

Sporting Life

[tedg · 7 January 2005]

Everyone lives in their own movie. We make up that movie from those we see, and many of us don't know it. Some movies are made purely to help us define ourselves and these are necessarily targeted to certain demographics. Nowhere is this more true than in the gay, teen and black worlds.

Chris Rock now sits on the throne between where there used to be two seats, the Bill Cosby and Richard Prior seats. That means he has to alternate between helping Blacks laugh at themselves and animating conspiracies. He must have found a sweet spot: hard for me to judge, I'm sort of a George Carlin kind of guy.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

On children: Even roaches have kids

[Tommyblastfinder · 15 October 2004]

Oh dear! a politically incorrect, Politically unfocused and finger-pointing humorist that scathes mostly the black American experience: Well that's as old as riots in the 'hood, and yet his twists and turns of that finger has white folks squirming too. In the wake of 9/11 it is an almost obligatory and disappointing side to his (and others) humour that he qualifies his tirades with: 'I love America......but" and so forth. This is Chris 'fourth HBO outing and he is as provocative and engaging as his fans could have hoped for. Its clear when he's off the mark as the audience waits respectfully for a truer hit. But these times are few and his charming vulgarity wins you over. Along with Richard Pryor & Eddie Murphy he proves to be one of the top three-black - if not American-broadcast stand-ups of today

Crude and not that smart but still sharp, energetic and funny

[bob the moo · 13 July 2008]

Never been totally sold on Chris Rock myself but I do tend to like angry and outrageous comedians at times and so I decided to check out this special. What I was looking for is the same as always which is lots of energy and strong language but that it is all used in context of a funny and insightful routine. Mostly this is what I got here as Rock covers topics such as marriage, parenthood, rap music and so on. The audience seemed more engaged than I was but I was still laughing along in an amused rather than "in hysterics" way. I think the reason for this is perhaps that Rock is really good with an audience and plays off them with great energy and timing - some of that does come across on the screen but not to the extent that I'm sure it is up close and personal.

This helps him anyway because it can only be a good thing for a performer for your weaker moments to be met by frantic laughter, nodding and knee-slapping. Or at least that is how it works here because some of his material is not as smart or as based in realism as I would have liked, even if the majority of it is pretty sharp. Perhaps understandably he doesn't get into challenging the things he is joking about and as a result the viewer can ignore the shoe whether it fits or not. This does detract a little from his "importance" as a comedian but not his ability to get a laugh.

Never Scared is pretty funny even if I never found it hilarious. The broad caricatures and gags are mostly based in reality to make for a satisfying comedy but some viewers will lose the good in the fact that it is very crude and sexually graphic in the content. To others this will be part of the appeal and this is often the way of things, but the show itself is just about good enough to appeal to the casual viewer as well as fans of Rock and this style of comedy.